Victory On Local Control! Boycott of School Closures!

[Peter Farruggio <pfarr@cal.berkeley.edu>]

Oakland fighting back against the standardistas...


> From: "Jonathan Stribling-Uss, Education Not Incarceration" 
> <ednotinc@riseup.net>
>
>
> Hello Friends,
>
> We want to thank the hundreds of people who came to share
> stories and speak about the situation in public education
> in Oakland at the public hearing on June 1st. Mayor Dellums
> was moved to tears by your testimony and the whole meeting
> voted to Stop Closures and Return Local Control to Oakland.
> At the end of this email are links to 4 good newspaper articles
> about the School Board resolution for a Moratorium on
> School Closures and the Public Hearing on Oakland Education.
>
> The good news is that the state assembly approved AB 45
> (the bill to return local control to Oakland) by a 47-32 vote,
> a clear victory for the Oakland community's
> hard work to get back local control. All AB 45 needs now is
> Senate approval and the governors signature. Also, on Monday,
> June 11th students from East Oakland Community High boycotted
> their OUSD School and set up their own Freedom School in a
> local church, as a protest of the districts proposed closure.
> As student Mario Ayer said it "Our school is being shut down
> and has been turned into a prison." (For more info about
> this amazing school where close to 80% of 11th grade students
> have passed the Exit Exam and 50% of 11th graders are already
> in college, Go to http://villageunido.org/
>
> This week we have a number of key actions and events to support
> local control and stop the closures.
>
> 1)Donate to ENI! We need your support and membership to keep
> our office open. http://www.ednotinc.org/getinvolved/donate.html
>
> 2) We need to make sure Senator Perata pushes the bill (AB 45)
> through the senate so that Oakland can begin to regain local
> control. You can call him at (510) 286-1333 and tell him to
> support AB 45 and local control.
>
> 3) We also need to make sure that the moratorium on school
> closures passes the School Board. Please come to the School
> Board meeting tomorrow, Wed. June 13th from 5-7:30pm to
> show support for the Moratorium on School
> closures (1025 2nd Ave, Oakland).
>
> 4) Support the schools that are targeted with closure.
> Tomorrow Wed. June 13th from 9:30-11:30am East Oakland
> Community High School is holding a Commencement Ceremony
> to honor all EOC students for their commitment to
> education & community at the Oakland City Hall Chambers,
> 1 Frank Ogawa Plaza, 14th St.& B'way.
>
> 5) Get involved with longer term Education Not Incarceration
> organizing. Come to ENI's general membership meeting on
> Thurs, June 14 from 6-8PM, Oakland Education Association office,
> 272 East 12th Street at 3rd Avenue,Oakland, CA 94606.
>
> Thanks again for all your passion and commitment for
> keeping Oakland schools open and under the control of
> Oakland residents.
>
> -Jonathan Stribling-Uss
> Education Not Incarceration
>
> ENI, School Closures and Local Control in the News:
>
> OUSD Board Looks at Moratorium on School Closures
> http://www.berkeleydaily.org/text/article.cfm?issue=06-01-07&storyID=27173
>
> Oakland Activists Call for School Closure Moratorium
> http://www.berkeleydaily.org/text/article.cfm?archiveDate=06-05-07&storyID=27200
>
> Officials get earful at school hearing
> Oakland district's low morale a problem, campus conditions voiced
> Oakland Tribune
> http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/ci_6046112
>
> Oakland schools may get some control back
> Local authority over Oakland district now rests in Senate hands
> Oakland Tribune
> http://www.insidebayarea.com/portlet/article/html/fragments/print_article.jsp?articleId=6072995&siteId=181