Re: Victory On Local Control!

[Susan Harman <susanharman@igc.org>]

This happened because we organized big time last summer, when OConnell,  
the state sup, had decided to sell valuable district real estate out  
from under us (the real reason for the original state takeover). We  
fought the developers off, and OConnells reason to keep state control  
over us vanished.
Credit also goes to our new state assemblyman, Sandre Swanson, who  
filed a bill to get us back local control even before he was sworn in.  
Support for the bill is huge and vocal (tomorrow I go to Sacramento to  
lobby for it again). The moral is, ORGANIZE!
Susan

On Tuesday, July 10, 2007, at 08:16 PM, Peter Farruggio wrote:
> > From: "Education Not Incarceration" <ednotinc@riseup.net>
> >
> > VICTORY on Partial Local Control!
> >
> > Yesterday, California State Superintendent for Public Instruction Jack
> > O?'Connell reversed his position, bowed to your pressure and returned
> > control of community relations and governance to Oakland schools.  
> > This is
> > a partial victory that means that one (community relations and  
> > governance)
> > out of the five areas that the state controls will be returned. This  
> > is a
> > great success that shows that our pressure has been working. At the
> > introductory hearings about Local Control Bill AB 45, O'Connell's  
> > office
> > was the only major voice in opposition to the return of local control.
> > Yesterday, he reversed his position completely and said "substantial  
> > and
> > sustainable progress has been made" in Oakland. Reading between the  
> > lines,
> > it seems clear that our protests, education, pressure and the success  
> > of
> > AB 45 in the assembly forced him to change. To everyone who came to  
> > speak
> > at the June 1st public hearing, went to a protest, signed a petition,  
> > made
> > a phone call, gave money, or talked to a friend about democracy for
> > Oakland schools, thank you. You are the leaders who deserve credit for
> > this victory. Take a moment to pat yourselves on the back.
> >
> > As Mayor Dellums stated at the press conference, "We should put  
> > forward
> > every effort to return full local control."? We agree with the mayor  
> > and
> > we also need to continue our work to stop school closures and fight  
> > prison
> > expansion.
> >
> > Below, you will find links to news articles on the victory.
> >
> > Thank you for this hard won victory,
> >
> > Jonathan Stribling-Uss
> > Education Not Incarceration
> >
> > *****************************
> >
> > Oakland School Board Regains Limited Authority
> > Berkeley Daily Planet, By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor
> > http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/article.cfm?issue=07-10- 
> > 07&storyID=27476
> >
> > Monday, July 9, 2007 (SF Chronicle)
> > Oakland regains voice over schools/State relinquishes some authority
> > Jill Tucker, Chronicle Staff Writer
> > The original article can be found on SFGate.com here:
> > http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/07/09/ 
> > BAG4IQTG1U5.DTL
> >
> > ****************************
Vote in the National Cheney Impeachment Poll
http://www.usalone.com/blogvoices.php?Cheney%20Impeachment%3F
Add this text to your own email and blog signatures!