Activism

State Overseers Want to Continue Closing Oakland Schools

Many activists who back the Reparations for Black Students policy told the Post that the overseers were forced to appear in public because of the huge pressure the board and administration were feeling from hundreds of students and community members in the Justice for Oakland Students Coalition, which has the backing of community leaders and elected officials.

Published

5 years ago

April 1, 2021

Kiki

Dr. Kimberly Mayfield, Holy Names University

The Oakland Unified School District’s state overseers have mostly operated behind the scenes to enforce their dictates since they took over the district nearly 20 years ago. But last week, the state Trustee Chris Learned sent shock waves through the school community when he came to a public board meeting to announce that he would “stay” or block any motion of the board that halts or puts a temporary moratorium on permanent closing of Oakland schools

The state, acting through the Fiscal Crisis Management and Assistance Team (FCMAT) and the state Trustee, has pushed for austerity budgets, with annual cuts to programs in the city’s classrooms and closing as many as 20 schools since the state takeover in 2003.

Organizations active in the coalition include Bay Area Plan, Parent Voices, Anti-Police Terror Project, the Black Organizing Project and the Oakland Education Association (OEA).

Activists are excited about the passage of a historic reparations policy in OUSD because it contains a commitment to repairing the historic harm done to Black Students. But they are furious the about the refusal to pass the part of the resolution stopping school closures.

“There is no justice if you pull the knife of structural racism out just halfway and decide to let our community bleed from the harm of school closures that displace students and destroy our communities,” according to a statement released by the coalition.

“The OUSD Board passed most of the Reparations for Black Students Resolution … but lacked the courage to put an end to the racist school closure policy, delaying the full measure of justice to our Black students, but we will NOT be denied,” the statement said.

Dr. Kimberly Mayfield, dean of the School of Education of Holy Names University, told the Post she and many others want an audit to be conducted of FCMAT.

“FCMAT is made up of accountants and fiscal people, not educators,” she said. “They don’t know what elements need to be in place for quality education. We continue to be harmed by them.”

“Our experience is that they target urban districts to close schools of Black and Latino students,” she said. Even in rural districts, they close schools that are predominately Black and Latino.

“They close schools in neighborhoods vulnerable to displacement and deeper gentrification,” she said.

“Their practices create a lot of chaos for the children they claim to be operating in the best interest of,” said Mayfield.

The board “received at least 500 e-mails from community members supporting the reparations resolution, as well as hearing from elected officials and major unions,” said Boardmember VanCedric Williams, speaking with the Oakland Post.

“The district is balancing its budget on the backs of Black kids, closing schools in Black neighborhoods, which contributes to people moving out and gentrifying the neighborhoods,” he said.

What FCMAT and the State Trustee are doing is an example of what “has been a prevailing relationship that OUSD has been living under for 20 years,” Williams. “There is no democracy if you have someone is overseeing your financial decisions,” he said. “We are now moving closer to ending this.”

Boardmember Mike Hutchinson told the Oakland Post that the passage of the reparations policy was a huge victory for improving programs for Black students.

The victory was a sign of the overseers’ weakness, who had to come out in public. “We forced the wizard out from behind the curtain; (Trustee) Learned showed up at open session” to issue his threat, Hutchinson said.

He said the district is in good shape financially, receiving between $200 million and $300 million in one-time federal funding, which can support transformative education for students over the next three years.

“There is no structural deficit,” and therefore no need to heed FCMAT’s call for continued school closings and austerity budget cuts, Hutchinson said.

Kampala Taiz-Rancifer, an OEA leader, told the Post the coalition made huge steps in the right direction: “We won 14 of 15 demands,” she said.

“(But) we’re not going to stop this fight against school closures,” she said, because if the struggle loses, there will no longer be Black students in Oakland. “They will push the Black students out.”

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Activism

OP-ED: AB 1349 Puts Corporate Power Over Community

Since Ticketmaster and Live Nation merged in 2010, ticket prices have jumped more than 150 percent. Activities that once fit a family’s budget now take significant disposable income that most working families simply don’t have. The problem is compounded by a system that has tilted access toward the wealthy and white-collar workers. If you have a fancy credit card, you get “presale access,” and if you work in an office instead of a warehouse, you might be able to wait in an online queue to buy a ticket. Access now means privilege.

Published

1 week ago

January 9, 2026

Oakland Post

Bishop Joseph Simmons, Senior Pastor, Greater St. Paul Baptist Church, Oakland

By Bishop Joseph Simmons, Senior Pastor, Greater St. Paul Baptist Church, Oakland

As a pastor, I believe in the power that a sense of community can have on improving people’s lives. Live events are one of the few places where people from different backgrounds and ages can share the same space and experience – where construction workers sit next to lawyers at a concert, and teenagers enjoy a basketball game with their grandparents. Yet, over the past decade, I’ve witnessed these experiences – the concerts, games, and cultural events where we gather – become increasingly unaffordable, and it is a shame.

These moments of connection matter as they form part of the fabric that holds communities together. But that fabric is fraying because of Ticketmaster/Live Nation’s unchecked control over access to live events. Unfortunately, AB 1349 would only further entrench their corporate power over our spaces.

Power over live events is concentrated in a single corporate entity, and this regime operates without transparency or accountability – much like a dictator. Ticketmaster controls 80 percent of first-sale tickets and nearly a third of resale tickets, but they still want more. More power, more control for Ticketmaster means higher prices and less access for consumers. It’s the agenda they are pushing nationally, with the help of former Trump political operatives, who are quietly trying to undo the antitrust lawsuit launched against Ticketmaster/Live Nation under President Biden’s DOJ.

That’s why I’m deeply concerned about AB 1349 in its current form. Rather than reining in Ticketmaster’s power, the bill risks strengthening it, aligning with Trump. AB 1349 gives Ticketmaster the ability to control a consumer’s ticket forever by granting Ticketmaster’s regime new powers in state law to prevent consumers from reselling or giving away their tickets. It also creates new pathways for Ticketmaster to discriminate and retaliate against consumers who choose to shop around for the best service and fees on resale platforms that aren’t yet controlled by Ticketmaster. These provisions are anti-consumer and anti-democratic.

California has an opportunity to stand with consumers, to demand transparency, and to restore genuine competition in this industry. But that requires legislation developed with input from the community and faith leaders, not proposals backed by the very company causing the harm.

Will our laws reflect fairness, inclusion, and accountability? Or will we let corporate interests tighten their grip on spaces that should belong to everyone? I, for one, support the former and encourage the California Legislature to reject AB 1349 outright or amend it to remove any provisions that expand Ticketmaster’s control. I also urge community members to contact their representatives and advocate for accessible, inclusive live events for all Californians. Let’s work together to ensure these gathering spaces remain open and welcoming to everyone, regardless of income or background.

Oakland Post

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Oakland Post: Week of December 31, 2025 – January 6, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – December 31, 2025 – January 6, 2026

Published

2 weeks ago

January 2, 2026

Oakland Post

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Activism

Big God Ministry Gives Away Toys in Marin City

Pastor Hall also gave a message of encouragement to the crowd, thanking Jesus for the “best year of their lives.” He asked each of the children what they wanted to be when they grow up.

Published

3 weeks ago

December 29, 2025

Oakland Post

From top left: Pastor David Hall asking the children what they want to be when they grow up. Worship team Jake Monaghan, Ruby Friedman, and Keri Carpenter. Children lining up to receive their presents. Photos by Godfrey Lee.

By Godfrey Lee

Big God Ministries, pastored by David Hall, gave toys to the children in Marin City on Monday, Dec. 15, on the lawn near the corner of Drake Avenue and Donahue Street.

Pastor Hall also gave a message of encouragement to the crowd, thanking Jesus for the “best year of their lives.” He asked each of the children what they wanted to be when they grew up.

Around 75 parents and children were there to receive the presents, which consisted mainly of Gideon Bibles, Cat in the Hat pillows, Barbie dolls, Tonka trucks, and Lego building sets.

A half dozen volunteers from the Big God Ministry, including Donnie Roary, helped to set up the tables for the toy giveaway. The worship music was sung by Ruby Friedman, Keri Carpenter, and Jake Monaghan, who also played the accordion.

Big God Ministries meets on Sundays at 10 a.m. at the Mill Valley Community Center, 180 Camino Alto, Mill Valley, CA Their phone number is (415) 797-2567.