Activism

Oakland School District Accused of Firing Teacher Activists

The teachers’ union pledged to continue the fight against school closures and to take legal action to defend teachers who have been fired or threatened for their activism: “We stand in absolute solidarity with the demands of the Parker community and all school communities targeted for closure,” said the union statement.

Published

3 years ago

October 15, 2022

Ken Epstein

The Oakland teachers’ union has accused the Oakland Unified School District of retaliating against teacher activists, including firing two substitute teachers, who have protested school closings.

District had promised not to retaliate against employees protesting school closures

By Ken Epstein

The Oakland teachers’ union has accused the Oakland Unified School District of retaliating against teacher activists, including firing two substitute teachers, who have protested school closings. The union is planning litigation against the district.

“The Oakland Education Association (OEA) demands an immediate halt to retaliatory actions undertaken by the Oakland Unified School District against activists working to keep Parker School and other neighborhood schools open,” according to a statement sent to the Oakland Post by teachers’ union President Keith Brown.

“Specifically, OUSD must immediately rescind the termination of substitute teachers June Nelson and Craig Gordon, rescind the reprimand of teacher Denise Huffstutler, and renew the contract-for-services of Paloma Collier,” the O.E.A. statement said.

While the district does not discuss individual personnel matters, the Post asked for a response from OUSD on the issue of retaliation against employees for opposing school closings.

“OUSD does not comment on personnel matters,” replied OUSD spokesperson John Sasaki.

The district appears to be taking actions against teacher activists despite a letter sent to several school employees on Feb. 11 by OUSD Chief Governance Officer Joshua Daniels pledging not to “not retaliate against any OUSD employee involved in protesting school closures … or supporting those who are involved in such protests.”

Nelson, one of the affected teachers, taught special education at Lockwood Elementary last year and was hired as a substitute teacher in Oakland for the current school year. On her second day of teaching, she received an email saying, “We onboarded you mistakenly. You are not eligible for future employment with OUSD.”

Nelson had coordinated the educational program at Parker Community School last summer, which was run by parents, OUSD educators and others occupying Parker to provide services in the East Oakland neighborhood, according to a press statement from teacher activists.

Gordon, an OUSD teacher for 24 years and a substitute teacher for eight years, discovered at the beginning of the school year that he was unable to access the online substitute system to apply for work.

“I emailed the head of Human Resources and asked if something had changed with my employment,” he said in an interview with Oakland Voices. “I was told a letter had been sent notifying me that my employment was hereby terminated and that I was also precluded from ever being employed in OUSD again and, perhaps ironically, thanking me for my service.”

He said he believes he was fired due to his public activities and outspokenness. He recently had supported those who had protested the closure of Parker School.

Substitutes are considered “at will employees,” who can be fired without reason.

Educator Pamela Collier, an opponent of school closings, had been a garden educator for five years. She learned in July that her contract would not be honored for the 2022-23 school year as she was about to start her sixth year in the garden at Markham Elementary in East Oakland.

Teacher activist Denise Huffstutler was an instructional coach at Parker with over 20 years in education. During the summer, she received a letter of reprimand for failing to return her keys at the end of the year “even though she had reported her keys as missing,” according to a press statement.

“Huffstutler is still part of an ongoing case to clear her record and could face possible termination despite her tenure status,” the press statement said.

“The decision to abruptly close schools like Parker which serve majority Black and Brown students has thrown Oakland Unified into unnecessary disarray, caused tremendous trauma for students, families, and staff, and resulted in an ever-expanding universe of litigation … we are planning litigation to challenge these illegal actions.”

Ken Epstein

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Activism

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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Activism

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.