22-0243 Adoption by the Board of Education of Resolution No. 2122-0030 - School Consolidations for Fiscal Years 2022-23 and 2023-24.
· Presentation by the Superintendent of Schools of recommendations for School Consolidations for Fiscal Years 2022-23 and 2023-24
· Public Comments on proposed School Consolidations
· Discussion of the Board by and between Members and/or the Superintendent of Schools and/or designee(s)
· Action by Board on Resolution No. 2122-0030
As an OUSD educator, I am outraged at the proposal to close numerous majority POC schools. I taught at La Escuelita until I was consolidated this year and that building is brand new and deserves to be used by students. La Escuelita is a title 1 school with 98% of families on free/reduced school lunch and majority POC students. I know many of my students families chose La Escuelita because it is an elementary school AND a middle school. These families should not have to find alternative schools for their middle school students, if they do, it will lead to many of the elementary students leaving the school as well since families do not have the luxury of going to multiple drop off sites. The La Escuelita campus is right next to MetWest high school and Alice Street/UN CDC. This is very helpful for families since their scholars can go from prek to 12th grade within the same square block.
OUSD and Oakland School Board must stop using policies that decimate our communities of color. Instead of tearing down schools, start giving them the resources required to attract and retain students. Put our students' welfare front and center.
OUSD has already closed 18 schools since 2004. 14 of those 18 closed schools re-opened as charters. Is this about creating charters and privatizing education in Oakland?
30% of Oakland students now attend charter schools. Closed local public schools will become more charter schools, furthering the downward spiral of the OUSD budget.
https://www.inthepublicinterest.org/wp-content/uploads/ITPI_Breaking_Point_May2018FINAL.pdf
Is closing schools a way to force Black and Latino families out of Oakland? FCMAT needs to recalculate their formula that withholds our tax money from paying for smaller schools with smaller class sizes, in communities serving our neediest students.
If California was a country it would be the fifth largest economy in the world, yet CA per pupil expenditures are 39th lowest among the 50 states. The State of California has a $31 BILLION surplus this year.
CA needs to forgive the OUSD debt, and reverse the FCMAT edict to close 14 schools.
I'm an OUSD parent and am very concerned about the proposal to close down public schools. Please do not close any schools at this time, especially those that Black and Latino students rely on every day for their education.
NO SCHOOL CLOSURES. Do not balance your budget by harming Black and Brown students and their families during a prolonged pandemic. No cost savings justifies a racist, harmful policy.
Don’t wirsten these children’s lives. Restructure or swap out teachers through out the district. Don’t make crowing worse at more schools. If you must shut down any only a few.
California Education Code Division 1, Title 1, Part 1, Chapter 2, Article 1 section 201(b) states: "California’s public schools have an affirmative obligation to combat racism, sexism, and other forms of bias, and a responsibility to provide equal educational opportunity."
This language is legally stronger than any other code so it may be used to correct other laws.
In the report: The Effectiveness of Class Size Reduction by William J. Mathis, Shows class sizes of 12-18 not only benefit all students, but academic achievement is observed that was "twice as large for poor and minority students". This report clearly demonstrates that by preventing class sizes from reaching levels low enough to provide an equitable educational environment, ADA funding and tying funds directly to students creates a discriminatory bias against minority students and, based on the language of the aforementioned Education Code, invokes your affirmative obligation to combat this bias over any other obligation.
Keep schools open, work with state to make it work. Don't hurt these families anymore by disrupting their lives with monumental changes like close more schools.
I am a Behavior Technician in Alameda and strongly oppose school closures without community input. I believe this will disproportionately affect Black communities, which is unacceptable. Find another more collaborative response to budgetary constraints please.
Please don't close schools when it will save only 1% of your budget at most: this makes little fiscal sense, and risks losing more students from our district. Surely your creative minds can come up with other ways to save money, such as reducing the number of consultant contracts, getting out of the Broadway lease, and strengthening schools to attract more students.
I don’t think there is a need to close the schools this will affect not only our students but many ppl
As an OUSD educator, I am outraged at the proposal to close numerous majority POC schools. I taught at La Escuelita until I was consolidated this year and that building is brand new and deserves to be used by students. La Escuelita is a title 1 school with 98% of families on free/reduced school lunch and majority POC students. I know many of my students families chose La Escuelita because it is an elementary school AND a middle school. These families should not have to find alternative schools for their middle school students, if they do, it will lead to many of the elementary students leaving the school as well since families do not have the luxury of going to multiple drop off sites. The La Escuelita campus is right next to MetWest high school and Alice Street/UN CDC. This is very helpful for families since their scholars can go from prek to 12th grade within the same square block.
OUSD and Oakland School Board must stop using policies that decimate our communities of color. Instead of tearing down schools, start giving them the resources required to attract and retain students. Put our students' welfare front and center.
Oppose school closures
I live in district 7 and I strongly oppose the closing of our schools. VOTE NO.
OUSD has already closed 18 schools since 2004. 14 of those 18 closed schools re-opened as charters. Is this about creating charters and privatizing education in Oakland?
30% of Oakland students now attend charter schools. Closed local public schools will become more charter schools, furthering the downward spiral of the OUSD budget.
https://www.inthepublicinterest.org/wp-content/uploads/ITPI_Breaking_Point_May2018FINAL.pdf
Is closing schools a way to force Black and Latino families out of Oakland? FCMAT needs to recalculate their formula that withholds our tax money from paying for smaller schools with smaller class sizes, in communities serving our neediest students.
If California was a country it would be the fifth largest economy in the world, yet CA per pupil expenditures are 39th lowest among the 50 states. The State of California has a $31 BILLION surplus this year.
CA needs to forgive the OUSD debt, and reverse the FCMAT edict to close 14 schools.
I'm an OUSD parent and am very concerned about the proposal to close down public schools. Please do not close any schools at this time, especially those that Black and Latino students rely on every day for their education.
Thank you for your consideration,
Aaron Lehmer
No school closures. Director Davis stay true to your campaign promises!
NO SCHOOL CLOSURES. Do not balance your budget by harming Black and Brown students and their families during a prolonged pandemic. No cost savings justifies a racist, harmful policy.
No to the proposed school closures. I support the Reparations for Black Students Resolution.
I do not agree of the closures of the school please be mindful and think about our kids stop don’t do that please
Don’t wirsten these children’s lives. Restructure or swap out teachers through out the district. Don’t make crowing worse at more schools. If you must shut down any only a few.
Don't close any more of our schools. You closed my mother's elementary school. You closed my elementary school.
You closed 3 of the schools in which I taught as a 37 year teacher in the Oakland Schools..
California Education Code Division 1, Title 1, Part 1, Chapter 2, Article 1 section 201(b) states: "California’s public schools have an affirmative obligation to combat racism, sexism, and other forms of bias, and a responsibility to provide equal educational opportunity."
This language is legally stronger than any other code so it may be used to correct other laws.
In the report: The Effectiveness of Class Size Reduction by William J. Mathis, Shows class sizes of 12-18 not only benefit all students, but academic achievement is observed that was "twice as large for poor and minority students". This report clearly demonstrates that by preventing class sizes from reaching levels low enough to provide an equitable educational environment, ADA funding and tying funds directly to students creates a discriminatory bias against minority students and, based on the language of the aforementioned Education Code, invokes your affirmative obligation to combat this bias over any other obligation.
Keep schools open, work with state to make it work. Don't hurt these families anymore by disrupting their lives with monumental changes like close more schools.
Education is a HUMAN RIGHT!! Do not close any schools in Oakland, we need faith in our public schools now more than ever!!
I oppose
Vote NO. This proposal shows blatant disregard for the wellness of our children and families. This is NOT the right move.
I am a Behavior Technician in Alameda and strongly oppose school closures without community input. I believe this will disproportionately affect Black communities, which is unacceptable. Find another more collaborative response to budgetary constraints please.
Please don't close schools when it will save only 1% of your budget at most: this makes little fiscal sense, and risks losing more students from our district. Surely your creative minds can come up with other ways to save money, such as reducing the number of consultant contracts, getting out of the Broadway lease, and strengthening schools to attract more students.