Activism

School Board Election Could End Deadlock on Sharply Divided Board

With the board unable to reach a decision on appointing a new member, the Alameda County Office of Education recently stepped in, ordering an election in November to fill the remaining one year-term for the District 5 seat, which represents the Fruitvale District. The D5 seat was left vacant when its representative, Boardmember Mike Hutchinson, ran and ultimately won in D4 after his residence address was moved during the citywide redistricting process.

Published

3 years ago

June 18, 2023

Oakland Post

Sasha Ritzie-Hernandez. Courtesy photo.

So far, one candidate has stepped forward: Sasha Ritzie-Hernandez

By Ken Epstein

The Oakland Board of Education, operating at present with one vacancy, is sharply divided, 3-3, on many major issues that impact Oakland families, including the future of special education programs, budget cuts at school sites, school closings, and whether to support “common good” demands for community needs raised by Oakland teachers during their recent strike.

The D5 seat was left vacant when its representative, Boardmember Mike Hutchinson, ran and ultimately won in D4 after his residence address was moved during the citywide redistricting process.

On one side of the polarized school board are members who have been outspokenly opposed to school closings and spoke during the recent Oakland teachers’ strike in favor of the union’s “common good” demands: VanCedric Williams, Jennifer Brouhard, and Valarie Bachelor.

On the other side are Board President Hutchinson, Sam Davis, and Cliff Thompson, who have tended to align with positions taken by the district administration, including voting to potentially merge or consolidate schools and voting to cut special education special day classes and programs in the face of major parent opposition.

So far, one candidate for the D5 seat has stepped forward: Sasha Ritzie-Hernandez, who strongly supports Oakland educators. A graduate of Oakland High and Holy Names University, she already has a campaign website: www.sasharitziehernandez.com.

Born in Mexico, she migrated to Oakland at the age of 12 in 2002 and has lived in the Fruitvale District for more than 20 years. Her mother was a teacher in Mexico for 24 years, and Ritzie-Hernandez describe herself as someone who was on the “frontlines” backing the last two Oakland teachers’ strikes.

Openly queer and married to a woman, she is coalition coordinator of the Bay Area Coalition for Education Justice (BACEJ), where she works for “quality public education for students,” she said on her website.

She has been an activist much of her life. While in high school she organized against police brutality in the wake of the killing of Oscar Grant and worked for the DREAM Act.

She formerly worked for Alameda County’s Registrar of Voters Office as a bilingual instructor and organized support for the campaign for the passage of Reparations for Black Students resolution. She currently serves on the Alameda County Spanish Language Advisory Committee.

“My goal (on the board) is to create a culture of accountability through authentic shared decision-making. With your support we can have a school board that centers and is accountable to students, families, and educators,” she wrote.

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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

1 week 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

2 weeks 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.