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
These schools are the fabric of our community. Keeping youth roosted in neighborhoods is essential for working parents, community building, resiliency and pride. The glaring impact on the flatlands is suspect and had grotesque implications on these neighborhoods.
I am voting to oppose this Agenda as a stand in solidarity with students, parents, teachers and faculty across the district that will be greatly impacted. We must protect and provide equitable education to majority Black schools. It is imperative that we keep our children in schools within their communities to foster their communal ecosystems and social growth. Closing Black and Brown schools is not, nor ever will be the answer. Such actions and policy choices are acts of violence against our most precious community members, the children.
I vehemently oppose these proposed school closures that are rooted in racism and redlining, a history that OUSD has been all to willing to uphold in the past. I stand with Reparations for Black Students in demanding that OUSD do the work of finding solutions that support these Students and teachers who have routinely been asked to do the impossible with little to no support. Your lack of effort to find an alternate solution or engage the community on this proposal is cowardly and short sighted, as past school closures (also with majority Black students) didn’t produce the desired budget solutions either. This proposal would only serve to further disenfranchise and abandon these students and teachers at a time when they most need stability and support structures. Find another way to balance your budget than on the backs of Black and POC students and communities. They should not continue to pay for the past failures of this school board. Please Vote NO.
These school closures in the midst of a global pandemic are unspeakably cruel. The rush to judgement & the lack of analysis and community input on a decision that so drastically affects so many lives is unconscionable. Even more shocking than the lack of transparency & lack of actual documentation of metrics for success based on previous school closures is the piddling percentage of the budget that these closures will save. If the board moves forward at this breakneck speed despite overwhelming community opposition, the already fragile trust it has with the community will be shattered, and the attrition rate at these schools will be steep, further eroding the OUSD fiscal situation. I urge you to take a step back and vote NO!
Please vote no on this school closure proposal. There are other ways to save money that do not perpetuate the legacy of redlining and racism evident in this proposal to close schools that have students of color as their majority populations. Now is the time to think critically and creatively about solving the district’s fiscal problems in ways that promote racial equity. Please vote no on this plan.
I am a parent of an OUSD child and oppose the closures. It is a lazy and irresponsible approach to budgeting that further marginalized and harms students and families in communities that need our support. Do better for all of us.
Please do the right thing—with evidence that school closures do not save money, hurt black and brown students, and continue a feedback loop of lower enrollment and investment in Oakland Public Schools, this is not the right decision. This district needs to be accountable for the money being spent and be honest about the context and consequences of this huge, quickly made decision. Charter schools WILL be created and further taking money from this district, and it will continue a lack of investment in our community. Please spend more time and thoughtfulness on this issue while engaging with the community more transparently.
Don’t close or merge these schools. The failure of the OUSD board over time to enact alternative measures to ensure just and equitable solutions for schools in these neighborhoods should not lead to fewer options for students most in need. I oppose closing or merging these schools.
I stand with Reparations for Black Students in opposing the consolidation and closure of schools proposed by the Board. Stop harming black and brown students who just want fair access to education. Find a different way to fix the budget without impacting them or the teachers
I am an Oakland public school teacher in East Oakland. I remember the painful struggle that we lost when Roots International Academy was closed. It is unconscionable that you are closing the most high needs Black and Brown schools in the district right now. It's time to shut down the charter schools and stop the gentrification and privatization of the Oakland public school system. Our students, our parents and all education workers are united in their opposition to the closures/mergers that you have on your agenda. Take the resolution off the table now. We need time to heal and rebuild after two years of a vicious pandemic that continues today. Closing schools won't solve systemic problems. Only working together can we turn things around. It's time for the Board to do the right thing. Thank you School Directors Hutchinson and Van Cedric and the student directors. The rest of the board needs to follow their leadership! No closures/no mergers!
I'm not an Oakland resident or parent, but my partner is an OUSD teacher. I strongly oppose any effort to close schools. It shouldn't be a consideration unless the school is physically dangerous to be in. Keep Oakland schools open.
We have to fund our education, taking away these schools would mean devastation for many families. This is not an option.
Strongly OPPOSE. Do not close the schools!
These schools are the fabric of our community. Keeping youth roosted in neighborhoods is essential for working parents, community building, resiliency and pride. The glaring impact on the flatlands is suspect and had grotesque implications on these neighborhoods.
Do not close our schools. This is the time for creative solutions that prioritize rather than compromise educational equity.
Don’t close schools. Don’t displace students of color.
I strongly oppose ALL school closures in Oakand.
I am voting to oppose this Agenda as a stand in solidarity with students, parents, teachers and faculty across the district that will be greatly impacted. We must protect and provide equitable education to majority Black schools. It is imperative that we keep our children in schools within their communities to foster their communal ecosystems and social growth. Closing Black and Brown schools is not, nor ever will be the answer. Such actions and policy choices are acts of violence against our most precious community members, the children.
I vehemently oppose these proposed school closures that are rooted in racism and redlining, a history that OUSD has been all to willing to uphold in the past. I stand with Reparations for Black Students in demanding that OUSD do the work of finding solutions that support these Students and teachers who have routinely been asked to do the impossible with little to no support. Your lack of effort to find an alternate solution or engage the community on this proposal is cowardly and short sighted, as past school closures (also with majority Black students) didn’t produce the desired budget solutions either. This proposal would only serve to further disenfranchise and abandon these students and teachers at a time when they most need stability and support structures. Find another way to balance your budget than on the backs of Black and POC students and communities. They should not continue to pay for the past failures of this school board. Please Vote NO.
These school closures in the midst of a global pandemic are unspeakably cruel. The rush to judgement & the lack of analysis and community input on a decision that so drastically affects so many lives is unconscionable. Even more shocking than the lack of transparency & lack of actual documentation of metrics for success based on previous school closures is the piddling percentage of the budget that these closures will save. If the board moves forward at this breakneck speed despite overwhelming community opposition, the already fragile trust it has with the community will be shattered, and the attrition rate at these schools will be steep, further eroding the OUSD fiscal situation. I urge you to take a step back and vote NO!
We need these schools!
Keep schools open!
Please vote no on this school closure proposal. There are other ways to save money that do not perpetuate the legacy of redlining and racism evident in this proposal to close schools that have students of color as their majority populations. Now is the time to think critically and creatively about solving the district’s fiscal problems in ways that promote racial equity. Please vote no on this plan.
Please keep schools open. I stand with Reparations for Black Students in opposing the consolidation and closure of schools proposed by the Board.
Do not close schools. That is not the answer.
I am a parent of an OUSD child and oppose the closures. It is a lazy and irresponsible approach to budgeting that further marginalized and harms students and families in communities that need our support. Do better for all of us.
Please do the right thing—with evidence that school closures do not save money, hurt black and brown students, and continue a feedback loop of lower enrollment and investment in Oakland Public Schools, this is not the right decision. This district needs to be accountable for the money being spent and be honest about the context and consequences of this huge, quickly made decision. Charter schools WILL be created and further taking money from this district, and it will continue a lack of investment in our community. Please spend more time and thoughtfulness on this issue while engaging with the community more transparently.
Don’t close or merge these schools. The failure of the OUSD board over time to enact alternative measures to ensure just and equitable solutions for schools in these neighborhoods should not lead to fewer options for students most in need. I oppose closing or merging these schools.
I stand with Reparations for Black Students in opposing the consolidation and closure of schools proposed by the Board. Stop harming black and brown students who just want fair access to education. Find a different way to fix the budget without impacting them or the teachers
I am an Oakland public school teacher in East Oakland. I remember the painful struggle that we lost when Roots International Academy was closed. It is unconscionable that you are closing the most high needs Black and Brown schools in the district right now. It's time to shut down the charter schools and stop the gentrification and privatization of the Oakland public school system. Our students, our parents and all education workers are united in their opposition to the closures/mergers that you have on your agenda. Take the resolution off the table now. We need time to heal and rebuild after two years of a vicious pandemic that continues today. Closing schools won't solve systemic problems. Only working together can we turn things around. It's time for the Board to do the right thing. Thank you School Directors Hutchinson and Van Cedric and the student directors. The rest of the board needs to follow their leadership! No closures/no mergers!
I'm not an Oakland resident or parent, but my partner is an OUSD teacher. I strongly oppose any effort to close schools. It shouldn't be a consideration unless the school is physically dangerous to be in. Keep Oakland schools open.