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
Though I have no children, the arguments against closure vastly outweighed those in favor. There is no right choice except for one that supports community health and especially educational opportunities for all students in Oakland, and especially those in historically underserved areas.
Table this resolution and do your due diligence including strong impact assessment and community engagement and participation. I generate significant taxes to City of Oakland and Alameda Country, support the idea of public education and reparations for black students in particular; and heartily oppose the efforts to close schools at this juncture. Especially under these circumstances.
Difficult decisions must be made and many will be affected. As a father, godfather, uncle and very passionate community member my #1 concern is the quality of education. As a black man, black father and black community member whose son is a student in Oakland as well, don't make a decision in our name. Black families want GREAT schools. Not just open schools. None of the people who claim they represent black families ever talked with us about what we want for our children.
The rapid closure of predominantly Black and brown schools without any input from the community, OUSD staff, or OUSD students is harmful to health, both physical and mental. This is devastating, especially as we are still in a pandemic. I oppose the resolution to close these schools.
I oppose. What happen to the promises that was made to the families when we voted these people in,? All lies as usual. We must stay united in order to overtiurn the damage that has been done too our community. They must go!
I am a 3rd and 4th grade teacher at Bridges Academy at Melrose in East Oakland. I want to express my complete moral outrage about the situation that we are in at this moment. After fighting so long for COVID safety in our schools, we have been thrust into this horrific fight to save our public schools. Our community is exhausted, and I am certain this is an intentional tactic to choose this time to attack our public schools. There are personnel at Westlake on a hunger strike. School board members, I hope this makes you shake with embarrassment. How dare you force OUSD staff to protest in this way to keep children safe , protect their communities and save public schools. School board and OUSD got to the state to get us the money to properly fund our public schools. We deserve transparent, open procedures around the money and how it is used. Stop putting our students and their communities on the line. Save our public schools now.
I am a resident of District 4 and I am one of the many supporters of the Reparations for Black Students resolution and I strongly oppose OUSD's attempts to balance its budget on the backs of Black and Brown families by closing yet more neighborhood schools. This board has failed to conduct community engagement and the necessary equity impact analysis. OUSD's own history of closing schools shows that action does not produce the desired district savings. Closing our neighborhood schools continue generational harm and increase injustice and inequity. Public education is an essential part of our communal good and civic rights. Stop closing the schools in our neighborhoods! Stop harming our Black students! Stop harming all our students!
OUSD is not a business--it's an institution central to the heart of Oakland. Please do NOT close down majority Black and Brown schools. By closing schools, you are teeing up a devastation of our community. Listen to the students. Listen to our community.
K.L. Monroe, the superintendent of Alameda Co. Schools, said there was a budget plan that did not involve school closures. We need to see that plan. Superintendent Monroe also said she was going to execute an equity analysis review for this proposal. Where are the results to that equity review?
This decision should not be rushed without substantial community involvement. A cost benefit analysis should be made first, of money lost from students from closed schools leaving the district vs. the small savings from closing schools.
This is not how community impacted issues should be conducted. This is so disrespectful to all of us. I vehemently oppose these school closures. More time and major community input need to be involved in these types of decisions. Our taxes pay for these services and for the salaries of these leaders who are supposed to protect the wellness of our students, their education, our communities, and their futures, all of our futures. Please do what is right and listen to your co-director Mike Hutchinson who is truly invested and interested in the wellness and success of our young students of Oakland Unified School District. Our ability to thrive is not up for debate and our communities wellness should not be at the hands of a tiny board of directors.
I am a parent in OUSD and an educator at San Francisco State University. I oppose the school closures. You have had little to no community/resident/parent feedback and this is unnecessary and harmful to families--Black and Brown families--in Oakland. You need to work to correct issues within the school district, closing schools that families and students, children, depend on for community, home, and nurturing. Shame on you.
When I was attending school we had a large campus. No one had control of academic, fights, kids graduated not prepared for the world. Having smaller schools is the best option as this helps cut and bridge some of this gray areas. We already have a hard time but if we combine schools and make them bigger we will be creating a catastrophe out of a hard situation. This is not what our students need.
As an OUSD parent and a physician caring for the educators who are hunger striking to stop these closures and mergers, I call on you to vote NO on any closures. Please stand with the communities that elected you. We need you to have the same imagination and courage displayed by the hunger strikers and the students who are fighting for their schools. Stand with us and let us all face the State of California and demand that they forgive the debt they created, and use the budget surplus to keep these schools open.
As a resident and educator, I urge you to vote no on this resolution. You have disregarded any parent engagement. The cost benefit analysis of the supposed savings from school closures does not take into account the cost of trauma, harm, broken connections and a sense of belonging. It goes against our value of community schools.
Hello, my name is Danny Kaplan and I am a resident of District 1. I am one of the many supporters of the Reparations for Black Students resolution and I am opposed to OUSD’s attempt to balance the budget on the back of our Black students. This board has failed to engage the community in tonight’s decision and conduct the 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!
It feels harmful and hurtful that the schools that continuously are effected are primarily communities of color. The cuts need to to come from somewhere else! Our children deserve better. I currently do not have a walkable public elementary school in my neighborhood that is not a charter. How do we build a community when the schools primarily in BIPOC communities are being dismantled? FIND THE CUTS SOMEWHERE ELSE, not by school closures!
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 students. 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. In particular, I'm concerned about the proposal to close Horace Mann Elementary. Having worked and volunteered with them for 5 years. It is a beautiful school community and institution in the neighborhood. In addition to Horace Mann, I believe all school closures should be reconsidered at this time. The impacts to students and families is too significant to move this forward without adequate community engagement or consideration of alternatives.
Community involvement needs to be part of this process before you vote.
Though I have no children, the arguments against closure vastly outweighed those in favor. There is no right choice except for one that supports community health and especially educational opportunities for all students in Oakland, and especially those in historically underserved areas.
Table this resolution and do your due diligence including strong impact assessment and community engagement and participation. I generate significant taxes to City of Oakland and Alameda Country, support the idea of public education and reparations for black students in particular; and heartily oppose the efforts to close schools at this juncture. Especially under these circumstances.
Difficult decisions must be made and many will be affected. As a father, godfather, uncle and very passionate community member my #1 concern is the quality of education. As a black man, black father and black community member whose son is a student in Oakland as well, don't make a decision in our name. Black families want GREAT schools. Not just open schools. None of the people who claim they represent black families ever talked with us about what we want for our children.
The rapid closure of predominantly Black and brown schools without any input from the community, OUSD staff, or OUSD students is harmful to health, both physical and mental. This is devastating, especially as we are still in a pandemic. I oppose the resolution to close these schools.
I oppose. What happen to the promises that was made to the families when we voted these people in,? All lies as usual. We must stay united in order to overtiurn the damage that has been done too our community. They must go!
I am a 3rd and 4th grade teacher at Bridges Academy at Melrose in East Oakland. I want to express my complete moral outrage about the situation that we are in at this moment. After fighting so long for COVID safety in our schools, we have been thrust into this horrific fight to save our public schools. Our community is exhausted, and I am certain this is an intentional tactic to choose this time to attack our public schools. There are personnel at Westlake on a hunger strike. School board members, I hope this makes you shake with embarrassment. How dare you force OUSD staff to protest in this way to keep children safe , protect their communities and save public schools. School board and OUSD got to the state to get us the money to properly fund our public schools. We deserve transparent, open procedures around the money and how it is used. Stop putting our students and their communities on the line. Save our public schools now.
I am a resident of District 4 and I am one of the many supporters of the Reparations for Black Students resolution and I strongly oppose OUSD's attempts to balance its budget on the backs of Black and Brown families by closing yet more neighborhood schools. This board has failed to conduct community engagement and the necessary equity impact analysis. OUSD's own history of closing schools shows that action does not produce the desired district savings. Closing our neighborhood schools continue generational harm and increase injustice and inequity. Public education is an essential part of our communal good and civic rights. Stop closing the schools in our neighborhoods! Stop harming our Black students! Stop harming all our students!
Oppose
OUSD is not a business--it's an institution central to the heart of Oakland. Please do NOT close down majority Black and Brown schools. By closing schools, you are teeing up a devastation of our community. Listen to the students. Listen to our community.
K.L. Monroe, the superintendent of Alameda Co. Schools, said there was a budget plan that did not involve school closures. We need to see that plan. Superintendent Monroe also said she was going to execute an equity analysis review for this proposal. Where are the results to that equity review?
This decision should not be rushed without substantial community involvement. A cost benefit analysis should be made first, of money lost from students from closed schools leaving the district vs. the small savings from closing schools.
This is not how community impacted issues should be conducted. This is so disrespectful to all of us. I vehemently oppose these school closures. More time and major community input need to be involved in these types of decisions. Our taxes pay for these services and for the salaries of these leaders who are supposed to protect the wellness of our students, their education, our communities, and their futures, all of our futures. Please do what is right and listen to your co-director Mike Hutchinson who is truly invested and interested in the wellness and success of our young students of Oakland Unified School District. Our ability to thrive is not up for debate and our communities wellness should not be at the hands of a tiny board of directors.
OPPOSE. Listen to your community!!
I am a parent in OUSD and an educator at San Francisco State University. I oppose the school closures. You have had little to no community/resident/parent feedback and this is unnecessary and harmful to families--Black and Brown families--in Oakland. You need to work to correct issues within the school district, closing schools that families and students, children, depend on for community, home, and nurturing. Shame on you.
When I was attending school we had a large campus. No one had control of academic, fights, kids graduated not prepared for the world. Having smaller schools is the best option as this helps cut and bridge some of this gray areas. We already have a hard time but if we combine schools and make them bigger we will be creating a catastrophe out of a hard situation. This is not what our students need.
As an OUSD parent and a physician caring for the educators who are hunger striking to stop these closures and mergers, I call on you to vote NO on any closures. Please stand with the communities that elected you. We need you to have the same imagination and courage displayed by the hunger strikers and the students who are fighting for their schools. Stand with us and let us all face the State of California and demand that they forgive the debt they created, and use the budget surplus to keep these schools open.
As a resident and educator, I urge you to vote no on this resolution. You have disregarded any parent engagement. The cost benefit analysis of the supposed savings from school closures does not take into account the cost of trauma, harm, broken connections and a sense of belonging. It goes against our value of community schools.
Hello, my name is Danny Kaplan and I am a resident of District 1. I am one of the many supporters of the Reparations for Black Students resolution and I am opposed to OUSD’s attempt to balance the budget on the back of our Black students. This board has failed to engage the community in tonight’s decision and conduct the 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!
It feels harmful and hurtful that the schools that continuously are effected are primarily communities of color. The cuts need to to come from somewhere else! Our children deserve better. I currently do not have a walkable public elementary school in my neighborhood that is not a charter. How do we build a community when the schools primarily in BIPOC communities are being dismantled? FIND THE CUTS SOMEWHERE ELSE, not by school closures!
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 students. 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. In particular, I'm concerned about the proposal to close Horace Mann Elementary. Having worked and volunteered with them for 5 years. It is a beautiful school community and institution in the neighborhood. In addition to Horace Mann, I believe all school closures should be reconsidered at this time. The impacts to students and families is too significant to move this forward without adequate community engagement or consideration of alternatives.