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
Closing schools is not the solution to Oakland's budget crisis. Invest in our existing schools, invest in black and brown students, invest in communities.
I’m gonna be real with you instead of trying to phrase this politely be taken “seriously”. This is bull, & everyone knows it. The mismanagement of funds by OUSD goes back farther than I have been alive. I watched teachers starve themselves during a hunger strike in the 90s because administrators don’t care & neither does the state. The Black & Brown communities that this affects have always tried to articulate themselves perfectly to be seen as equal & deserving of education, & it is repeatedly denied to their children and communities regardless.
PROTECT the hearts and spirits of our students. Their lived experiences with their teachers and friends are probably the closest they will ever feel to being valued appreciated validated and seen. For some students, their teachers are their beacon of hope. This might be the only time students have allowed themselves to trust anyone. We tell students and families we are a community please listen to your community, We deserve to keep our connections. We deserve the right to feel safe walking to school in neighbors we know. We deserve to sustain our relationships with each other. I dont understand why OUR SCHOLS OUR BABIES OUR FAMILIES ARE ALWAYS BEING STABBED WITH A DOUBLE SIDED KKNIFE. Our VOICE should always matter. Protect US like others are protected in other areas of Oakland. Time out for doing things the same way expecting different results. INSANITY. How can OUSD STAND for EQUITY but CREATE INEQUITIES? How can OUSD STAND for COMMUNITY but Destroy the Fabric of Families?
Schools are a public responsibility not a business. We are in a pandemic. Children need stability now more than ever. Postpone your decision and learn more from each of the communities and why they want their school to stay.
I am one of many supporters of the Reparations for Black Students Resolution and am opposed to OUSD’s attempt to balance the budget on the backs of our Black students. This board has failed to engage the community tonight's decision will impact nor has the board conducted a necessary equity impact analysis. There are other ways to handle a budget crisis and OUSD’s own history of school closures is a clear indicator that closing schools will not produce the desired district savings. Hands off our schools!
Director Gonzales stated that because so many charter schools were approved they had to close public schools for "balance." This is a blunt admittance that the move isn't so much about budget as about accelerating the privatization of public schools. This only benefits the capitalist class at the expense of working class families. Opposition is mounting against these actions and the actions to push kids into unsafe schools to get infected with covid: this article highlights the growing opposition https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2022/02/05/oakl-f05.html
The system is broken. Close a predominantly white school and move those students into these under-enrolled schools and see how fast funding changes. Our children are the priority, full stop.
This is a student from Allendale Elementary I don't want you to close the school down the schools because were not ready to stop school when you guys just started it back up and how are we supposed to get educacion we love school I don't understand why that your closing school down school because you get more money I think you should 100% KEEP SCHOOL OPEN
In 2010, the Oakland school district moved to close five child development centers in BIPOC neighborhoods. Oakland Parents Together, which I was involved with at the time, said that we would implement a People’s Takeover of the centers and run them with volunteers if necessary. We called a huge meeting. We rounded up dozens of volunteers. The district relented and the centers stayed open.
Imagine the worst case scenario that the board votes to close these schools tonight and all our efforts to keep the pressure on them as well as FCMAT, the state, and the governor fail to reverse the decision. Imagine that these schools throw out the designated curriculum for the next few months and teach the students about fighting for a just society. Suppose these schools deeply organized the parents and the surrounding community. Suppose on May 25 the parents, the teachers, the students, and the community occupied those schools and began three months or more of Freedom Summer Schools 24/7.
The PowerPoints provided by the consultants did not include information for all schools. Please provide the data for all Oakland schools in the same manner as those slated for closure. The district claims some schools cost more than others, but the data did not take into consideration that SpEd students have more needs which mean more costs. It also did not consider that more experienced teachers cost more. Additionally, please provide the overhead rate for OUSD compared to other districts with a similar number of students. Was there any consideration given for the students who will return to in-person learning from Sojourner Truth?
No necesitamos darles más razones para convencerlos de no cerrar nuestras escuelas porque las razones sobran y ustedes las saben! Dejen de fingir que les importa lo que tenemos que decir porque si realmente les importara ni siquiera se les habría ocurrido cerrar una sola escuela.
My son is a first grade student at KDA (Korematsu Discovery Academy). He is receiving speech therapy at KDA and so much support from his teacher and staff. KDA is helping my son thrive and grow in his speech and learning. Please don't close any of our Oakland schools. I hope you will take time to visit each of the schools and talk and engage with students and staff before making such a big decision that will impact so many students, families and teachers and staff. #noschoolclosures #keepKDAopen
Ms. Gonzalez said the charter schools had started 20 years ago and has caused current problems. I believe mr. Yee was on the board around the time and has a reputation for being a charter school advocate and causing school closures. I believe he has no legs to stand on in this debate and should abstain or clarify his position. This is destroying our schools & community.
Consolidation of low-enrollment schools is not the option for viable money savings. Your own studies show that closing and consolidating schools will only result in $6-14 million in savings, which is a small percentage of the overall OUSD budget. Another option for budget savings is to close the admin offices by Lake Merritt. My understanding is the rent for those offices is $5 million annually alone. Why not do that instead? Administrative staff can work remotely.
The proposed school consolidations and process is completely negligent. The timeline from when the list of schools was released to when the Board is to vote on the closures is less than two weeks. This timeline is unrealistic for any kind of strategic or thoughtful planning and grossly lacks time for meaningful engagement with these communities. Board adopted a policy that requires an Equity Impact Analysis to be completed prior to closing schools. This analysis has not been completed and it is not clear that OUSD has adequately considered alternatives to closures. Nationwide studies have shown school closures do not save money nor do they improve outcomes for impacted students.
Please complete an Equity Impact Analysis and making adjustments to the proposal based on the findings. Take the time to engage the impacted students and communities in the planning process to ensure their needs will be met. Thank you.
Another Peralta parent against closures of majority-Black schools, and for honoring the resolution on reparations for Black students. The Board's leadership must be focused on securing state funding, not shuttering beloved schools.
We all know that inflated management salary's, privatization of our public tax dollars, de-unionization and gentrification of the less wealthy out of Oakland .
Closing schools is not the solution to Oakland's budget crisis. Invest in our existing schools, invest in black and brown students, invest in communities.
I’m gonna be real with you instead of trying to phrase this politely be taken “seriously”. This is bull, & everyone knows it. The mismanagement of funds by OUSD goes back farther than I have been alive. I watched teachers starve themselves during a hunger strike in the 90s because administrators don’t care & neither does the state. The Black & Brown communities that this affects have always tried to articulate themselves perfectly to be seen as equal & deserving of education, & it is repeatedly denied to their children and communities regardless.
PROTECT the hearts and spirits of our students. Their lived experiences with their teachers and friends are probably the closest they will ever feel to being valued appreciated validated and seen. For some students, their teachers are their beacon of hope. This might be the only time students have allowed themselves to trust anyone. We tell students and families we are a community please listen to your community, We deserve to keep our connections. We deserve the right to feel safe walking to school in neighbors we know. We deserve to sustain our relationships with each other. I dont understand why OUR SCHOLS OUR BABIES OUR FAMILIES ARE ALWAYS BEING STABBED WITH A DOUBLE SIDED KKNIFE. Our VOICE should always matter. Protect US like others are protected in other areas of Oakland. Time out for doing things the same way expecting different results. INSANITY. How can OUSD STAND for EQUITY but CREATE INEQUITIES? How can OUSD STAND for COMMUNITY but Destroy the Fabric of Families?
Schools are a public responsibility not a business. We are in a pandemic. Children need stability now more than ever. Postpone your decision and learn more from each of the communities and why they want their school to stay.
I am one of many supporters of the Reparations for Black Students Resolution and am opposed to OUSD’s attempt to balance the budget on the backs of our Black students. This board has failed to engage the community tonight's decision will impact nor has the board conducted a necessary equity impact analysis. There are other ways to handle a budget crisis and OUSD’s own history of school closures is a clear indicator that closing schools will not produce the desired district savings. Hands off our schools!
Director Gonzales stated that because so many charter schools were approved they had to close public schools for "balance." This is a blunt admittance that the move isn't so much about budget as about accelerating the privatization of public schools. This only benefits the capitalist class at the expense of working class families. Opposition is mounting against these actions and the actions to push kids into unsafe schools to get infected with covid: this article highlights the growing opposition https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2022/02/05/oakl-f05.html
The system is broken. Close a predominantly white school and move those students into these under-enrolled schools and see how fast funding changes. Our children are the priority, full stop.
This is a student from Allendale Elementary I don't want you to close the school down the schools because were not ready to stop school when you guys just started it back up and how are we supposed to get educacion we love school I don't understand why that your closing school down school because you get more money I think you should 100% KEEP SCHOOL OPEN
No school closures !! We need better solutions ! I’m a single mother of two kids with no help to take two kids to a different schools!
In 2010, the Oakland school district moved to close five child development centers in BIPOC neighborhoods. Oakland Parents Together, which I was involved with at the time, said that we would implement a People’s Takeover of the centers and run them with volunteers if necessary. We called a huge meeting. We rounded up dozens of volunteers. The district relented and the centers stayed open.
Imagine the worst case scenario that the board votes to close these schools tonight and all our efforts to keep the pressure on them as well as FCMAT, the state, and the governor fail to reverse the decision. Imagine that these schools throw out the designated curriculum for the next few months and teach the students about fighting for a just society. Suppose these schools deeply organized the parents and the surrounding community. Suppose on May 25 the parents, the teachers, the students, and the community occupied those schools and began three months or more of Freedom Summer Schools 24/7.
The PowerPoints provided by the consultants did not include information for all schools. Please provide the data for all Oakland schools in the same manner as those slated for closure. The district claims some schools cost more than others, but the data did not take into consideration that SpEd students have more needs which mean more costs. It also did not consider that more experienced teachers cost more. Additionally, please provide the overhead rate for OUSD compared to other districts with a similar number of students. Was there any consideration given for the students who will return to in-person learning from Sojourner Truth?
No necesitamos darles más razones para convencerlos de no cerrar nuestras escuelas porque las razones sobran y ustedes las saben! Dejen de fingir que les importa lo que tenemos que decir porque si realmente les importara ni siquiera se les habría ocurrido cerrar una sola escuela.
My son is a first grade student at KDA (Korematsu Discovery Academy). He is receiving speech therapy at KDA and so much support from his teacher and staff. KDA is helping my son thrive and grow in his speech and learning. Please don't close any of our Oakland schools. I hope you will take time to visit each of the schools and talk and engage with students and staff before making such a big decision that will impact so many students, families and teachers and staff. #noschoolclosures #keepKDAopen
Ms. Gonzalez said the charter schools had started 20 years ago and has caused current problems. I believe mr. Yee was on the board around the time and has a reputation for being a charter school advocate and causing school closures. I believe he has no legs to stand on in this debate and should abstain or clarify his position. This is destroying our schools & community.
Consolidation of low-enrollment schools is not the option for viable money savings. Your own studies show that closing and consolidating schools will only result in $6-14 million in savings, which is a small percentage of the overall OUSD budget. Another option for budget savings is to close the admin offices by Lake Merritt. My understanding is the rent for those offices is $5 million annually alone. Why not do that instead? Administrative staff can work remotely.
The proposed school consolidations and process is completely negligent. The timeline from when the list of schools was released to when the Board is to vote on the closures is less than two weeks. This timeline is unrealistic for any kind of strategic or thoughtful planning and grossly lacks time for meaningful engagement with these communities. Board adopted a policy that requires an Equity Impact Analysis to be completed prior to closing schools. This analysis has not been completed and it is not clear that OUSD has adequately considered alternatives to closures. Nationwide studies have shown school closures do not save money nor do they improve outcomes for impacted students.
Please complete an Equity Impact Analysis and making adjustments to the proposal based on the findings. Take the time to engage the impacted students and communities in the planning process to ensure their needs will be met. Thank you.
No school closures! This is not the answer!
Another Peralta parent against closures of majority-Black schools, and for honoring the resolution on reparations for Black students. The Board's leadership must be focused on securing state funding, not shuttering beloved schools.
Please keep majority Black schools open and honor the Reparations for Black Students resolution that OUSD approved last year.
We all know that inflated management salary's, privatization of our public tax dollars, de-unionization and gentrification of the less wealthy out of Oakland .