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Town Hall on Saving Public Education in Oakland from State Defunding, 3/26/11: photos and audio
On March 15th, 538 of Oakland's teachers, counselors, librarians, and social workers were notified that they may lose their jobs. On Saturday, March 26th, the Oakland Education Association (OEA) teacher's union responded by holding a town hall to establish consensus between teachers, parents, students and elected officials so that solutions can be found and implemented to avoid the potential massive layoffs and disruption in Oakland schools. Mayor of Oakland Jean Quan; State Assembly Member Sandré Swanson, 16th District; State Assembly Member Nancy Skinner, 14th District; Tony Smith, Superintendent of Oakland Unified School District; and Sheila Jordan, Superintendent of Alameda County Schools were present and expressed support for finding new streams of revenue given the large cuts to education expected at the California state level, traditionally the source of up to eighty percent of the budgets for local public schools. Invitee Tom Torlakson, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, did not attend. Council Chambers on the 3rd floor of Oakland City Hall, including both balconies, were packed with teachers, parents, students, and supportive community members who expressed their frustration and apprehension. Seven points of agreement were reached between nearly all present. [Full audio below.]
The city, state, and school officials present offered supportive remarks at the opening of the town hall, including making note that many of the revenue problems set to wreak havoc on California public education can be traced to the increasingly low tax burden placed on the wealthiest citizens and corporations in the state. Nancy Skinner and Sandré Swanson agreed that returning the top state income tax bracket back to 11%, which it was under Republican governors Reagan and Wilson, rather than the 9% at which it currently stands, would help raise billions more in tax dollars that could be used for educational funding. Nancy Skinner noted that decreasing revenues are reaching a critical point now as white voters, many of whom align with the recent Tea Party anti-tax fervor, have decided that they no longer want to contribute to public services such as eduction as the state grows increasingly diverse racially and culturally. Substantial revenues could be raised by taxing oil extraction in the state at rates comparable to that of most other oil-producing states. A consensus appeared amongst the elected official present that it was not possible to work with Republicans at the state level in any sort of rational or productive manner and that statewide propositions intended to raise new revenues and save public education are the only way to avert financial disaster. Mayor Quan suggested that the OEA, in conjunction with the California Teacher's Association, has enough union clout to place their own measures on the state ballot to better protect education in California.
Tony Smith claimed that the large number of RIF (Reduction in Force) notices were issued due to the uncertainty caused by the current budget impasse in Sacramento, where Governor Jerry Brown, Democrats, and Republicans have yet to agree on exactly how draconian budget cuts to education will be for the coming year. The final number of actual layoffs will not be determined until May 15th.
Teachers past and present, parents, students, and supportive community members took turns at the public microphone decrying the layoffs and the disruption to K-12 education that is already beginning with the uncertainty created by the large number of RIF notices. Should the amount of layoffs announced in two months approach the number of RIFs already issued, the disruptions to public education will be devastating. New sources of revenue will have to be raised at the local level if state leaders insist on continuing to defund local education.
Speakers questioned what is to happen to education in Oakland with the population of students remaining the same while the number of educators and support staff drastically reduced. The outlook for music and arts in schools looks bleak, two things that Sandré Swanson noted help decrease truancy rates. Numerous speakers objected to the huge and growing economic disparity between the super-rich and everyone else in this country. One speaker noted that the top 400 households in the U.S. hold as much wealth as the bottom 50%, or about 150 million people. It was universally agreed that the time has come to bring tax policies back to the more progressive rates of decades past when the wealthy paid more of their share.
Students also took their turn at the mic, speaking on behalf of favored teachers facing layoff and the fact that their right to a quality public education is being laid off with so many teachers and counselors facing termination. Some objected to seniority being the main criteria used in issuing notices. Parents worried about what the effects will be on their children and neighborhood schools, some which will be hit harder than others.
The following are the official "agreements" that came out of the town hall. All seven points below were agreed to unanimously by the officials present, except for number four, on which Sheila Jordan felt some responsibility remains on the Oakland district:
1. I commit to publicly endorse and work for progressive taxes
to fund public education and services.
2. I commit to support legislation to increase accountability
of charter schools.
3. I commit to work with OEA to hold the State accountable
for debt accrued while under State administration.
4. I commit to publicly support and work toward
forgiving OUSD’s loan payments to the State.
5. I commit to ensuring that OUSD spend 55% of education
expenses on teacher and aide salaries per Ed. Code.
6. I commit to work to restore adequate funding
for class size reduction.
(7. I commit to work towards rescinding all of the recent layoff notices.)
April 4th has been called as a nationwide Day of Action -- "We Are One" -- in support of collective bargaining rights and against cuts to education and social services.
Oakland Education Association:
http://www.oaklandea.org
Tony Smith claimed that the large number of RIF (Reduction in Force) notices were issued due to the uncertainty caused by the current budget impasse in Sacramento, where Governor Jerry Brown, Democrats, and Republicans have yet to agree on exactly how draconian budget cuts to education will be for the coming year. The final number of actual layoffs will not be determined until May 15th.
Teachers past and present, parents, students, and supportive community members took turns at the public microphone decrying the layoffs and the disruption to K-12 education that is already beginning with the uncertainty created by the large number of RIF notices. Should the amount of layoffs announced in two months approach the number of RIFs already issued, the disruptions to public education will be devastating. New sources of revenue will have to be raised at the local level if state leaders insist on continuing to defund local education.
Speakers questioned what is to happen to education in Oakland with the population of students remaining the same while the number of educators and support staff drastically reduced. The outlook for music and arts in schools looks bleak, two things that Sandré Swanson noted help decrease truancy rates. Numerous speakers objected to the huge and growing economic disparity between the super-rich and everyone else in this country. One speaker noted that the top 400 households in the U.S. hold as much wealth as the bottom 50%, or about 150 million people. It was universally agreed that the time has come to bring tax policies back to the more progressive rates of decades past when the wealthy paid more of their share.
Students also took their turn at the mic, speaking on behalf of favored teachers facing layoff and the fact that their right to a quality public education is being laid off with so many teachers and counselors facing termination. Some objected to seniority being the main criteria used in issuing notices. Parents worried about what the effects will be on their children and neighborhood schools, some which will be hit harder than others.
The following are the official "agreements" that came out of the town hall. All seven points below were agreed to unanimously by the officials present, except for number four, on which Sheila Jordan felt some responsibility remains on the Oakland district:
1. I commit to publicly endorse and work for progressive taxes
to fund public education and services.
2. I commit to support legislation to increase accountability
of charter schools.
3. I commit to work with OEA to hold the State accountable
for debt accrued while under State administration.
4. I commit to publicly support and work toward
forgiving OUSD’s loan payments to the State.
5. I commit to ensuring that OUSD spend 55% of education
expenses on teacher and aide salaries per Ed. Code.
6. I commit to work to restore adequate funding
for class size reduction.
(7. I commit to work towards rescinding all of the recent layoff notices.)
April 4th has been called as a nationwide Day of Action -- "We Are One" -- in support of collective bargaining rights and against cuts to education and social services.
Oakland Education Association:
http://www.oaklandea.org
For more information:
http://indybay.org/education
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