The recent discussions place blame on communication failures are not just a distraction. The real issue here isn't about how quickly we communicate the problem of lead in our water; it's about why we have this problem in the first place and why we continue to rely on temporary fixes instead of addressing the root causes. Testing and filters are band-aid solutions that only mask the underlying problem. We need a commitment to long-term solutions that ensure our children are never again exposed to toxic levels of lead in their drinking water.
Take bold action securing the necessary funding to replace old pipes and infrastructure, just as other school districts, like Jersey City, have done. They sought and received state and federal funding to replace lead pipes to address this issue head-on. Commit to achieving zero lead levels in our water with a SPECIFIC timeline. Filters and the current inequitable distribution of water flow in our schools are insufficient and unacceptable.
I am deeply concerned and disturbed that lead-contaminated water has been found at dozens of Oakland schools across the district and that parents and teachers were kept in the dark for months about these serious threats to our children's health.
I urge you to take the following districtwide actions to ensure safe, lead-free drinking water at schools: (1) conduct regular testing of all water outlets at every school in the district, (2) fix all water outlets where ANY lead is found in the water [1 part per billion or higher], (3) install more FloWater stations at all schools to ensure student access to filtered water, and (4) follow district policy and post all test results publicly.
There is NO safe level of lead in drinking water. Oakland Unified must take comprehensive action to protect kids from the dangers of this toxic threat.
Any updates that are given about this lead issue are coming far too late. If unsafe lead data was available in June, why were schools, families, and teachers notified two months later? Why are there no concrete timelines, plans, or communication about when classroom sinks will be safe again to drink? I teach at a school with almost 500 students and we have 1 FloWater filter for the entire school. Meanwhile, almost every single classroom sink tested positive for lead, including one at 30ppb which is DOUBLE the federal safety level. there is NO SAFE AMOUNT OF LEAD. This is not an adequate solution for when the weather is over 80 degrees and most classrooms do not have air conditioning. Students are thirsty and the water in their classrooms could harm them? This unacceptable. Our communities deserve rapid and transparent action to make sure our students stay safe and hydrated. We need more FloWater stations and consistent updates on testing and the filter installation timeline.
I writing to express my deep concern and anger that lead-contaminated water was found at dozens of Oakland schools across the district and students and staff were unaware and exposed to harmful lead contaminants and their effects. It's unacceptable that parents and teachers were kept in the dark for months about these serious threats to our children's health and OUSD's negligence in this regard exposes environmental racism within the district. OUSD must prioritize the following the following: regular testing of all water outlets at every school in the district, fix all water outlets where ANY lead is found in the water, install more FloWater stations at all schools to ensure student access to filtered water, and follow district policy and post all test results publicly.
There is NO safe level of lead in drinking water. Oakland Unified must take immediate and complete steps to stop any students and school staff from being exposed to any further lead contamination.
It is incredibly problematic that parents and teachers were kept in the dark for months about these serious threats to our children's health. What should children do when the 1 flow water machine is filtering more water and won't dispense anything?
I urge you to take the following districtwide actions to ensure safe, lead-free drinking water at schools: (1) conduct regular testing of all water outlets at every school in the district, (2) fix all water outlets where ANY lead is found in the water [1 part per billion or higher], (3) install more FloWater stations at all schools to ensure student access to filtered water, and (4) follow district policy and post all test results publicly.
There is NO safe level of lead in drinking water. Oakland Unified must take comprehensive action to protect kids from the dangers of this toxic threat.
It is incredibly problematic that parents and teachers were kept in the dark for months about these serious threats to our children's health. What should children do when the 1 flow water machine is filtering more water and won't dispense anything?
I urge you to take the following districtwide actions to ensure safe, lead-free drinking water at schools: (1) conduct regular testing of all water outlets at every school in the district, (2) fix all water outlets where ANY lead is found in the water [1 part per billion or higher], (3) install more FloWater stations at all schools to ensure student access to filtered water, and (4) follow district policy and post all test results publicly.
There is NO safe level of lead in drinking water. Oakland Unified must take comprehensive action to protect kids from the dangers of this toxic threat.
Corrective action means bringing lead testing directly to impacted sites for students and staff. The negligence of the district has created a public health emergency for our community. Students and staff deserve to know the impact of lead on their health. It is unjust and inequitable to place the burden on families to seek this medical care. We need testing for all students and staff at impacted sites.
I am a proud social worker at Frick United, where we have had high lead levels in our water this year. In addition to all of the many problems that come with this and the fundamental right to safe drinking water that our students deserve and require and have been denied, there have been many other consequences to our students as a result of this problem and the district’s inability to fix it. I would like to highlight the fact that our students have not been able to eat fresh fruits or vegetables as part of school breakfast and lunch because the water in our kitchen tested very high for lead. This has been the case since the first few days of school. Additionally, our cafeteria has not been able to cook food for our students, and they have been eating the same pre-packaged, frozen sandwiches for 2+ weeks, with no end in sight and no answer as to when this will change. At a school where so many of our students are food insecure and they rely on school meals, this is unacceptable.
I am an OUSD parent of a child whose classroom sink has lead +20ppb! I would like to see multiple FloWater stations set up at school sites or in the interim finds for filtered water delivered to all OUSD schools affected. Kids need plentiful safe drinking water, now! One FloWater per school site does not meet demand of 450 students and staff.
Really not sure what this is, other than a mealy-mouthed abdication of responsibility filtered through administrative pablum. But accountability it is not. The superintendent's report on the "breakdown in the process" reads like a state department press release. "Protocols...were not followed" (what protocols, not followed by whom?), "communication gaps...identified" (what specific gaps, identified by whom?), "the realization of this failure occurred" (who realized it, when?). This will not do at all. OUSD students are expected to engage in restorative justice practices and take responsibility for their actions, and yet this sorry evasion of accountability is all we get from the leadership of this district? Irony of ironies that the superintendent's contract will be renewed tomorrow night. The only question is whether or not it will be a unanimous vote by this board, which remains as complicit as ever in utter disregard for the OUSD community.
The recent discussions place blame on communication failures are not just a distraction. The real issue here isn't about how quickly we communicate the problem of lead in our water; it's about why we have this problem in the first place and why we continue to rely on temporary fixes instead of addressing the root causes. Testing and filters are band-aid solutions that only mask the underlying problem. We need a commitment to long-term solutions that ensure our children are never again exposed to toxic levels of lead in their drinking water.
Take bold action securing the necessary funding to replace old pipes and infrastructure, just as other school districts, like Jersey City, have done. They sought and received state and federal funding to replace lead pipes to address this issue head-on. Commit to achieving zero lead levels in our water with a SPECIFIC timeline. Filters and the current inequitable distribution of water flow in our schools are insufficient and unacceptable.
I am deeply concerned and disturbed that lead-contaminated water has been found at dozens of Oakland schools across the district and that parents and teachers were kept in the dark for months about these serious threats to our children's health.
I urge you to take the following districtwide actions to ensure safe, lead-free drinking water at schools: (1) conduct regular testing of all water outlets at every school in the district, (2) fix all water outlets where ANY lead is found in the water [1 part per billion or higher], (3) install more FloWater stations at all schools to ensure student access to filtered water, and (4) follow district policy and post all test results publicly.
There is NO safe level of lead in drinking water. Oakland Unified must take comprehensive action to protect kids from the dangers of this toxic threat.
Any updates that are given about this lead issue are coming far too late. If unsafe lead data was available in June, why were schools, families, and teachers notified two months later? Why are there no concrete timelines, plans, or communication about when classroom sinks will be safe again to drink? I teach at a school with almost 500 students and we have 1 FloWater filter for the entire school. Meanwhile, almost every single classroom sink tested positive for lead, including one at 30ppb which is DOUBLE the federal safety level. there is NO SAFE AMOUNT OF LEAD. This is not an adequate solution for when the weather is over 80 degrees and most classrooms do not have air conditioning. Students are thirsty and the water in their classrooms could harm them? This unacceptable. Our communities deserve rapid and transparent action to make sure our students stay safe and hydrated. We need more FloWater stations and consistent updates on testing and the filter installation timeline.
I writing to express my deep concern and anger that lead-contaminated water was found at dozens of Oakland schools across the district and students and staff were unaware and exposed to harmful lead contaminants and their effects. It's unacceptable that parents and teachers were kept in the dark for months about these serious threats to our children's health and OUSD's negligence in this regard exposes environmental racism within the district. OUSD must prioritize the following the following: regular testing of all water outlets at every school in the district, fix all water outlets where ANY lead is found in the water, install more FloWater stations at all schools to ensure student access to filtered water, and follow district policy and post all test results publicly.
There is NO safe level of lead in drinking water. Oakland Unified must take immediate and complete steps to stop any students and school staff from being exposed to any further lead contamination.
It is incredibly problematic that parents and teachers were kept in the dark for months about these serious threats to our children's health. What should children do when the 1 flow water machine is filtering more water and won't dispense anything?
I urge you to take the following districtwide actions to ensure safe, lead-free drinking water at schools: (1) conduct regular testing of all water outlets at every school in the district, (2) fix all water outlets where ANY lead is found in the water [1 part per billion or higher], (3) install more FloWater stations at all schools to ensure student access to filtered water, and (4) follow district policy and post all test results publicly.
There is NO safe level of lead in drinking water. Oakland Unified must take comprehensive action to protect kids from the dangers of this toxic threat.
It is incredibly problematic that parents and teachers were kept in the dark for months about these serious threats to our children's health. What should children do when the 1 flow water machine is filtering more water and won't dispense anything?
I urge you to take the following districtwide actions to ensure safe, lead-free drinking water at schools: (1) conduct regular testing of all water outlets at every school in the district, (2) fix all water outlets where ANY lead is found in the water [1 part per billion or higher], (3) install more FloWater stations at all schools to ensure student access to filtered water, and (4) follow district policy and post all test results publicly.
There is NO safe level of lead in drinking water. Oakland Unified must take comprehensive action to protect kids from the dangers of this toxic threat.
Corrective action means bringing lead testing directly to impacted sites for students and staff. The negligence of the district has created a public health emergency for our community. Students and staff deserve to know the impact of lead on their health. It is unjust and inequitable to place the burden on families to seek this medical care. We need testing for all students and staff at impacted sites.
I am a proud social worker at Frick United, where we have had high lead levels in our water this year. In addition to all of the many problems that come with this and the fundamental right to safe drinking water that our students deserve and require and have been denied, there have been many other consequences to our students as a result of this problem and the district’s inability to fix it. I would like to highlight the fact that our students have not been able to eat fresh fruits or vegetables as part of school breakfast and lunch because the water in our kitchen tested very high for lead. This has been the case since the first few days of school. Additionally, our cafeteria has not been able to cook food for our students, and they have been eating the same pre-packaged, frozen sandwiches for 2+ weeks, with no end in sight and no answer as to when this will change. At a school where so many of our students are food insecure and they rely on school meals, this is unacceptable.
I am an OUSD parent of a child whose classroom sink has lead +20ppb! I would like to see multiple FloWater stations set up at school sites or in the interim finds for filtered water delivered to all OUSD schools affected. Kids need plentiful safe drinking water, now! One FloWater per school site does not meet demand of 450 students and staff.
Really not sure what this is, other than a mealy-mouthed abdication of responsibility filtered through administrative pablum. But accountability it is not. The superintendent's report on the "breakdown in the process" reads like a state department press release. "Protocols...were not followed" (what protocols, not followed by whom?), "communication gaps...identified" (what specific gaps, identified by whom?), "the realization of this failure occurred" (who realized it, when?). This will not do at all. OUSD students are expected to engage in restorative justice practices and take responsibility for their actions, and yet this sorry evasion of accountability is all we get from the leadership of this district? Irony of ironies that the superintendent's contract will be renewed tomorrow night. The only question is whether or not it will be a unanimous vote by this board, which remains as complicit as ever in utter disregard for the OUSD community.