BREAKING: 7 Oakland Residents Occupy State Administrator's Office

BREAKING NEWS – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
3.1.05
Contacts: Kali Akuno (510) 593-3956 Michael Siegel (510) 289-3318 Fannie Brown (510)610.0107
Oakland Community Members Currently Occupying District HQ To Demand Meeting With State Superintendent Jack O’Connell

Parents, educators, and activists stage sit-in to demand restoration of local democratic control of the Oakland schools
Oakland, CA. – As of 3:45 p.m. today, Tuesday March 1st, seven Oakland residents began a
sit-in in the office of the state administrator of the Oakland schools when their demand for a meeting with State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell was refused. The group plans to remain in the office of appointed state administrator Randolph Ward until they schedule a meeting with Superintendent O’Connell or they are arrested.
At the same time, dozens of concerned Oakland residents are preparing to rally at the steps of the Oakland Unified School District administration building at 1025 2nd Avenue in Oakland in support of the group’s demands.
“We do not recognize the current district leadership as legitimate,” says Kali Akuno, an Oakland-based educator who is currently part of the sit-in. “We call on Superintendent O'Connell to restore democratic control to Oakland's public school system.”
As part of their action today, the coalition issued four demands for Superintendent O’Connell. They are:
1. The immediate restoration of local democratic control over the Oakland Unified School District;
2. No school closures and no charter conversions;
3. No layoffs; and
4. An immediate meeting with State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell to discuss the implementation of these demands.
Michael Siegel of the coalition, also sitting-in, continues: “Recent actions by State Administrator Randolph Ward to close schools without community input, to open our campuses to private school and charter school corporations, and to threaten the complete shutdown of our adult education program only further our resolve to resist this hostile takeover until Oakland parents, educators, and community members can once again decide how best to educate our children, youth, and adults.”
The community coalition includes parents of Oakland Unified School District students, educators, high school students, and representatives from Youth Together, the Oakland Education Association (OEA), the Million Worker March, the American Federated County State and Municipal Employees union (AFSCME), Oakland Parents Together, Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, and Education Not Incarceration. For more information contact spokespeople Kali Akuno at 593-3956 or Michael Siegel at 289-3318.
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Summary of Today's Action: Demands; What the State is Trying to Do; Next Steps

Four demands for Superintendent O'Connell.
1. The immediate restoration of local democratic
control over the Oakland Unified School District;
2. No school closures and no charter conversions;
3. No layoffs; and
4. An immediate meeting with State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell to discuss the implementation of these demands.

What the State Administration is planning on doing to Oakland schools:
1. Shut Down Adult Education Department that serves 25,000 students
2. Shut Down Six (6) more Oakland schools.
3. Transform 8 Oakland elementary schools into charter schools, run by a top-down outside organization "Education for Change" that would be directed by until last week, Kevin Wooldridge, who was, until last week assistant to the State Administrator.
4. Lay off 200 Elementary School and Middle School Teachers
5. Cut a large portion of the remaining art and music teachers from Oakland elementary schools (50 teachers)
6. Lay off a significant number of the already understaffed Middle and High School Counselors (47 Counselors)
7. Cut a significant number of High School art and music teachers (30).
8. Cap Teachers' Health Care Benefits


Next Steps:
Tuesday, March 8th, 6-8PM at the First Congregational Church (2501 Harrison Street) Oakland Coalition to Defend and Improve Public Education will be holding a large Town Hall meeting of around 1,000 people.

Tuesday, March 15th, 4PM a major rally at the Oakland State Building (1515 Clay Street) is being called for by the Oakland Education Association.