I strongly support delaying school closures so that there is time to conduct an equity analysis as is required. The community has been crystal clear on its demands and it’s embarrassingly delayed but still not too late to listen and do the right thing.
I oppose all school closures and mergers. Postponing decisions until next year only adds stress and anxiety to our vulnerable students, parents, and community members. By even adding schools to the list for phase 2 you have caused severe damage and confusion among our community. Amend all decisions to close schools now!
Please do not close these schools right now. This will be devastating for the students who are already impacted by so many transitions over these last years. Please give them some stability by keeping their schools in tact.
I support the amendment to postpone schools closures and I urge you to STOP school closures by reaching out for support with funding to the state. As you know, the proposed school closures impact Black and Brown students at higher rates than white students and to close these schools without collaboration with the community or conducting a thorough impact report is systemic racism and violence in action. As a therapist, I urge you to consider the mental and emotional impact that school closures have on youth and families. Please act to ensure that all students are able to stay in their school community and receive the resources and support they need.
I support the resolution to postpone school closures. OUSD should not close schools without community engagement and an Equity Impact Analysis. Please pass this resolution pass and allow the OUSD a chance to uphold the commitments they made with the Reparations for Black Students Resolution to center equity and respect for ALL of our students in OUSD in their decision-making. Thank you to Moses and Andre for their commitment to our students.
I support the proposal to postpone Oakland school closures. This measure needs to be discussed in a transparent manner with input from affected communities. Targeting schools for closure with predominantly Black and Brown students is unacceptable. The district must find ways for ALL students to succeed and be supported.
Please take this opportunity to give the community a chance to have a better process. Postpone closing or consolidating schools until we can have a transparent conversation about whether money will be saved.
Thank you.
My name is Rev. Robin Walker, I am affiliated with Faith Alliance for a Moral Economy an arm of East Bay Alliance for a Moral Economy. After years of mismanagement, I urge you to put a moratorium on the closures and combining of schools in the Oakland Unified School District. Seek creative ideas to find funding and preserving these schools. Seek support from the county and state.
I support the resolution to postpone the closures Community Day School and Parker, and the truncation at La Escuelita. My daughter's elementary school is not on the closure or consolidation list, but I strongly believe no OUSD school should be closed, truncated, or consolidated without community engagement an Equity Impact Analysis. May this resolution pass and allow the District a chance to uphold the commitments they made with the Reparations for Black Students Resolution to center equity and respect for ALL of our students in OUSD in their decision-making. Thank you to Moses and Andre for their commitment to our students.
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.
Postponing closing schools.
Closing schools doesn't save money or improve performance.
https://www.courant.com/education/hc-school-closing-outcomes-20180120-story.
htmlhttp://schottfoundation.org/blog/2013/07/09/debunking-myths-school-closures
04-16 OUSD closed 18 district schools to save money. 14 became Charters, 67%. The last 20 yrs. the decrease enrollment in OUSD's district schools is close to the increase enrollment in charters. https://www.kqed.org/news/11729643/how-charter-schools-became-such-a-big-player-in-californias-education-system#:~:text=For%20the%20last%20two%20decades,students%20in%20those%2016%20years.
OUSD spends 526% more on Admin & 325% more on Consultants than the avg. public school in CA.
OUSD rents district offices for 3MM.
Need financial analysis specific savings for each school.
Show walk from home to school not current school to new school.
Follow CA Depart of ED "Closing a School Best Practices Guide" (https://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/fa/sf/schoolclose.asp).
Schools should not be closed down without the involvement of the community. The California Department of Education strongly recommends the use of a 7-11 District Advisory Committee before decisions are made about school closure. I urge the School Board to, at the bare minimum, pass this amendment. However, a 7-11 Committee is the best way forward for our community.
I oppose the closing of schools. Period. Like why can’t we re-purpose these facilities for other city and or community centered projects. Like housing or social services. Not just charter schools. But also there has not been enough time for community engagement, feedback, or vetting around these proposed closures. It’s unjust and not a good luck for the OUSD school board.
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 cost and negative impact on the local communities. Please address the larger issues of this crises with comprehensive and strategic planning that keeps equity at the center of final decisions.
No matter the circumstances, school consolidations will always be deeply unpopular. It has never—and will never—feel like the right time for school closures.
If the district wants to close schools, it needs to do a better job of showing how it spends money and how per pupil funding and expenditures varies by school site.
Among California's 50 largest districts, Oakland is: #4 in revenue per ADA, #50 in avg teacher salary, #48 in avg years teaching, #50 in school size, #4 in student/teacher ratio, and #5 in teacher salaries per ADA. It has not been made clear enough how these factors all relate.
For more info:
https://dashboards.ousd.org/views/SchoolDataSnapshot/CompareSustainability
https://www.ousddata.org/
https://eduvizy.org/
As an OUSD parent with students at Melrose Leadership Academy living in District 5, I support this amendment. This will give the district more time carry out a process that honors its commitments to Black students and the students and families of the schools being slated for closure or consolidation. Specifically, I urge the Board carry out the following:
1. That OUSD move forward with an Equity Impact Analysis of the final, amended list of closures; and
2. That OUSD follow its Reparations for Black Students resolution and protect schools with many Black students from closure and its Community Engagement resolution; and
3. That OUSD conduct a fiscal analysis of the revised plans for closures and truncations.
I strongly support delaying school closures so that there is time to conduct an equity analysis as is required. The community has been crystal clear on its demands and it’s embarrassingly delayed but still not too late to listen and do the right thing.
I oppose all school closures and mergers. Postponing decisions until next year only adds stress and anxiety to our vulnerable students, parents, and community members. By even adding schools to the list for phase 2 you have caused severe damage and confusion among our community. Amend all decisions to close schools now!
Please do not close these schools right now. This will be devastating for the students who are already impacted by so many transitions over these last years. Please give them some stability by keeping their schools in tact.
I Support
Stop school closures. Support the hunger strikers and Black students that will suffer from school closures.
I support delaying school closures so that more time is available to thoroughly evaluate the options.
I support the amendment to postpone schools closures and I urge you to STOP school closures by reaching out for support with funding to the state. As you know, the proposed school closures impact Black and Brown students at higher rates than white students and to close these schools without collaboration with the community or conducting a thorough impact report is systemic racism and violence in action. As a therapist, I urge you to consider the mental and emotional impact that school closures have on youth and families. Please act to ensure that all students are able to stay in their school community and receive the resources and support they need.
I support the resolution to postpone school closures. OUSD should not close schools without community engagement and an Equity Impact Analysis. Please pass this resolution pass and allow the OUSD a chance to uphold the commitments they made with the Reparations for Black Students Resolution to center equity and respect for ALL of our students in OUSD in their decision-making. Thank you to Moses and Andre for their commitment to our students.
I support the proposal to postpone Oakland school closures. This measure needs to be discussed in a transparent manner with input from affected communities. Targeting schools for closure with predominantly Black and Brown students is unacceptable. The district must find ways for ALL students to succeed and be supported.
Please take this opportunity to give the community a chance to have a better process. Postpone closing or consolidating schools until we can have a transparent conversation about whether money will be saved.
Thank you.
My name is Rev. Robin Walker, I am affiliated with Faith Alliance for a Moral Economy an arm of East Bay Alliance for a Moral Economy. After years of mismanagement, I urge you to put a moratorium on the closures and combining of schools in the Oakland Unified School District. Seek creative ideas to find funding and preserving these schools. Seek support from the county and state.
I support the resolution to postpone the closures Community Day School and Parker, and the truncation at La Escuelita. My daughter's elementary school is not on the closure or consolidation list, but I strongly believe no OUSD school should be closed, truncated, or consolidated without community engagement an Equity Impact Analysis. May this resolution pass and allow the District a chance to uphold the commitments they made with the Reparations for Black Students Resolution to center equity and respect for ALL of our students in OUSD in their decision-making. Thank you to Moses and Andre for their commitment to our students.
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.
I support the amendment to STOP school closures. NO SCHOOL CLOSURES PERIODT
Postponing closing schools.
Closing schools doesn't save money or improve performance.
https://www.courant.com/education/hc-school-closing-outcomes-20180120-story.
htmlhttp://schottfoundation.org/blog/2013/07/09/debunking-myths-school-closures
04-16 OUSD closed 18 district schools to save money. 14 became Charters, 67%. The last 20 yrs. the decrease enrollment in OUSD's district schools is close to the increase enrollment in charters. https://www.kqed.org/news/11729643/how-charter-schools-became-such-a-big-player-in-californias-education-system#:~:text=For%20the%20last%20two%20decades,students%20in%20those%2016%20years.
OUSD spends 526% more on Admin & 325% more on Consultants than the avg. public school in CA.
OUSD rents district offices for 3MM.
Need financial analysis specific savings for each school.
Show walk from home to school not current school to new school.
Follow CA Depart of ED "Closing a School Best Practices Guide" (https://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/fa/sf/schoolclose.asp).
Schools should not be closed down without the involvement of the community. The California Department of Education strongly recommends the use of a 7-11 District Advisory Committee before decisions are made about school closure. I urge the School Board to, at the bare minimum, pass this amendment. However, a 7-11 Committee is the best way forward for our community.
I oppose the closing of schools. Period. Like why can’t we re-purpose these facilities for other city and or community centered projects. Like housing or social services. Not just charter schools. But also there has not been enough time for community engagement, feedback, or vetting around these proposed closures. It’s unjust and not a good luck for the OUSD school board.
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 cost and negative impact on the local communities. Please address the larger issues of this crises with comprehensive and strategic planning that keeps equity at the center of final decisions.
No matter the circumstances, school consolidations will always be deeply unpopular. It has never—and will never—feel like the right time for school closures.
If the district wants to close schools, it needs to do a better job of showing how it spends money and how per pupil funding and expenditures varies by school site.
Among California's 50 largest districts, Oakland is: #4 in revenue per ADA, #50 in avg teacher salary, #48 in avg years teaching, #50 in school size, #4 in student/teacher ratio, and #5 in teacher salaries per ADA. It has not been made clear enough how these factors all relate.
For more info:
https://dashboards.ousd.org/views/SchoolDataSnapshot/CompareSustainability
https://www.ousddata.org/
https://eduvizy.org/
As an OUSD parent with students at Melrose Leadership Academy living in District 5, I support this amendment. This will give the district more time carry out a process that honors its commitments to Black students and the students and families of the schools being slated for closure or consolidation. Specifically, I urge the Board carry out the following:
1. That OUSD move forward with an Equity Impact Analysis of the final, amended list of closures; and
2. That OUSD follow its Reparations for Black Students resolution and protect schools with many Black students from closure and its Community Engagement resolution; and
3. That OUSD conduct a fiscal analysis of the revised plans for closures and truncations.