Anthony “Tony” Smith, Ph.D., was named Superintendent of the Oakland Unified School District on May 22, 2009, when the seven-member Oakland Board of Education selected him by unanimous vote. (OUSD Biography for Tony Smith)

If the people who showed up at Tony Smith’s doorstep July 3rd are any indication, Mr. Smith may want to go to Washington rather than remain Oakland’s school chief much longer.

Some 200 people gathered at the closed, raided and now-fenced-off Lakeview Elementary School at 5:00 PM on July 3rd. After a rally most of them marched off to Tony Smith’s house, ironically only a hop, skip, dance steps and a hill away from Lakeview. Here’s a shot of just a part of the crowd that arrived, taken from Mr. Smith’s lawn.

It’s a very nice house, in a very nice neighborhood. The kind of house you might, if you were the children who led the march and spoke at Tony’s house, dream of owning someday — if you could get an education.

Too bad that Tony Smith seems hell bent on make that more, not less, difficult.

Without any sign of Tony Smith at his residence and after further rallying and chanting, Mr. Smith’s house was left the way we found it — except for a few signs expressive of our sentiments left to decorate the exterior.

Perhaps at some point Tony will deign to meet with those of the public he is supposed to serve, but on this day his presence was only symbolized by the police he had sent to raid the school at 4:00 AM and who remained to guard the people’s property from the people who want to use it.

(Photos tweeted by Courtney (@CourtneyOccupy) and Mrdaveyd)