Education

OUSD Families and Staff Oppose Cuts at Schools

Published

7 years ago

December 1, 2017

Supt. Kyla Johnson-Trammell says difficult steps are necessary to maintain stability

Hundreds of chanting protesters – teachers and school workers, parents and their children – filled the Oakland Board of Education meeting room this week to attempt to pressure the school board to halt or reduce the mid-year budget cuts that will directly impact schools and classrooms and result in layoffs of many low-wage school employees.

Monday evening’s meeting had been scheduled to vote on proposed cuts, but the school board is now considering ways to avoid some of the school site budget reductions.
The board’s Budget and Finance Committee is scheduled to discuss the proposal at its Thursday, Dec. 7 meeting, and the final decision on cuts is scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 13.
Speaking to the crowded room – amid chants of “Chop from the Top!” – School Board President James asked for people to discuss “how these cuts will land on you” and to propose solutions.

“The board absolutely understands that you are upset about any threat to your students,” he said. “Our goal is to listen this evening.”

“I want you to know no decisions have been made about (the size of the cuts). No decisions have been made about (what to cut at) a school,” said Harris.

The room quieted as Supt. Kyla Johnson-Trammell outlined the district’s precarious budget situation and a proposal for recovery.

“As your new superintendent, I have inherited this fiscal challenge and now the responsibility to right the ship,” she said. “I acknowledge and understand the hurt, frustration and anger that everyone is feeling.”

She said some of the economic decisions made in the past two school years were made with the best intentions – for libraries, early childhood education and the Oakland Athletic League – but without regard to the impact on the overall budget.

“We have to look at what we’re going to divest in to make sure we are solvent,” she said. “That is where we fell short in the last two years.

“I know this information isn’t positive but it’s important to be transparent every step of the way about where we are – the good, the bad and the ugly, when we make mistakes.”

Some of the budget cuts at school sites and the central office are necessary to guarantee stability and avoid state takeover, she said. The needed money includes $1.2 million for the state-mandated reserve; a contingency reserve for unforeseen expenses totaling $7.2 million; and $4.7 million to support special education, a program that always costs more than the limited funding the district receives from the state.

The district may be able to postpone an additional $2 million in cuts the board had intended to use to begin to restore the depleted self -insurance fund, she said.

However, she said, budget reduction at both the central office and school sites are unavoidable.

Speaking to the Post after the meeting, Oakland Education Association (OEA) President Trish Gorham said, “I think it was long overdue, a small step in the direction. Some of the board members finally admitted their lack of oversight.

“The pressure of the community had them reduce the cuts – slightly. I feel more optimistic now that we can keep the cuts away from the school sites and the lowest paid workers.”
JoAanna Lougin, executive director of United Administrators of Oakland Schools, told the Post that responsibility for the district’s current crisis should be borne by much of the district’s top management.

“It’s poor management on the part of a whole lot of people. They took advantage of the situation. Now the workers are having to pay the cost for this with their jobs,” she continued. “There need to be consequences for these actions.”

Hundreds of teachers, school employees, families and community members attended the Oakland Board of Education Monday night to protest mid-year budget cuts that would mean reducing programs for children, cutting school supplies and laying off low-wage workers at schools. The board is expected to make a final decision Dec. 13. Photo by Ken Epstein.

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Related Topics:Education Kyla Johnson-Trammell Oakland OUSD

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Art

A Prolific Painter: Artist and Advocate Lois Mailou Jones

Lois Mailou Jones was a prominent African American artist whose career spanned more than seven decades, from the Harlem Renaissance to the modern art movement. She was not only a prolific painter but also an influential educator, bridging cultural gaps and challenging stereotypes through her vibrant and diverse works.

Published

4 days ago

October 29, 2024

Oakland Post

Courtesy of National Archives, Washington, D.C.

By Tamara Shiloh

Her unique journey of self-expression, dedication to art, and advocacy for African American and African themes made her a crucial figure in the evolution of American art.

Jones was born on Nov. 3, 1905, in Boston. Raised in an intellectual and supportive family, she demonstrated an early interest in art, encouraged by her mother, who believed in the importance of creativity. Lois studied at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, where she faced racial challenges but persisted in pursuing her passion.

Her pursuit of higher education led her to the prestigious Design Art School, where she perfected her skills in textile design. Later, Jones attended Harvard University and received further training at the Académie Julian in Paris. This European experience greatly influenced her style and broadened her perspective on art.

Jones’s career began in textile design, creating works that were used by leading textile companies. However, her true passion was painting. During the Harlem Renaissance, she moved away from textile design to focus on fine art, exploring themes that reflected her heritage and the African diaspora.

Her early works were influenced by European Post-Impressionism, featuring landscapes and still life, but Jones’s style evolved over time. After spending time in Haiti, she was deeply inspired by Caribbean culture, and her palette became more vivid, her subject matter more symbolic. The influence of African and Caribbean culture is evident in her later works, where she used bright colors and geometric patterns to convey the spirit and stories of the people she encountered.

Her contributions to African American art were significant during a time when Black artists struggled for recognition. She often focused on themes of African heritage, pride, and unity, blending African illustrations and portraits with Western artistic techniques to create a unique visual language that celebrated Black culture.

She was also a dedicated educator. She began her teaching career at Palmer Memorial Institute in North Carolina and later became a professor at Howard University in Washington, D.C., where she taught for almost 50 years. Through her teaching, she influenced generations of young Black artists, encouraging them to explore and express their cultural heritage through art.

In the 1930s and 1940s, she worked to exhibit her work alongside other Black artists, helping to create a platform for voices that had long been excluded from mainstream galleries.

Recognition and Legacy

Jones achieved significant recognition throughout her lifetime, both in the United States and internationally. She exhibited her work across the globe, including in Paris, Africa, and the Caribbean.

Jones continued painting until her death in 1998, leaving behind a rich legacy of artistic achievements and contributions to art education. She broke boundaries by celebrating Black identity and heritage at a time when these themes were often marginalized.

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California Black Media

New California Law Will Protect Students During Extreme Weather

On Sept. 22, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill that will protect students from extreme weather conditions by requiring the California Department of Education to develop guidelines for school districts to implement during weather patterns harmful to student health. Authored by Sen. Melissa Hurtado (D-Sanger), “Yahushua’s Law” or Senate Bill 1248 addresses an extreme heat-related fatality in Lake Elsinore. During the summer of 2023, a student died after participating in physical education suffered extreme heat-related illness.

Published

4 days ago

October 29, 2024

Oakland Post

Yahushua Robinson

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

On Sept. 22, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill that will protect students from extreme weather conditions by requiring the California Department of Education to develop guidelines for school districts to implement during weather patterns harmful to student health.

Authored by Sen. Melissa Hurtado (D-Sanger), “Yahushua’s Law” or Senate Bill 1248 addresses an extreme heat-related fatality in Lake Elsinore. During the summer of 2023, a student died after participating in physical education suffered extreme heat-related illness.

“No student should ever lose their life on campus to extreme weather when we can take steps to protect them by preparing statewide plans to minimize exposure to the most harmful elements of exposure,” Sen. Hurtado stated last Spring. “I commend the family of Yahushua Robinson, the twelve-year student who lost his life due to heat related illness during on-campus physical education, for lending their emotional strength and compassion for others in order to help ensure that no other student loses their life this way.”

Supporters of the legislation say the lack of uniform guidelines and protocols across schools and school districts in California intensifies the issue, creating an urgent need for safeguards to ensure student safety during extreme weather conditions.

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California Black Media

More Than 1.2 Million Youth Pre-Registered to Vote, Secretary of State Weber Announced

Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber announced on Sept. 26 that more than 1.2 million young people between the ages of 16 and 17-years-old have pre-registered to vote since the state launched the initiative in September 2016. The state program automatically activates voter registration for pre-registered youth when they turn 18 years of age.

Published

4 days ago

October 29, 2024

Oakland Post

California Secretary of State Dr. Shirley N. Weber. Photo Courtesy of ShirleyWeber.com.

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

Weber, who has visited dozens of high schools across the state to promote voting initiatives, said that students are eager to vote and look forward to casting their first ballot, and “the numbers back them up.”

“Young Californians want to be engaged, active participants in our democracy and they can position themselves to do so by preregistering to vote,” said Weber.

Weber said that she is committed to encouraging young people to pre-register to vote, adding that she looks forward to partnering with the California Department of Education, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, school officials, and leaders of community-based organizations to expand this effort.

According to Weber’s office, approximately 42% of young voters are registered Democrats, while over 13% are registered Republicans. Another 35% of young voters registered as having “no party preference.”

For more information, Californians can visit the online pre-registration website at www.RegisterToVote.ca.gov. Registration is open to residents who are 16 or 17 and meet all the following criteria:

A United States citizen and a resident of California.
18 years old or older on Election Day.
Not currently serving a state or federal prison term for the conviction of a felony
Not currently found mentally incompetent to vote by a court.

More information about pre-registration for California youth can be found at sos.ca.gov/elections/pre-register-16-vote-18.

Upcoming key deadlines and dates for the November 5, 2024, General Election can be found at here.

Plus, visit http://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/statewide-elections/2024-primary/section-08-general-election-calendar.pdf to view a complete California General Election Calendar with more voting details and updates.