I support the resolution to postpone closing Community Day School and Parker, and cutting grades from La Escuelita. But I also urge the district to do an Equity Impact Analysis of the amended list of closures and conduct a fiscal analysis of the plans. The process to date has been completely chaotic, without community input, and there has been no clear sense of what can be gained by throwing our communities into yet more disruption after 2 years of learning loss during COVID.
Please reconsider all school closures.
I support an amendment that would postpone any school closure until at least 1 yr. Time for a real equity analysis of the impact on our black and brown students, time for a real evaluation of the true value of previous school closure, and time for the community to make our feelings know and heard!
I support this amendment to postpone closures at Community Day School and Parker, and postpone the truncation at La Escuelita. I am opposed to school closures! OUSD must conduct an equity impact analysis and do everything it can to preserve neighborhood schools. We must fight against the privatization of public schools!
I support the resolution to postpone closing Community Day School and Parker, and cutting grades from La Escuelita. But I also urge the district to do an Equity Impact Analysis of the amended list of closures and conduct a fiscal analysis of the plans. The process to date has been completely chaotic, without community input other than a minute or two on Zoom, and there has been no clear sense of what can be gained by throwing our Black and Brown communities into yet more disruption. Postponing these closures gives the district and community more time to evaluate the fiscal and equity impacts -- are they worth it?
I strongly support the amendment to postpone all school closures and truncations. With the additional time, I hope that the board will listen to the community and conduct a thorough and transparent analysis of the equity and fiscal impact of any proposed changes -- and clarify how they are worth the pain they will cause. The board must also address the bigger financial issues facing the district with a comprehensive and strategic plan for improving opportunities and outcomes for all students now and in the future.
These schools are poor performing despite the low student teacher ratio. Oakland has twice as many schools compared to similar sized districts and OUSD is in a financial crisis. The only solution and the only responsible one is to consolidate.
Please keep these much needed schools open. I support the amendment to postpone these rushed closures, pushed through without due consideration of the impact on equity. I also support the teachers who have now been on hunger strike for almost twenty days.
No School Closures! and claiming a 15:1 student teacher ratio in OUSD Public schools is typical of the misinformation, distortion, and duplicitous intent of FCMAT, the county, and school board members who advocate for school closures. Really? The board would use the misleading attendance statistics from during the pandemic when teachers struggled to teach online? OEA has been trying for decades to reduce the real class size student to teacher ratios, which are now: TK- Kinder: 25:1, grades 1-6: 28 to 29:1, secondary: 31:1, Music and PE: 51:1. The ratio you report is preposterously deceitful, and throws all statistics supporting privatization into doubt. Yes, lower the class sizes, fund smaller schools! See research studies to support: https://secureservercdn.net/198.71.233.31/3zn.338.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/CSR_Black-Male-Outcomes-Report-3.18.pdf
As an 8 year special education teacher at LPS Oakland and district 6 voter, I emphatically support the amendment to postpone the proposed school closures. Listen to the community and do not perpetuate harm against students from majority Black schools during an already challenging year. The world is watching.
I support the amendment to postpone closures at Community Day School and Parker, and the truncation at La Escuelita. But I also demand the following:
1. That OUSD move forward with an Equity Impact Analysis of the final, amended list of closures; and
2. That OUSD conduct a fiscal analysis of the revised plans for closures and truncations.
This closure process - and its amendments - have been chaotic, non-strategic, and problematic from start to finish. Pushing back these closures and the truncation means there is time for the District to study the equity and fiscal impact of these changes, and determine whether they are truly worth the community cost. Please address the larger issues of this crises with comprehensive and strategic planning that keeps equity at the center of final decisions.
As an OUSD parent in District 1, and an educator, I strongly support the resolution to postpone school closures. OUSD should look at other ways to balance the budget that do not make cuts to school sites.
I support the need for more community engagement and a more comprehensive assessment of decisions on equity. Please ensure that students, families, and teachers’ preferences are heard and honored and that decisions support students of color and students with special needs.
Please vote IN FAVOR of the amendment to postpone all school closures until next school year. Rushing to close predominantly-Black and low-income schools is problematic and racist; it is not what our community wants, and is not what our community needs. We need more time and more community engagement—and we need support / funding to protect and help our schools and students thrive. Please support our Black schools, please support our Hunger Strikers. Please listen to Oakland youth and vote YES on this amendment.
As an immigrant, a former after-school tutor, and a public health professional I support the amendment an oppose all school closures. In public health we know that access to schools and the community and sense of belonging they represents are strong foundations for healthy communities. This is what is at stake: the wellbeing of all of us in Oakland now and in the future is dependent on the choices we make today. I call on the board, and particularly my district's representative Shanthi Gonzalez, to go back to the drawing board, exert the leadership we elected you for, and do right by the Black and Brown students who would be most harmed by your decisions.
School closures and consolidations hurt our communities. We need more clarity about the OUSD budget and transparency around actual need for cuts.
Now is not the time to close schools. Please do the homework required, and listen to the community.
I support the resolution to postpone closing Community Day School and Parker, and cutting grades from La Escuelita. But I also urge the district to do an Equity Impact Analysis of the amended list of closures and conduct a fiscal analysis of the plans. The process to date has been completely chaotic, without community input, and there has been no clear sense of what can be gained by throwing our communities into yet more disruption after 2 years of learning loss during COVID.
Please reconsider all school closures.
I support an amendment that would postpone any school closure until at least 1 yr. Time for a real equity analysis of the impact on our black and brown students, time for a real evaluation of the true value of previous school closure, and time for the community to make our feelings know and heard!
I support this amendment to postpone closures at Community Day School and Parker, and postpone the truncation at La Escuelita. I am opposed to school closures! OUSD must conduct an equity impact analysis and do everything it can to preserve neighborhood schools. We must fight against the privatization of public schools!
I support the resolution to postpone closing Community Day School and Parker, and cutting grades from La Escuelita. But I also urge the district to do an Equity Impact Analysis of the amended list of closures and conduct a fiscal analysis of the plans. The process to date has been completely chaotic, without community input other than a minute or two on Zoom, and there has been no clear sense of what can be gained by throwing our Black and Brown communities into yet more disruption. Postponing these closures gives the district and community more time to evaluate the fiscal and equity impacts -- are they worth it?
I strongly support the amendment to postpone all school closures and truncations. With the additional time, I hope that the board will listen to the community and conduct a thorough and transparent analysis of the equity and fiscal impact of any proposed changes -- and clarify how they are worth the pain they will cause. The board must also address the bigger financial issues facing the district with a comprehensive and strategic plan for improving opportunities and outcomes for all students now and in the future.
These schools are poor performing despite the low student teacher ratio. Oakland has twice as many schools compared to similar sized districts and OUSD is in a financial crisis. The only solution and the only responsible one is to consolidate.
Please keep these much needed schools open. I support the amendment to postpone these rushed closures, pushed through without due consideration of the impact on equity. I also support the teachers who have now been on hunger strike for almost twenty days.
I am in support of the amendment to postpone school closures. Please listen to the community!
No School Closures! and claiming a 15:1 student teacher ratio in OUSD Public schools is typical of the misinformation, distortion, and duplicitous intent of FCMAT, the county, and school board members who advocate for school closures. Really? The board would use the misleading attendance statistics from during the pandemic when teachers struggled to teach online? OEA has been trying for decades to reduce the real class size student to teacher ratios, which are now: TK- Kinder: 25:1, grades 1-6: 28 to 29:1, secondary: 31:1, Music and PE: 51:1. The ratio you report is preposterously deceitful, and throws all statistics supporting privatization into doubt. Yes, lower the class sizes, fund smaller schools! See research studies to support: https://secureservercdn.net/198.71.233.31/3zn.338.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/CSR_Black-Male-Outcomes-Report-3.18.pdf
I am against closing the schools. It is very important for the stability, support and care of-the community of Oakland to keep the schools open!
As an 8 year special education teacher at LPS Oakland and district 6 voter, I emphatically support the amendment to postpone the proposed school closures. Listen to the community and do not perpetuate harm against students from majority Black schools during an already challenging year. The world is watching.
I support the amendment to postpone closures at Community Day School and Parker, and the truncation at La Escuelita. But I also demand the following:
1. That OUSD move forward with an Equity Impact Analysis of the final, amended list of closures; and
2. That OUSD conduct a fiscal analysis of the revised plans for closures and truncations.
This closure process - and its amendments - have been chaotic, non-strategic, and problematic from start to finish. Pushing back these closures and the truncation means there is time for the District to study the equity and fiscal impact of these changes, and determine whether they are truly worth the community cost. Please address the larger issues of this crises with comprehensive and strategic planning that keeps equity at the center of final decisions.
As an OUSD parent in District 1, and an educator, I strongly support the resolution to postpone school closures. OUSD should look at other ways to balance the budget that do not make cuts to school sites.
I support the need for more community engagement and a more comprehensive assessment of decisions on equity. Please ensure that students, families, and teachers’ preferences are heard and honored and that decisions support students of color and students with special needs.
Please vote IN FAVOR of the amendment to postpone all school closures until next school year. Rushing to close predominantly-Black and low-income schools is problematic and racist; it is not what our community wants, and is not what our community needs. We need more time and more community engagement—and we need support / funding to protect and help our schools and students thrive. Please support our Black schools, please support our Hunger Strikers. Please listen to Oakland youth and vote YES on this amendment.
Closing schools with three months notice is a traumatizing sneak attack on our communities. Delay the closure and get your house in order!
Please keep our schools open!
As an immigrant, a former after-school tutor, and a public health professional I support the amendment an oppose all school closures. In public health we know that access to schools and the community and sense of belonging they represents are strong foundations for healthy communities. This is what is at stake: the wellbeing of all of us in Oakland now and in the future is dependent on the choices we make today. I call on the board, and particularly my district's representative Shanthi Gonzalez, to go back to the drawing board, exert the leadership we elected you for, and do right by the Black and Brown students who would be most harmed by your decisions.