Do not close Sojourner Truth Elementary school! This would only force families out of OUSD. Our Elementary school is the only online option. It is needed for so many reasons.OEA has issued a cease and desist order because you have violated our contract with this illegal attempt to close our school against the wishes of the community Our petition, which was just started about a week ago now has hundreds of signatures and the numbers are growing. If you close SJT Elementary you are violating the rights of many students with special needs who we serve, and of all our families who need an online option. Further our school is a safe place for many immigrant families to obtain a quality education without risking attacks. We are, in fact, an important part of the more than ever need for a strong sanctuary policy in Oakland. It is unacceptable to close SJT Elementary. Keep it open!
My wife and I are the parents of a 2nd grader in Ms. Richelle Lacey’s class. Our child has several health issues and is completely dependent on a vent, via a trach (a tube placed in the throat) to help breathe. Our child has a g-tube in order to run formula directly to the stomach to obtain nutrition. Our child needs assistance when walking from point A to point B. Our child, along with the other kids in Ms. Lacey’s class, is one of the brightest, and happiest kids we know. Sojourner Truth and their online learning program, and Ms. Lacey’s curriculum, commitment, and love for these kids has enabled them to grow and take steps toward reaching their potential. Ms. Lacey, and Sojourner Truth School, have enabled us as parents to realize that our kids, who just can’t attend school in person without professional medical attention and care, are smart, and ready to learn when given the opportunity.
It is immoral and unethical to close Sojourner Truth School, and we strongly oppose the move.
Keep Sojourner Truth Elementary School OPEN 2025-2026 School Year and beyond!!!
I oppose the closure/consolidation of SJT Elementary School! I teach the K-5 & 6-8 Mod/ESN SCP at SJT and I know these families are very happy and grateful that Online Education is an option for their students because they have the opportunity to learn in a classroom environment instead of being segregated away from same age peers in a home hospital program. The Mod/ESN program at SJT offers double the instructional minutes weekly that a student would be given in the Home Hospital program while being the Least Restrictive Environment for these unique students.
SJT Elementary is a pioneer program in virtual education that gets better each year by retaining experienced teachers~ a public struggle in OUSD.
SJT offers the continuum of services K-12 for ALL students with ALL abilities~ rarely seen in any school in CA.
ALL students have a place and a program to learn in at SJT... KEEP SJT ES OPEN!!!
I am the CSM at Skyline high school, and I am opposed to the proposal to cut the CSM position to 11 months from 12 months. Unfortunately violence prevention and helping some of our students who have become court involved is a reality of being a community school in Oakland. Most people from Oakland know that youth violence predictably tends to spike during the summer, when there is little structure and supports for these students. Last summer Skyline lost 2 students to violence. While the issues that cause these ills are bigger than our schools, our schools have taken on the responsibility of being the community centers where our students and families turn for support and resources. We have spent the last years building the relationship and the resources so families trust us to reach out in the moments of need. Now for fiscal reasons we are proposing to essentially close down all schools for a month when our students and families need us most. A community school can’t close for a month
Sojourner Truth Elementary is a crucial part of the Oakland Unified School District. Families have chosen this virtual program for many reasons, including the health reasons, having a safe space for their child to learn and being an active part of their child's education. We know that ICE is a real concern for families in our school community and SJT elementary allows for additional protection and sanctuary from such violence.
We are an invaluable program of learning and safety, and closing the school without due process is illegal and unconscionable.
The correct process has not been taken to close the elementary program and this is inequitable and unjustifiable, our families and school community deserve better!
Sojourner Truth K-5 provides a crucial educational option for students who require online learning due to disabilities, extenuating circumstances, or safety concerns. The removal of the elementary school from OUSD’s enrollment website and the planned cuts to secondary teaching staff will devastate students and families who rely on this program. OUSD has not provided a transparent plan for affected students, violating its own 2019 policy requiring community input before school closures. Virtual education is vital for students who face systemic barriers, including immigrant families fearing ICE raids. Keep SJT Elementary open and fully staffed, our students deserve stability, equity, and access to the education they need.
Virtual school program at all levels is increasingly important to fight ICE raids and attacks on our students. Keep SJT Elementary! No cuts to this "sanctuary" program.
Immigrant parents who are scared to send their children to school in person could enroll them in a virtual program run by the Detroit Public Schools Community District, Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said during a school board committee meeting Wednesday.
I'm a teacher at Sojourner Truth K-12. Last month, OUSD removed SJT's elementary school from its enrollment website, and failed to provide enrollment estimates for the school in the coming year. In a subsequent meeting between OUSD and OEA, OUSD openly stated that they are intending to close our elementary program and they did not provide any details on what will happen to our school's families. Additionally, we are facing cuts to 8 teaching staff from our secondary program, which will decimate program quality for our students. SJT serves students whose disabilities and extenuating circumstances require them to attend school online, yet OUSD has no plan to accommodate these students' needs. This closure also violates a board policy from 2019, which states that OUSD must go through a thorough community impact process before closing a school. If cuts need to be made, those need to come from the central offices and executive salaries of OUSD's top tier, not from our school communities!
Do not close Sojourner Truth Elementary school! This would only force families out of OUSD. Our Elementary school is the only online option. It is needed for so many reasons.OEA has issued a cease and desist order because you have violated our contract with this illegal attempt to close our school against the wishes of the community Our petition, which was just started about a week ago now has hundreds of signatures and the numbers are growing. If you close SJT Elementary you are violating the rights of many students with special needs who we serve, and of all our families who need an online option. Further our school is a safe place for many immigrant families to obtain a quality education without risking attacks. We are, in fact, an important part of the more than ever need for a strong sanctuary policy in Oakland. It is unacceptable to close SJT Elementary. Keep it open!
My wife and I are the parents of a 2nd grader in Ms. Richelle Lacey’s class. Our child has several health issues and is completely dependent on a vent, via a trach (a tube placed in the throat) to help breathe. Our child has a g-tube in order to run formula directly to the stomach to obtain nutrition. Our child needs assistance when walking from point A to point B. Our child, along with the other kids in Ms. Lacey’s class, is one of the brightest, and happiest kids we know. Sojourner Truth and their online learning program, and Ms. Lacey’s curriculum, commitment, and love for these kids has enabled them to grow and take steps toward reaching their potential. Ms. Lacey, and Sojourner Truth School, have enabled us as parents to realize that our kids, who just can’t attend school in person without professional medical attention and care, are smart, and ready to learn when given the opportunity.
It is immoral and unethical to close Sojourner Truth School, and we strongly oppose the move.
Keep Sojourner Truth Elementary School OPEN 2025-2026 School Year and beyond!!!
I oppose the closure/consolidation of SJT Elementary School! I teach the K-5 & 6-8 Mod/ESN SCP at SJT and I know these families are very happy and grateful that Online Education is an option for their students because they have the opportunity to learn in a classroom environment instead of being segregated away from same age peers in a home hospital program. The Mod/ESN program at SJT offers double the instructional minutes weekly that a student would be given in the Home Hospital program while being the Least Restrictive Environment for these unique students.
SJT Elementary is a pioneer program in virtual education that gets better each year by retaining experienced teachers~ a public struggle in OUSD.
SJT offers the continuum of services K-12 for ALL students with ALL abilities~ rarely seen in any school in CA.
ALL students have a place and a program to learn in at SJT... KEEP SJT ES OPEN!!!
I am the CSM at Skyline high school, and I am opposed to the proposal to cut the CSM position to 11 months from 12 months. Unfortunately violence prevention and helping some of our students who have become court involved is a reality of being a community school in Oakland. Most people from Oakland know that youth violence predictably tends to spike during the summer, when there is little structure and supports for these students. Last summer Skyline lost 2 students to violence. While the issues that cause these ills are bigger than our schools, our schools have taken on the responsibility of being the community centers where our students and families turn for support and resources. We have spent the last years building the relationship and the resources so families trust us to reach out in the moments of need. Now for fiscal reasons we are proposing to essentially close down all schools for a month when our students and families need us most. A community school can’t close for a month
Sojourner Truth Elementary is a crucial part of the Oakland Unified School District. Families have chosen this virtual program for many reasons, including the health reasons, having a safe space for their child to learn and being an active part of their child's education. We know that ICE is a real concern for families in our school community and SJT elementary allows for additional protection and sanctuary from such violence.
We are an invaluable program of learning and safety, and closing the school without due process is illegal and unconscionable.
The correct process has not been taken to close the elementary program and this is inequitable and unjustifiable, our families and school community deserve better!
Sojourner Truth K-5 provides a crucial educational option for students who require online learning due to disabilities, extenuating circumstances, or safety concerns. The removal of the elementary school from OUSD’s enrollment website and the planned cuts to secondary teaching staff will devastate students and families who rely on this program. OUSD has not provided a transparent plan for affected students, violating its own 2019 policy requiring community input before school closures. Virtual education is vital for students who face systemic barriers, including immigrant families fearing ICE raids. Keep SJT Elementary open and fully staffed, our students deserve stability, equity, and access to the education they need.
Virtual school program at all levels is increasingly important to fight ICE raids and attacks on our students. Keep SJT Elementary! No cuts to this "sanctuary" program.
Immigrant parents who are scared to send their children to school in person could enroll them in a virtual program run by the Detroit Public Schools Community District, Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said during a school board committee meeting Wednesday.
https://www.chalkbeat.org/detroit/2025/01/30/dpscd-immigration-ice-nikolai-vitti-virtual-school/
httpsand_programs/school-boards-would-have-to-offer-virtual-option-under-bill-from-frederick-montgomery-county-delegates/article_0f8bc99f-2a07-52c3-a844-2f762a8b591d.html
I'm a teacher at Sojourner Truth K-12. Last month, OUSD removed SJT's elementary school from its enrollment website, and failed to provide enrollment estimates for the school in the coming year. In a subsequent meeting between OUSD and OEA, OUSD openly stated that they are intending to close our elementary program and they did not provide any details on what will happen to our school's families. Additionally, we are facing cuts to 8 teaching staff from our secondary program, which will decimate program quality for our students. SJT serves students whose disabilities and extenuating circumstances require them to attend school online, yet OUSD has no plan to accommodate these students' needs. This closure also violates a board policy from 2019, which states that OUSD must go through a thorough community impact process before closing a school. If cuts need to be made, those need to come from the central offices and executive salaries of OUSD's top tier, not from our school communities!