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Charter School Teachers Fired

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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

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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Oakland Post: Week of May 7 – 13, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of May 7 – 13, 2025

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Mother and Son, United in Purpose: How Regina and Judah Are Changing the Future of Early Childhood Education—Together

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — This Mother’s Day, we honor not just the love between a mother and her child, but the shared dreams, grit, and determination that can make those dreams a reality.

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By Stacey Finkel

This Mother’s Day, we honor not just the love between a mother and her child, but the shared dreams, grit, and determination that can make those dreams a reality. Regina, 44, and her son Judah, 18, are proof that purpose has no age limit—and that it’s never too late or too early to answer a calling. Regina knows what perseverance looks like. It took her ten years to earn her first college degree, an Associate Degree in Early Childhood from Ashworth College. Life, as it so often does, had other plans—plans that called her away from school and into the real world. But she never let go of her goals or her belief in the power of education. That steadfast commitment planted a seed not only for herself but for her son. Now, Regina and Judah are both enrolled in a scholarship program at the Early Childhood Innovation Center (ECIC), housed at Delaware State University (DSU) in Wilmington, Delaware’s only Historically Black College and University. This program allows them to study in any early childhood education-related degree program across the entire state of Delaware.  Regina attends Wilmington University, where she is pursuing her bachelor’s degree in Education Studies with a concentration in Early Childhood Education. Judah attends DSU and is pursuing his bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education. They are shoulder to shoulder, heart to heart—committed to equity, access, and the transformational power of teaching.

There’s something uniquely beautiful about a mother and son learning at the same time, not just in life, but in the classroom. They study together, encourage each other, and even bring their academic lessons to life while working at Chosen Children’s Child Care in Wilmington, where they support the development of the next generation of learners. Their shared experiences, both as students and as educators, deepen their bond and strengthen their shared commitment to the children they serve. But what truly sets their story apart is the community surrounding them. The Early Childhood Innovation Center is more than a scholarship program. It’s a lifeline, a launchpad, and a promise: You can do this. The faculty and staff meet students where they are—whether they’re returning to school after a decade or stepping into college for the first time. Regina and Judah both credit ECIC with giving them the resources, mentorship, and belief they need to succeed. For Black families, and especially Black mothers, the road to higher education can be long and often filled with obstacles. But what Regina and Judah show us is that when one person refuses to give up, they can inspire an entire legacy. Education becomes not just a goal, but a family value passed down. “I used to feel like I was falling behind because it took me so long to finish,” Regina says. “But now I see that every step was preparing me for this moment—alongside my son, showing him and others that no matter how long it takes, you can finish. You just can’t give up.” This Mother’s Day, let’s celebrate mothers like Regina, who never stop striving, and sons like Judah, who walk beside them with pride. Let’s celebrate the power of Black institutions like DSU and innovative spaces like the Early Childhood Innovation Center that don’t just educate—they uplift.

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Trump Abruptly Fires First Carla Hayden: The First Black Woman to Serve as Librarian of Congress

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Hayden made history in 2016 as the first woman and first African American to run the Library of Congress. Her firing arrived in the form of an abrupt email in the evening hours.

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By Lauren Burke

President Donald Trump abruptly fired the Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden on May 8. Hayden made history in 2016 as the first woman and first African American to run the Library of Congress. Her firing arrived in the form of an abrupt email in the evening hours. There are fears that President Trump may also target a second prominent Black federal official, Smithsonian Chief Lonnie Bunch, for no other reason than the perceived political bias in a position not known for partisan activity. “Carla, on behalf of President Donald J. Trump, I am writing to inform you that your position as the Librarian of Congress is terminated effective immediately. Thank you for your service,” the terse communication to Hayden read. The Library of Congress confirmed that Hayden had been informed she was fired by The White House. According to the Associated Press, Hayden “recently faced criticism from a conservative advocacy group aligned with Trump’s political allies. The group, the American Accountability Foundation, accused her and other library officials of promoting children’s books with what it called “radical” themes.”

Since his return to office Trump’s Administration has been focused on removing anyone who may disagree with their policy agenda. Many of the removals have introduced a sense of partisanship that Washington hasn’t seen in certain sectors such as the Library of Congress. “This is yet another example in the disturbing pattern of the President removing dedicated public servants without cause—likely to fill the position with one of his ‘friends’ who is not qualified and does not care about protecting America’s legacy,” wrote House Democrat Rosa DeLauro in a statement on Hayden’s firing. “President Trump’s unjustified decision to fire Dr. Carla Hayden as the Librarian of Congress is deeply troubling and just the latest example of Trump’s assault on the legislative branch of government. It’s also the latest demonstration of his blatant disregard for public servants who dedicate their lives to serving the American people,” wrote U.S. Senator Alex Padilla of California in a statement late on May 8.

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