Bay Area

Former Holy Names University Education Students Struggle to Complete Credentials, Call on HNU Trustees to Honor Commitment to Pay Teacher Training Scholarships

A group of former Holy Names University (HNU) education students are seeking support from local leaders and members of the public to push the HNU Board of Trustees to honor its commitment to use a still existing $55 million endowment to pay tuition for its education students who are now at other teacher training institutions after the university closed and abandoned them.

Published

7 months ago

June 7, 2024

Oakland Post

Former Holy Names students who are teaching while finishing their teacher training are shown online during a Zoom meeting. Courtesy photo.

By Ken Epstein

HNU trustees still administer the affairs of the university, though they closed the school in Spring 2023 and sold the campus to private real estate developers. Many of HNU’s former education students currently teach in public, charter, and private school classrooms around the Bay Area while struggling to pay the high expenses of finishing their teaching credentials, often at the cost of over $1,300 a unit.

About 90 former HNU education students signed a letter to Attorney General Rob Bonta, asking the institution’s trustees to use the $55 million endowment for its intended purpose, which was left to the university as part of an estate to support training for new East Bay teachers.

The HNU Board responded in an email to the issues raised in this article, saying that they were operating within the court-ordered requirements, which leave them with no discretion.

Though $50 million of the endowment is still tied up in probate court, approximately $5 million has been disbursed to provide scholarships to help students who need financial support. Some students have received a little money, but while the HNU trustees had pledged in probate court to reach out to all former students about the availability of scholarships, that has not happened, and the scholarship amounts have been arbitrary and partial, according to students.

“We’ve been reaching out to let people know how to apply,” said members of the student group. “The Attorney General informed us that they (the HNU trustees) said they were going to contact everyone, but that never happened. No one from the School of Education, who this money was intended for, has heard from them.”

When students originally enrolled in HNU, the university had promised that the Logan endowment would pay 50% of their tuition. Yet the HNU Board, led by chair Steven Borg, now is distributing varying amounts, generally not over $3,000, which does not pay for a single three-unit class.

Some students are taking three units per semester, while others are taking 12 units and received the same amount of money. Those who have received scholarships, report that the money was not issued in a timely way. Many students are graduating this semester after having paid out of pocket, and no retroactive funds are being distributed.

Scholarships must be issued promptly because students cannot graduate if they have an outstanding overdue balance, and much of the money students received was “not based on anything solid, not based on units they were taking,” said another student.

In interviews with the Oakland Post, some former HNU students, all of whom take classes at the University of San Francisco while teaching in K-12 classrooms, discussed some obstacles they have faced since HNU closed.

Adrianna Castaing, who teaches first grade at a private school in the East Bay, said she attended HNU since 2017, completing her undergraduate degree and then entered the teacher training graduate program.

Though she received no money for fall semester, she said she did receive a small amount after “little to no communication from HNU,” but the amount was not in any way equal to the amount she had to pay for her coursework, which she expects to complete this semester,

Donna McClinto, who teaches elementary school in Oakland, said she was denied any money because HNU said she still owed HNU, though she had never heard that before, and because she was not enrolled in classes at HNU toward the end, when the school stopped offering classes that she needed. One of her classmates in the same situation did receive funding. There is no clear formula for distribution and students feel that the amounts are arbitrary.

Alice Thiuri, who teaches high school at a private school in Oakland, said she received $3,000 which did not cover her tuition. “I requested a little more, but they said no, though I gave them receipts for five classes I took.” They said the scholarship amount was not based on her expenses, but when she expected to graduate. She said she was told that the amount she received was determined by the Attorney General.

Kassandra Solano, an elementary teacher in Oakland who started at HNU in 2018, had completed all the classes for her masters’ degree except for one or two. “I reached out for counseling, advising, but heard nothing. They kept changing advisors. I never found out what other class I needed to take,” she said.

“I reached out for a scholarship but was told I didn’t qualify because I wasn’t registered for classes,” she said. “HNU changed advisors three times, and there was never an answer from any of those advisors,” she continued. “I was very upset.”

HNU failed to create a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with any school of education, so that students could transfer, though the trustees had promised to do so.

“Every student was left to fend for themselves,” said Dr. Nirali Jani, a former education professor at HNU who is currently teaching at the University of San Francisco.

Many of the students emphasized that the closing of HNU and failure to maintain the scholarships only exacerbates the teacher shortage that is hitting Oakland and other districts across the state and country.

In response to this article, Bernard D. Bollinger of HBU wrote:

“The terms for the distribution of Logan Fund Scholarships for transfer students are delineated in … (an) order of the Superior Court (a public record). Paragraph 1 … permits scholarships to be provided to ‘students who were enrolled at Holy Names University during the 2022-2023,’ (if) they continue to meet academic performance requirements of the Logan Fund gift instrument.

“It does not require that the scholarship recipients attend a school of education. Distributions from the Logan Scholarship are specifically limited to the provisions delineated in court orders and the terms of the gift agreement, so neither HNU (nor any other party) has discretion on how to award those funds.

“As a result, HNU did not focus on getting MOUs with ‘schools of education’ but with schools that HNU believed to be attracting large numbers of transferred students from HNU in order to assist as many students as possible.

“The list of 11 schools that HNU has entered into an MOU with (including USF) can be found on HNU’s website (at) https://hnu.edu/resources/formerhnustudents/#tinstitutions

“That section of the HNU website has a list of several resources for former students including under Financial FAQs. At the question ‘Is my HNU scholarship still available?’ students can provide information and get in contact with HNU representatives via that link that is provided there in addition to readily available information on the HNU website.

“Student outreach was significant, with multiple emails and paper letters to former students.”

The student group will hold an information session for former HNU education students on how to apply for scholarships and to complete their teacher training programs Saturday, April 27, 3 -5:30 p.m. at Wild Child Schoolhouse, 160 41^stSt. in Oakland.

A happy hour will follow at Cato’s Ale House, 3891 Piedmont Ave. in Oakland.

For more information, email reclaimlogan@gmail.com.

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Bay Area

Glydways Breaking Ground on 14-Acre Demonstration Facility at Hilltop Mall

Glydways has been testing its technology at CCTA’s GoMentum Station in Concord for several years. The company plans to install an ambitious 28-mile Autonomous Transit Network in East Contra Costa County. The new Richmond facility will be strategically positioned near that project, according to Glydways.

Published

2 days ago

December 24, 2024

Oakland Post

Image of planned Richmond facility courtesy of Glydways.

The Richmond Standard

Glydways, developer of microtransit systems using autonomous, small-scale vehicles, is breaking ground on a 14-acre Development and Demonstration Facility at the former Hilltop Mall property in Richmond, the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) reported on social media.

Glydways, which released a statement announcing the project Monday, is using the site while the mall property undergoes a larger redevelopment.

“In the interim, Glydways will use a portion of the property to showcase its technology and conduct safety and reliability testing,” the company said.

The new Richmond development hub will include “over a mile of dedicated test track, enabling Glydways to refine its solutions in a controlled environment while simulating real-world conditions,” the company said.

Visitors to the facility will be able to experience on-demand travel, explore the control center and visit a showroom featuring virtual reality demonstrations of Glydways projects worldwide.

The hub will also house a 13,000-square-foot maintenance and storage facility to service the growing fleet of Glydcars.

“With this new facility [at the former Hilltop Mall property], we’re giving the public a glimpse of the future, where people can experience ultra-quiet, on-demand transit—just like hailing a rideshare, but with the reliability and affordability of public transit,” said Tim Haile, executive director of CCTA.

Janet Galvez, vice president and investment officer at Prologis, owner of the Hilltop Mall property, said her company is “thrilled” to provide space for Glydways and is continuing to work with the city on future redevelopment plans for the broader mall property.

Richmond City Manager Shasa Curl added that Glydways’ presence “will not only help test new transit solutions but also activate the former Mall site while preparation and finalization of the Hilltop Horizon Specific Plan is underway.

Oakland Post

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Alameda County

Last City Council Meeting of the Year Ends on Sour Note with Big Budget Cuts

In a five to one vote, with Councilmembers Carroll Fife and Janani Ramachandran excused, the council passed a plan aimed at balancing the $130 million deficit the city is facing. Noel Gallo voted against the plan, previously citing concerns over public safety cuts, while Nikki Fortunato-Bas, Treva Reid, Rebecca Kaplan, Kevin Jenkins, and Dan Kalb voted in agreement with the plan.

Published

2 days ago

December 24, 2024

Oakland Post

Oakland City Council voted on a plan to balance the $130 million deficit at their last regular meeting of 2024. The plan reduces police spending by $25 million, temporarily closes two fire stations, and guts the cultural arts programs. iStock photo.

By Magaly Muñoz

In the last lengthy Tuesday meeting of the Oakland City Council for 2024, residents expressed strong opposition to the much needed budget cuts before a change in leadership was finalized with the certification of election results.

Oakland police and fire departments, the ambassador program, and city arts and culture will all see significant cuts over the course of two phases.

Phase 1 will eliminate two police academies, brown out two fire stations, eliminate the ambassador program, and reduce police overtime by nearly $25 million. These, with several other cuts across departments, aim to save the city $60 million. In addition, the council simultaneously approved to transfer restricted funds into its general purpose fund, amounting to over $40 million.

Phase 2 includes additional fire station brownouts and the elimination of 91 jobs, aiming to recover almost $16 million in order to balance the rest of the budget.

Several organizations and residents spoke out at the meeting in hopes of swaying the council to not make cuts to their programs.

East Oakland Senior Center volunteers and members, and homeless advocates, filled the plaza just outside of City Hall with rallies to show their disapproval of the new budget plan. Senior residents told the council to “remember that you’ll get old too” and that disturbing their resources will only bring problems for an already struggling community.

While city staff announced that there would not be complete cuts to senior center facilities, there would be significant reductions to staff and possibly inter-program services down the line.

Exiting council member and interim mayor Bas told the public that she is still hopeful that the one-time $125 million Coliseum sale deal will proceed in the near future so that the city would not have to continue with drastic cuts. The deal was intended to save the city for fiscal year 2024-25, but a hold up at the county level has paused any progress and therefore millions of dollars in funds Oakland desperately needs.

The Coliseum sale has been a contentious one. Residents and city leaders were originally against using the deal as a way to balance the budget, citing doubts about the sellers, the African American Sports and Entertainment Group’s (AASEG), ability to complete the deal. Council members Reid, Ramachandran, and Gallo have called several emergency meetings to understand where the first installments of the sale are, with little to no answers.

Bas added that as the new Alameda County Supervisor for D5, a position she starts in a few weeks, she will do everything in her power to push the Coliseum sale along.

The city is also considering a sales tax measure to put on the special election ballot on April 15, 2025, which will also serve as an election to fill the now vacant D2 and mayor positions. The tax increase would raise approximately $29 million annually for Oakland, allowing the city to gain much-needed revenue for the next two-year budget.

The council will discuss the possible sales tax measure on January 9.

Oakland Post

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Activism

Living His Legacy: The Late Oscar Wright’s “Village” Vows to Inherit Activist’s Commitment to Education

Kingmakers of Oakland (KOO), a nonprofit organization that works to improve educational and life outcomes for Black boys and men, stated that “Oscar Wright is one of the most prolific, consistent, and committed advocates of equity for Black students and Black Families here in Oakland for the past six decades.”

Published

2 days ago

December 24, 2024

Oakland Post

Oscar Carl Wright, 101, who passed away on Nov. 18, was still involved in Oakland’s educational affairs until his death.

By Antonio‌ ‌Ray‌ ‌Harvey‌, California‌ ‌Black‌ ‌Media‌

Activists mourning Oscar Carl Wright’s death, have pledged to continue his lifelong mission of advocating for Black students and families in Northern California.

Wright, 101, who passed away on Nov. 18, was involved in Oakland’s educational affairs until his death.

Now, friends and admirers acknowledge that carrying on his legacy means doubling down on the unfinished work that Wright dedicated his life, time, and resources to, according to Y’Anad Burrell, a family friend and founder of San Francisco-based Glass House Communications (GHC).

“Mr. Wright did a lot of work around equity, specifically, for Black students based on their needs — whether it was tutoring, passing classes, or graduating,” Burrell said.

Wright became a champion for his children’s education, recognizing the disparities between their school experiences and his own upbringing in the Mississippi Delta.

Burrell told California Black Media (CBM) that the crisis of unequal access to resources and a quality education continues to affect the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD).

According to Oakland Reach, in the city of Oakland, only 3 in 10 Black and Brown students are reading at or above grade level. In addition, only 1 in 10 are doing math at or above grade level.

Oakland REACH is a parent-run, parent-led organization. It aims to empowers families from the most underserved communities to demand high-quality schools for their children.

Wright’s work as an activist had impact across the state but he was primarily known in the Bay Area. Alongside the Black United Front for Educational Reform (BUFER), he filed a complaint against OUSD for violating the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

In 2000, the OUSD school board proposed an action plan to address educational inequity, but it was never implemented.

Wright later founded the African American Honor Roll Celebration at Acts Full Gospel Church, an award that recognizes Black students with a grade point average of 3.0 or better.  Each year, more than 1,000 students are honored at this ceremony.

Burrell said that one of the main reasons Wright’s work was so essential for families and children in Oakland that is the direct relationship between acquiring a quality education and affording quality housing, maintaining food security, achieving mental wellness, and securing stable employment.

Wright was the child of sharecroppers from Coahoma County, Mississippi. He attended Alcorn State University, a Historically Black College and University (HBCU).

In the late 1950s, Wright and his family relocated to the Bay Area where he worked as a contractor and civil engineer. He later became an active member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

Burrell said the people who will carry on Wright’s work are part of a “village” that includes KOO’s CEO Chris Chatmon.  Wright was a mentor to Chatmon.

“It will not be one entity, one person, or one organization that picks up the baton because it was a village effort that worked alongside Mr. Wright for all these years,” Burrell said.

Burell says that legacy will live on.