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Charter School Teachers Fired

Published

9 years ago

January 15, 2016

Two whistleblowing teachers at the Oakland Charter Academy, part of the Amethod Public Schools network, are alleging that they were fired without notice on the last day before Christmas vacation after they complained that the school was inadequately supporting student needs, particularly failing to provide special education and English learner services.

Jennifer Ventimiglia, a credentialed teacher with over a decade of experience, and Karen Toepp, who did not have a credential but had applied for a substitute teaching permit, say they were told on Dec. 18 that they were being terminated for “not being a good fit” at the school and were escorted to their classrooms to remove their personal possessions.

Jennifer Ventimiglia

The Oakland Charter Academy (OCA), a middle school located at 4215 Foothill Blvd., describes itself as the flagship of the Amethod Public Schools organization, “the only National Blue Ribbon School in East Oakland.”

Established in Fall 1994 as Oakland’s first charter, OCA says its goal “is to prepare our students to compete and excel in a competitive global marketplace.”

Besides OCA, Amethod operates the Downtown Charter Academy in Oakland, Oakland Charter High School, Benito Juarez Elementary in Richmond, John Henry High School in Richmond and the Richmond Charter Academy.

OCA has 152 students, 81 percent Latino and 10 percent African American. About 30 percent of the students are English learners.

OUSD’s new Enrollment Options Guide says the school offers “mild-moderate” services to special education students.

Ventimiglia told the Post that she began raising concerns to the school administration, both about how the school treated its students and the failings of the academic programs, soon after she started working at OCA in August.

When she did not receive a response to the issues, she began speaking with the Office of Charter Schools at the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD).

After Ventimiglia and and Toepp were fired, they sent a letter to OUSD detailing what they had witnessed.

“There were no special education services being offered to students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs),” according to the two teachers.

An IEP is a legally mandated written statement of the educational program designed to meet a special education student’s individual needs.

Instead of providing individualized student services, special education students and students who were one or more year below grade level in math and reading were pulled out of their classes by tutors, who mostly were young people who have not graduated college and have no experience with education, the teachers said.

“From what we have observed, all students receive(d) the same instruction that consist(ed) of work on (a computer program) and grammar worksheets accompanied by the workbook,” according to the teachers’ letter.

In addition, the letter said, English Learners “received no accommodation or differentiated instruction in their core classes, and many were failing all subjects,” the letter said.

Besides being pulled out of their English classes by untrained tutors, the English Language Learner students were taught as part of a group with special education and low performing students, and the instruction was undifferentiated.

“The only other support provided for students was after school computer work with the Rosetta Stone (computer) program,” the leader said.

Ventimiglia tired to encourage the school to improve English language instruction, but her suggestions fell on deaf ears. “Not only did OCA leadership never respond to her suggestions, they often actively sought to dissuade her from supporting EL students.”

According to the teachers’ letter, three of the school’s seven instructors did not have teaching credentials.

Like almost all charter school employees, these teachers did not have the protection of a union contract. “All staff members must sign a contract that they can be fired anytime for any reason,” said the teachers’ letter. “In every sense of the word, teachers and staff members have no voice and no rights.”

Though charters are publically funded, they are not generally held accountable to the public for their educational practices. By law, they are exempted from most of the state Education Code, except the requirements for credentialed teachers and federal protections against discrimination.

While charter schools have their own internal grievance procedures, these procedures have been criticized in some cases for being arbitrary or nonexistent in practice. The governing boards of charters are not elected, unlike the board of a school district.

The chartering agency, such as OUSD, is supposed to provide oversight of charters, but an application to renew a charter every five years is often the only public scrutiny that a charter school may receive, according to educators.

In response to the Post’s questions, the school district responded: “The OUSD Charter School Office investigates and provides a Notice of Concern that If violations are not remedied within the prescribed timeline, then it will escalate to a notice of violation; and if that’s not remedied, then it could lead to revocation.”

Administrators from the Oakland Charter Academy did not return repeated calls from the Post.

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‘Donald Trump Is Not a God:’ Rep. Bennie Thompson Blasts Trump’s Call to Jail Him

“Donald Trump is not a god,” U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., told The Grio during a recent interview, reacting to Trump’s unsupported claims that the congressman, along with other committee members like vice chair and former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney, destroyed evidence throughout the investigation.

Published

15 hours ago

December 18, 2024

Oakland Post

Congressman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss. Courtesy photo.

By Post Staff

U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., said he not intimidated by President-elect Donald Trump, who, during an interview on “Meet the Press,” called for the congressman to be jailed for his role as chairman of the special congressional committee investigating Trump’s role in the Jan. 6, 2021, mob attack on the U.S. Capitol.

“Donald Trump is not a god,” Thompson told The Grio during a recent interview, reacting to Trump’s unsupported claims that the congressman, along with other committee members like vice chair and former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney, destroyed evidence throughout the investigation.

“He can’t prove it, nor has there been any other proof offered, which tells me that he really doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” said the 76-year-old lawmaker, who maintained that he and the bipartisan Jan. 6 Select Committee – which referred Trump for criminal prosecution – were exercising their constitutional and legislative duties.

“When someone disagrees with you, that doesn’t make it illegal; that doesn’t even make it wrong,” Thompson said, “The greatness of this country is that everyone can have their own opinion about any subject, and so for an incoming president who disagrees with the work of Congress to say ‘because I disagree, I want them jailed,’ is absolutely unbelievable.”

When asked by The Grio if he is concerned about his physical safety amid continued public ridicule from Trump, whose supporters have already proven to be violent, Thompson said, “I think every member of Congress here has to have some degree of concern, because you just never know.”

This story is based on a report from The Grio.

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City of Oakland Celebrates Reopening of Main Library

“Libraries are such critical facilities for all Oaklanders, whether it’s children coming to story-time, adults reading the newspapers or borrowing the latest novels, and people engaging with a range of services and programs that the library hosts,” said Council President and District 2 Councilmember Nikki Fortunato Bas. “Such library services and programs are only possible when the facility’s electricity, heating, roof, and lighting are fixed and running efficiently. I’m proud to join this re-opening of our Main Public Library.”

Published

16 hours ago

December 18, 2024

Oakland Post

Left to Right- Jamie Turbak, Director of Library Services, LaTonda Simmons, Assistant City Administrator, Nikki Bas, President Oakland City Council, Shen Thao, Mayor of Oakland, Carroll Fife, Oakland City Councilmember District 3, Harold Duffey, Assistant City Administrator, Sean Maher, Projects Coordinator. Photo by Kevin Hicks.

The branch had been closed since May for critical infrastructure upgrades

Special to the Post

The City of Oakland leadership and community partners gathered to celebrate the reopening of the Main Library after completion of critical infrastructure upgrades to enhance the library’s facilities and provide a better experience for patrons.

Renovations include new roof installation, skylight repair, critical electrical system upgrades, new boiler control system installation, auditorium heating and cooling system installation, and improvements to lighting, flooring and ceilings throughout the building.

“This is truly something to celebrate, the reopening of our wonderful Main Library! I congratulate the staff and our partners for this important project to make the Main Library a more comfortable place for everyone for years to come, said Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao. “Thank you to Oakland voters and the California State Library for making these crucial improvements possible.”

“Public libraries are a wonderful resource for our residents, offering a safe space for learning and being,” said District 3 Councilmember Carroll Fife. “It is critical to improve and modernize our libraries so more members of our community can utilize and enjoy them. I’m excited that the necessary renovations to the Main Library have been completed successfully and thank everyone involved, particularly the City team, who helped secured the necessary grant funds for this work.”

“I am proud of the City staff and project partners who kept this important project on schedule and under budget,” said Assistant City Administrator G. Harold Duffey. “The library is an incredibly important resource for our community members, and this project is an investment into the library’s future.”

“December 2nd was a momentous occasion for Oakland Public Library as we proudly reopened the doors of the Main Library following extensive infrastructure repairs,” said Director of Library Services Jamie Turbak. “Closing the Main Library for six months was no easy decision, as it serves as the central hub for our library system and is truly the heart of Oakland. Yet, this renovation was essential, representing more than just physical upgrades—it reflects our ongoing commitment to creating a safe, welcoming space for everyone.”

The City Administrator Jestin Johnson also attended the press conference and signalled his support for the completion of the record-setting completion of the renovations. Gay Plair Cobb, a newly appointed Library Commissioner said the Library represents the soul and brains of our community.

The Oakland Public Library secured funding for these crititcal repairs through a variety of sources. The California State Library’s Building Forward Library Facilities Improvement Program awarded the Main Branch $4.2 million. To comply with the grant terms, the City of Oakland provided matching funds through Measures KK, as approved by the Oakland City Council in October 2023.

The Main Library will host an Open House to celebrate the reopening on February 22, 2025, 10 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

About the Oakland Public Library

The Oakland Public Library is a part of the City of Oakland in California and has been in existence since 1878. Locations include 16 neighborhood branches, a Main Library, a Second Start Adult Literacy Program, the Oakland Tool Lending Library, and the African American Museum and Library at Oakland (AAMLO). The Oakland Public Library empowers all people to explore, connect, and grow. Oaklandlibrary.org

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Biden’s Legacy Secured with Record-Setting Black Judicial Appointments

His record surpasses previous efforts by his predecessors. President Jimmy Carter appointed 37 Black judges, including seven Black women. In stark contrast, Donald Trump’s first term resulted in only two Black women appointed out of 234 lifetime judicial nominations. The White House said Biden’s efforts show a broader commitment to racial equity and justice.

Published

16 hours ago

December 18, 2024

Oakland Post

iStockphoto.

By Stacy M. Brown
WI Senior Writer

President Joe Biden’s commitment to diversifying the federal judiciary has culminated in a historic achievement: appointing 40 Black women to lifetime judgeships, the most of any president in U.S. history.

Biden has appointed 62 Black judges, cementing his presidency as one focused on promoting equity and representation on the federal bench.

The White House said Biden’s efforts show a broader commitment to racial equity and justice.

Meanwhile, Trump has vowed to dismantle key civil rights protections, including the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.

“Having the Black woman’s experience on the federal bench is extremely important because there is a different kind of voice that can come from the Black female from the bench,” Delores Jones-Brown, professor emeritus at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, told reporters.

Lena Zwarensteyn of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights told reporters that these district court judges are often the first and sometimes the final arbiters in cases affecting healthcare access, education equity, fair hiring practices, and voting rights.

“Those decisions are often the very final decisions because very few cases actually get heard by the U.S. Supreme Court,” Zwarensteyn explained.

Biden’s nomination of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court further reflects his commitment to judicial diversity. Jackson became the first Black woman to serve on the nation’s highest court.

Patrick McNeil, spokesperson for the Leadership Conference, pointed out that over half of Biden’s Black female judicial appointees have backgrounds as civil rights attorneys and public defenders, experience advocates consider essential for a balanced judiciary.

Meanwhile, Congress remains divided over the expansion of federal judgeships. Legislation to add 66 new judgeships—approved unanimously by the Senate in August—stalled in the GOP-controlled House until after the election. House Republicans proposed distributing the new judgeships over the next decade, giving three administrations a say in appointments. President Biden, however, signaled he would veto the bill if it reached his desk.

Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., argued the delay was a strategic move to benefit Trump’s potential return to office. “Donald Trump has made clear that he intends to expand the power of the presidency and giving him 25 new judges to appoint gives him one more tool at his disposal,” Nadler said.