City Government

OP-ED: Proposed Dept. of Race and Equity and the Prophetic Work of Changing the Status Quo

Published

10 years ago

April 17, 2015

By Rev. Debra Avery, First Presbyterian Church of Oakland

When I considered whether to offer my thoughts on Councilmember Desley Brooks’ proposal for a city Department of Race and Equity, I thought: What can a white, middle class pastor like me say that would be of any use at all? What can I possibly contribute to an already rich conversation full of the pain of first-hand experience, and supported by well-researched statistics and administrative detail?

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My first thought was: precious little. Then I remembered a sermon preached by Martin Luther King Jr. to his own Abyssinian Baptist Church on June 5, 1966 – a sermon in which he called his people to the prophetic task of rethinking the purpose of the church.

He said: “The church is not a social club, although some people think it is. The church is not an entertainment center, although some people think it is. The church has a purpose. Heal the broken hearted, bring good news to the poor, free the captives, bring sight to the blind, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Though King was holding up a vision for his congregation when their energy was flagging, his words called through the decades and challenged me to step out of my privileged place and rethink my purpose as the leader of a local congregation. If this is to be the year of living into those prophetic words, then we have to get busy making sure the good news gets to those who need it most.

Nothing changes if nothing changes and Oakland is due for a change.

If we are to believe our newly elected city officials campaign rhetoric was more than stump-speech pandering, then it should be clear that we cannot continue with the status quo. We elected people who sought to join their cries with those who have long struggled and now it is time to call on them to live into the campaign promises they made.

The department seems like a timely tool to help us reevaluate our standards and refocus our expectations. It may not be perfect, but it provides a way to work toward freedom from entrenched attitudes and behaviors that have held our city hostage for years. It has the potential to provide new standards by which we can hold leaders accountable so that everyone in Oakland can have the same opportunity to thrive.

Approving this proposal means that the ayor must live into her promises for a different Oakland for “All Oaklanders” and provide for the Department of Race and Equity in her budget. Councilmembers must move out of entrenched norms of in-house squabbling and work together to support the work of transformation. Everyone will have to sacrifice personal privilege and power for the greater good.

It seems to me that now is the time for Oakland to answer the call to heal the brokenhearted, bring hope to the poor and free those held captive by the chains of oppression.

I believe that the Department of Race and Equity can guide that prophetic work and create a new way of being for our city government – one that truly represents the fullness of the diversity of our beautiful, beloved community.

Oakland Post

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Activism

Teachers’ Union Thanks Supt. Johnson-Trammell for Service to Schools and Community

“I speak for our Oakland community and the families OEA serves in thanking Supt. Johnson-Trammell for her service. With public schools and immigrant families under attack nationally from Trump and with budget challenges affecting many California school districts, these are tough times demanding the best of what we all have to offer,” said OEA President Kampala Taiz-Rancifer in a statement released Thursday.

Published

6 hours ago

April 27, 2025

Oakland Post

OEA President Kampala Taiz-Rancifer. Courtesy photo.

The union calls for a community-involvement in search for new superintendent

By Post Staff

While pointing out that Supt. Kayla Johnson-Trammell has been planning to resign for a while, the Oakland Education Association (OEA) thanked her for years of service to the schools and called for community involvement in the search for a new superintendent.

“While we disagreed strongly on a number of issues,” said Taiz-Rancifer, “Dr. Johnson-Trammell is a daughter of Oakland and a product of our public schools. We thank her for her service and wish her the best moving forward.”

She said the schools’ community was aware that the superintendent had been planning to leave well before this week’s announcement.

“The superintendent has spoken publicly throughout the year about her planned departure. In August 2024, the previous school board approved a renewed contract raising her compensation to over $600,000 per year and allowing her to step back from daily responsibilities beginning in the 2025-2026 school year,” said Taiz-Rancifer.

She said the teachers’ union has been raising concerns about the need for stability and financial transparency in the district. “For three of the last four years, the district projected major deficits, only to end with millions in reserve.” This year, she said, the district added $90 million to central office overhead expenses.

“Just last month, a majority of school board directors took action to cap expensive consultant costs and develop alternative budget proposals that align spending with community priorities to keep funding in classrooms,” she said.

Taiz-Rancifer said the union stands behind the leadership of Board President Jennifer Brouhard and Boardmembers Valarie Bachelor, Rachel Latta, and VanCedric Williams.

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Alameda County

OUSD Supt. Chief Kyla Johnson-Trammell to Step Down on July 1

The district’s progress under Johnson-Trammell’s leadership “provides a strong foundation for the transition and work ahead,” according to the joint statement. “The plan has always prioritized a smooth and thoughtful transition. A formal search for a permanent superintendent was (originally) scheduled to begin in fall 2025,” but now the board is “initiating this process focusing on transparency and deep community involvement.”

Published

6 hours ago

April 27, 2025

Oakland Post

Kyla Johnson-Trammell. File photo.

By Post Staff

The Oakland Unified School District announced this week that Supt. Kyla Johnson-Trammell will leave her position on July 1 after serving for eight years.

In closed session on Wednesday evening, the school board approved a voluntary separation agreement by a 4-3 vote, said Board President Jennifer Brouhard.

The board will begin searching immediately for an interim superintendent who will start on July 1. Johnson-Trammell will continue as superintendent emeritus from July 1 to Jan. 15, 2026, to help with the transition, according to a joint statement released by Johnson-Trammell and the Board.

In a personal statement to the community, Johnson-Trammell said:

“As I prepare to step away from my role as your superintendent on June 30, I do so with immense pride in what we’ve accomplished together. The last eight years have brought some of the most challenging — and most defining — moments in our district’s history. Through it all, Oakland has shown what’s possible when we stay grounded in our mission and vision and work in partnership for our students.”

The joint statement from Johnson-Trammell and the Board modifies her existing contract. According to the joint statement: “in August 2024, the OUSD Board of Education approved a three-year transitional contract for Superintendent Johnson-Trammell, with the next school year (2025-2026) allowing for a shift in responsibilities to support the transition to a permanent superintendent at the start of the 2026-2027 school year.”

Praising Johnson-Trammell’s accomplishments, the joint statement said, “(She) has done an extraordinary job over the past eight years, a historic tenure marked by stability, strong fiscal oversight, and improvements in student achievement.”

According to the statement, her achievements include:

increased graduation rates
improved literacy
increased student attendance rates,
“exemplary” COVID pandemic leadership,
“historic” pay raises to educators,
Improvement in OUSD’s facilities bond program,
ensuring strong fiscal systems and budgeting

As Johnson-Trammell’s years of service are coming to an end, there remain significant unresolved challenges facing the district, including a $95 million budget deficit and the threat of school closings and employee layoffs, as well as contract negotiations with the Oakland Education Association (OEA), the teachers’ union.

Another ongoing controversy has been the superintendent’s extremely high salary, which was negotiated less than a year ago under the leadership of Boardmember Mike Hutchinson and former Boardmember Sam Davis.

Johnson-Trammell is one of the highest-paid superintendents in California and the country, earning a total compensation package of $637,036.42 a year.

The contract had granted her a pay raise and a final three-year contract extension through the 2027 school year.

Under that contract, she would only continue as superintendent during the current school year, and then for two additional years she would work on research projects and prepare the district for a new superintendent, at the same rate of pay she now earns, plus raises.

During those two years, a temporary superintendent would be hired to handle the responsibilities of running the school district.