COVID-19

New Board Members Seek Increased Community Influence in School District Decisions

Published

4 years ago

January 3, 2021

Kiki

District 3 OUSD Trustee VanCedric Williams.

District 1 OUSD Trustee Sam Davis.

There are high hopes in the community for a newly energized school board as four new members set to take office in January pledging to disentangle the multiple crises facing the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD), including shuttered classrooms and COVID-19 enforced distance learning, ongoing threats of austerity-driven budget cuts and state-enforced demands to close more neighborhood schools.

This week, the Oakland Post interviews two new board members, Sam Davis and VanCedric Williams. Last week, the Post published interviews with Mike Hutchinson (D-5) and Clifford Thompson (D-7).

Davis, who represents District 1, worked as a teacher and family outreach coordinator in Oakland schools for 10 years. Originally from Queens, New York, he has lived in Oakland since 2001. He has a son in the 9^th grade at Oakland Technical High School.

Looking at hopes for recovery this year from the impact of the pandemic, he says he is aware of the huge controversy surrounding the reopening schools. “Now, we’re going to have a vaccine, (ands) kids are dying for some interaction.” (Yet) a lot of families have serious concerns (about safety) …(while) some people want to open schools immediately.”

Once the schools are reopened, he said, one of the biggest questions will be whether “there is going to be money for summer schools for the kids who have the most need,” Davis said.

He sees mixed indicators on the district’s financial condition. “The good news is that we have much stronger financial management within the district (now),” he said. Because of the pandemic there are a lot of state and federal emergency funds coming into the district, but at the same time there is a high risk of recession in the coming year.

Though there is a high level of mistrust in the community of district leadership, residents continue to strongly embrace the public schools and in November passed Measure Y, a school bond measure to repair and renovate schools across Oakland. Among other projects, the bond will improve school ventilation systems — needed to protect teachers and children from COVID in tight spaces — and also to protect air quality during fire season. The funding will also help the district move out of its downtown Oakland offices, which at present costs several millions of dollars a year to lease.

To come to grips with the looming challenges, the district needs to improve its approach to interacting with the public, he said. “OUSD has a history of “last-minute public engagements,” organized as “afterthoughts,” creating the impression that community engagement is being done in a “perfunctory way.”

Davis says his first step as a board member will be create an advisory group of family and teachers and school site staff “that will help me stay rooted in their concerns.”

“As a board member, you hear a lot from senior leaders,” he said. He says the advisory group will provide “balance,” which will “help me keep my feet on the ground.”

Williams, who represents District 3, has lived in Oakland for 12 years. He has been an educator for 17 years, teaching high school social studies including ethnic studies and honors U.S. history. He currently is treasurer of the San Francisco teachers’ union, on release as a union representative. He has lived in San Diego and was born in West Covina in Southern California.

Williams says his immediate goals are to start conversations with parents and students in District 3 schools and has already met with Black students. “I’m reaching out to each of the District 3 school sites,” he said. “It is very important to market and showcase the schools and the District 3 neighborhoods, to build trust and engage the community.”

A top priority is to strengthen the feeder-school system, which functioned in the past but has decayed, so neighborhood elementary schools again will lead students to neighborhood middle schools and from there to neighborhood high schools.

“I’m a big proponent of neighborhood schools, sustainable community schools,” he said. “Kids in a neighborhood will go to a (nearby) school, building the feeder system. The school choice system has not been helpful to neighborhood schools. We have to move to sustain District 3 enrollment, to keep more students in District 3.”

Williams will hold a town hall meeting in January, to talk to the community “about their perspectives, what they’d like to see,” and to answer the question, “What is it going to take to make the schools competitive?”

Getting the schools reopened will require labor negotiations, he said. “Labor is asking for protection for their members: testing, contact tracing, a formula for what happens if a student comes in and is found to have COVID. There are lots of parts that have to be negotiated.”

The district has to be willing “to engage its labor partners with honest dialogue,” he said, “It’s a work in progress but it’s going slowly.”

One of the challenges the district faces is that Alameda County is “giving directives” on the pandemic and other basic decisions, cutting out the teachers and the local community.

“Overseeing the direction of the budget and overseeing the district, the county is going forth to give directives without providing OUSD with additional funds, the necessary resources to get it done,” he said.

“The district is squeezed between parents and Alameda County telling them what to do,” he said. But these are decisions that should be made, he said, with participation of parents and teachers.

Kiki

Posts by Kiki | Website

Related Topics:Measure Y OUSD Sam Davis VanCedric Williams

Up Next

Bay Area Medical Workers Share Views on COVID-19 Vaccine

Don't Miss

Oakland Artist Vows to Replace Vandalized, then Stolen Statue Honoring Breonna Taylor

Kiki

Click to comment

Alameda County

After Years of Working Remotely, Oakland Requires All City Employees to Return to Office by April 7

City Administrator Jestin Johnson recently told city unions that he is ending Oakland’s telecommuting program. The new policy will require employees to come to work at least four days a week. These new regulations go into effect on Feb. 18 for non-union department heads, assistant and deputy directors, managers, and supervisors. All other employees must be back at work by April 7.

Published

1 month ago

February 19, 2025

Oakland Post

Oakland City Hall. File photo.

By Post Staff

The City Oakland is requiring all employees to return to the office, thereby ending the telecommuting policy established during the pandemic that has left some City Hall departments understaffed.

City Administrator Jestin Johnson recently told city unions that he is ending Oakland’s telecommuting program. The new policy will require employees to come to work at least four days a week.

These new regulations go into effect on Feb. 18 for non-union department heads, assistant and deputy directors, managers, and supervisors. All other employees must be back at work by April 7.

The administration may still grant the right to work remotely on a case-by-case basis.

In his memo to city unions, Johnson said former President Joe Biden had declared an end to the pandemic in September 2022, and that since then, “We have collectively moved into newer, safer health conditions.”

Johnson said “multiple departments” already have all their staff back in the office or workplace.

The City’s COVID-era policy, enacted in September 2021, was designed to reduce the spread of the debilitating and potentially fatal virus.

Many cities and companies across the country are now ending their pandemic-related remote work policies. Locally, mayoral candidate Loren Taylor in a press conference made the policy a central issue in his campaign for mayor.

City Hall reopened for in-person meetings two years ago, and the city’s decision to end remote work occurred before Taylor’s press conference.

At an endorsement meeting last Saturday of the John George Democratic Club, mayoral candidate Barbara Lee said she agreed that city workers should return to the job.

At the same time, she said, the city should allow employees time to readjust their lives, which were disrupted by the pandemic, and should recognize individual needs, taking care to maintain staff morale.

The John George club endorsed Lee for Mayor and Charlene Wang for City Council representative for District 2. The club also voted to take no position on the sales tax measure that will be on the April 15 ballot.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Bay Area

Authorities Warn: There’s a COVID Surge in California

According to data estimates by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the coronavirus in California’s wastewater has spiked for eight consecutive weeks. Hospitalizations and emergency room visits have also increased since the rise of the new subvariants. Over the last month, Los Angeles County experienced an average of 389 hospital patients per day that tested positive for the coronavirus. The FLiRT subvariants such as KP.3.1.1. Made up over 2% of coronavirus samples nationwide, an increase of more than 7% last month.

Published

7 months ago

August 17, 2024

Oakland Post

Photo provided by California Black Media.

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

California is experiencing a COVID-19 surge this summer, experts warn, as numbers of infections increased for the third month this year.

State public health authorities attribute the summer COVID surge to more infectious subvariants that have emerged as the coronavirus evolves.

Dr. Elizabeth Hudson, regional chief of infectious disease at Kaiser Permanente Southern California, stated that subvariants of COVID-19 called FLiRT increased in recent months, particularly one named KP.3.1.1 that has become the most common strain in the country.

Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious diseases expert at UC San Francisco, said that the subvariant KP.3.1.1 seems most adept at transmission.

“The subvariant is the one that people think will continue to take over, not only in the United States, but … around the world,” Chin-Hong said.

The majority of the people who tested positive for COVID-19 complained of a sore throat and a heavy cough. Risk factors that can increase the illness include age, underlying health issues, and vaccine dosage.

Health experts stated that the demand for the COVID-19 vaccine has increased in Northern California. However, people are having a hard time getting the vaccine due to the increasing number of cases.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Alameda County

Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley Gives Small Business a $30,000 Boost

On Jan. 6, Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley (D6) presented a $30,000 check to small business owner William “Bill” Owens, owner of Cascos Martial Arts Studio at 74th and MacArthur in Oakland. Miley, whose business has been facing financial challenges due to COVID Pandemic restrictions, says he was nearing bankruptcy. “This check will go a long way and is greatly appreciated,” he said.

Published

1 year ago

January 24, 2024

Oakland Post

Oakland Private Industry Council (OPIC) Business Managers Frank Smith, Diane Lewis with OPIC President Raymond Lankford, Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley, Cascos Martial Arts Studio Owner William "Bill" Owens, OPIC Board Members Kitty Epstein and Developer Alan Dones, Oakland City Councilmember Kevin Jenkins, and OPIC Business Manager Andrew Rodrigues. Photo By Carla Thomas.

By Carla Thomas

On Jan. 6, Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley (D6) presented a $30,000 check to small business owner William “Bill” Owens, owner of Cascos Martial Arts Studio at 74th and MacArthur in Oakland.

Miley, whose business has been facing financial challenges due to COVID Pandemic restrictions, says he was nearing bankruptcy. “This check will go a long way and is greatly appreciated,” he said.

For Miley, starting 2024 on a high note was important. “I can’t think of a better way to start the new year,” he said. “Small businesses are vital to our communities and when you help a committed business owner, you help a community. It’s an honor to add value by contributing to a small business that has trained so many young people, watched them grow up and have viable careers.”

OPIC Business Outreach Team Members Diane Lewis and Frank Smith celebrated the new collaboration with the martial arts studio.

“It’s always exciting to launch new programs,” said Lewis. “It’s encouraging to see Black men supporting one another and helping them rise to another level,” said Smith.

The check was presented to Owens along with the Oakland Private Equity Council (OPIC).

Pastor Raymond Lankford of the Oakland Community Church and president of the (OPIC) was also present.

“This is martial arts studio has been a big part of this community and helping support Mr. Owens is a win-win for the community,” said Lankford.

OPIC Board Member Kitty Epstein also praised Owens.

“It’s important to support this business and its contribution to the community,” said Epstein.

Cascos Martial Arts Studio has been in business for more than 50 years. Owens and his wife Mary have taught the community the art of self-defense together. “When COVID happened, we were hit with social distancing regulations in our small space,” explained Owens. “We went from having a couple hundred students to a few.”

After the check presentation, Owens invited attendees to see his training in action. For him, teaching the art of self-defense has included naming his moves and techniques after cultural icons like Martin Luther King, Jr. and other activists.

Owens says he bridged the innate rhythms and movements of African American culture with the techniques of Asian martial arts. However, upon traveling the world, Owens noticed many of the moves were less fluid.

“Often the moves are more frigid, and our influence has added more fluid movements,” said Owens as he moved, mimicking some boxing movements and fancy footwork.

“We want to ensure Owens is in business for years to come,” said Pastor Raymond Lankford, president of the Oakland Private Industry Council.

Owens also demonstrated how women and the elderly can protect themselves from theft, injury, or even being trafficked. 2022 statistics noted that of the 1500 people reported missing, over half were African American.

“We have to teach our young people these techniques. We can all support small businesses and expand services throughout the community,” added Owens who plans to add a mobile service to his business.