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Under State Pressure, School District Rushes to Close Schools Serving Black and Latino Students

Many school advocates view these school closures as a land grab of public property by privatizers. Others see this is a way to force Black and Latino families out of Oakland, making education inaccessible for them by closing the schools in the neighborhoods where they live.

Published

4 years ago

February 2, 2022

Oakland Post

A Jan. 4 letter from FCMAT to the district underscored what was expected of the district by the state, including: “Affirmative board action to continue planning for, and timely implementation of, a school and facility closure and consolidation plan that supports the sale or lease of surplus property.”

By Ken Epstein

The Oakland school board majority is rushing to close schools and slash tens of millions of dollars from its budget to meet the insistent demands of the State of California, acting through L. Karen Monroe of Alameda County Office of Education and the state-funded Fiscal Crisis Management and Assistance Team (FCMAT).

The list of 14 schools that face merger, consolidation or closure was confirmed by the OUSD spokesperson, who said the list was not final and could be modified and was not meant to be distributed until Friday or Saturday, Jan. 30.

Bypassing any attempts at community or school site engagement, the board plans to discuss the closures at a Zoom Board of Education meeting on Monday, Jan. 31, which was the deadline imposed on the district by L. K. Monroe of the Alameda County Office of Schools, to adopt the state’s draconian cuts.

The final vote on school closures is scheduled for a special board meeting in less than two weeks, on Tuesday, Feb. 8. The schools on the final list would be closed at the end of this school year.

The schools on the district’s draft list for possible closure or merger as of Tuesday are:

Prescott, Brookfield, Carl Munck, Parker, Grass Valley, La Escuelita, Westlake, Bunche, Street Academy, Rudsdale, Community Day, Hillcrest (grades 6-8), Highland/RISE (merger).

How did this all come about so quickly?

The school board voted in October to end its policy of permanently closing schools every year.

Within two weeks, the district received a letter from County Supt. Monroe saying OUSD was not a “Going Concern” and demanding closure of schools and $90 million in budget cuts by Jan. 31. Voting unanimously, the board opposed Monroe’s decision and appealed it to State Supt. of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond.

Thurmond, however, denied their appeal.

At that point, the board was ready to give in. Led by Boardmembers Gary Yee and Shanthi Gonzales, the board then voted 5-2 to follow the directives that they had received from Monroe and FCMAT, to start closing schools again.

Boardmembers VanCedric Williams and Mike Hutchinson voted against closing the schools.

A Jan. 4 letter from FCMAT to the district underscored what was expected of the district by the state, including:

“Affirmative board action to continue planning for, and timely implementation of, a school and facility closure and consolidation plan that supports the sale or lease of surplus property.”

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Oakland Post: Week of February 25 – March 3, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – February 25 – March 3, 2026

Published

2 days ago

March 1, 2026

Oakland Post

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Chase Oakland Community Center Hosts Alley-Oop Accelerator Building Community and Opportunity for Bay Area Entrepreneurs

Over the past three years, the Alley-Oop Accelerator has helped more than 20 Bay Area businesses grow, connect, and gain meaningful exposure. The program combines hands-on training, mentorship, and community-building to help participants navigate the legal, financial, and marketing challenges of small business ownership.

Published

1 week ago

February 21, 2026

Oakland Post

Bay Area entrepreneurs attend the Alley-Oop Accelerator, a small business incubation program at Chase Oakland Community Center. Photo by Carla Thomas.

By Carla Thomas

The Golden State Warriors and Chase bank hosted the third annual Alley-Oop Accelerator this month, an empowering eight-week program designed to help Bay Area entrepreneurs bring their visions for business to life.

The initiative kicked off on Feb. 12 at Chase’s Oakland Community Center on Broadway Street, welcoming 15 small business owners who joined a growing network of local innovators working to strengthen the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

At its core, the accelerator is designed to create an ecosystem of collaboration, where local entrepreneurs can learn from one another while accessing the resources of a global financial institution.

“This is our third year in a row working with the Golden State Warriors on the Alley-Oop Accelerator,” said Jaime Garcia, executive director of Chase’s Coaching for Impact team for the West Division. “We’ve already had 20-plus businesses graduate from the program, and we have 15 enrolled this year. The biggest thing about the program is really the community that’s built amongst the business owners — plus the exposure they’re able to get through Chase and the Golden State Warriors.”

According to Garcia, several graduates have gone on to receive vendor contracts with the Warriors and have gained broader recognition through collaborations with JPMorgan Chase.

“A lot of what Chase is trying to do,” Garcia added, “is bring businesses together because what they’ve asked for is an ecosystem, a network where they can connect, grow, and thrive organically.”

This year’s Alley-Oop Accelerator reflects that vision through its comprehensive curriculum and emphasis on practical learning. Participants explore the full spectrum of business essentials including financial management, marketing strategy, and legal compliance, while also preparing for real-world experiences such as pop-up market events.

Each entrepreneur benefits from one-on-one mentoring sessions through Chase’s Coaching for Impact program, which provides complimentary, personalized business consulting.

Garcia described the impact this hands-on approach has had on local small business owners. He recalled one candlemaker, who, after participating in the program, was invited to provide candles as gifts at Chase events.

“We were able to help give that business exposure,” he explained. “But then our team also worked with them on how to access capital to buy inventory and manage operations once those orders started coming in. It’s about preparation. When a hiccup happens, are you ready to handle it?”

The Coaching for Impact initiative, which launched in 2020 in just four cities, has since expanded to 46 nationwide.

“Every business is different,” Garcia said. “That’s why personal coaching matters so much. It’s life-changing.”

Participants in the 2026 program will each receive a $2,500 stipend, funding that Garcia said can make an outsized difference. “It’s amazing what some people can do with just $2,500,” he noted. “It sounds small, but it goes a long way when you have a plan for how to use it.”

For Chase and the Warriors, the Alley-Oop Accelerator represents more than an educational initiative, it’s a pathway to empowerment and economic inclusion. The program continues to foster lasting relationships among the entrepreneurs who, as Garcia put it, “build each other up” through shared growth and opportunity.

“Starting a business is never easy, but with the right support, it becomes possible, and even exhilarating,” said Oscar Lopez, the senior business consultant for Chase in Oakland.