Oakland Shuts Down Adult Education Programs!

EMERGENCY SITUATION IN OAKLAND!

Tuesday, February 22nd, 2005

As of late last week, state appointed administrator
(in other words, Schwarzenegar lackey) Randy Ward has
declared that he will SHUT-DOWN the ENTIRE OAKLAND
ADULT EDUCATION program, effective immediately.
As an adult English-as-Second-Language (ESL)
teacher, this means that I will lose my job without
notice, quite possibly tomorrow. So will
hundreds of other teachers, clerical workers,
custodians, and babysitters.

Of even greater importance is the fact that 30,000
students who relied on Adult Education for free
essential classes will be left with no educational
opportunities. Classes in ESL, other languages, GED
(high school equivalency diplomas), computer literacy,
job training, senior citizen programs, health
education, and myriad other areas will suddenly
disappear. This is yet another branch of this
country’s on-going war against immigrants, people of
color, and the poor. Not to mention the working class
in general, as the state has employed blatant union
busting tactics in the rhetoric which accompanied the
closure announcement. And there is, of course, so
much more to be said about how all of this ties into
the military and prison industrial complexes’
expanding budgets.

While ultimately nothing short of
a dismantling of the repressive state apparatus will
create sustainable change, I can personally vouch for
the immediate loss that will occur if this malicious
plan for Adult Ed goes into effect.
What can you do? Well, for starters, make noise
about this- alert those around you since the corporate
media will surely won’t. If possible, please attend
the SCHOOL BOARD MEETING, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, AT 4
PM at 1025 2nd Ave, near Laney College/Lake Merritt in
Oakland. In addition, by all means, demonstrate your
rage in any other ways that you see fit…
Anyone with media contacts: Call them and tell them to cover this story!