Category Archives: Education

“Let Me Break It Down For You.” OaklandElle Lays Out Her Case Against the Oakland Police.

8 July 2012

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An Annotated Twitter Essay by OaklandElle

“Let me break it down for people who don’t live in Oakland and don’t see the day-to-day effects of OPD on our community.

“To start with, OPD starting salary is ~$74k/year, not including OT, which is more than even city council members make. (More on them later)

“Now, UNLIKE City Council members, OPD officers are not required to live in Oakland. What that means is their salaries LEAVE our community.

“ie: because ((the vast majority of)) OPD does not live in our city, their salaries, which are paid by our taxes, do not get recycled back into the community.

“Not only that, but because OPD does not live in this community, they neither understand it, nor are they accountable to it.

“Because of the lack of understanding and accountability, OPD officers frequently act completely inappropriately.

Oakland Police Officer Hector Jimenez shot 27-year-old Jody Woodfox in the back on July 25, 2008…

Click here for the complete essay.

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“A Military-Style Vehicle Is Not The Best Choice For A University Setting.”

5 July 2012

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Recall from several days ago that UC Berkeley Police, the City of Berkeley Police (unbeknowst to their City Council), and the City of Albany Police Departments had submitted an application for a Bearcat armored vehicle to the Department of Homeland Security.

Amazingly enough, expressing enough outrage and subjecting the planned acquisition to sufficient ridicule was enough to change some important people’s minds.

The statement below regarding plans for the joint acquisition of an armored emergency rescue vehicle was issued today (Thursday, July 5th) by UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau, in coordination with the mayors of Berkeley and Albany.

The University of California Police Department, in collaboration with the Berkeley and Albany city police departments, recently pursued a grant for an armored emergency rescue vehicle. Law enforcement’s interest in obtaining a vehicle that would protect officers during situations involving oncoming gunfire (or to rescue victims during such situations) — such as occurred at Oikos University in Oakland a few months ago — is understandable.

However, the planned acquisition of the vehicle recently came to the attention of campus and city officials. Campus administrators evaluated the proposal and concluded that such a military-style vehicle is not the best choice for a university setting. UC Berkeley officials are in the process of canceling the order for the vehicle. Officials in Berkeley and Albany agree with the University’s decision.

Robert Birgeneau, Chancellor, University of California, Berkeley
Tom Bates, Mayor of Berkeley
Farid Javandel, Mayor of Albany

Reprinted from Daily Kos. Click for full article and comments.

What If You Didn’t Give a Party and Everyone Showed Up?

4 July 2012

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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)

Lakeview raided, rally tonight at 5pm!

3 July 2012

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

COPS RAIDING CAMP Lakeview Sit-In. RALLY TODAY July 03, 5 AM

Oakland, CA—TODAY, at 4:15 am, Police is raiding camp of Lakeview Sit-In. A rally will be hold today Tuesday July 03 at 5 PM at Lakeview Elementary School.

During the last two weeks, parents, teachers and community members have set up a week long summer school program called “The People’s School for Public Education.” During it, students learned about social justice, arts, and gardening. The People’s School for Public Education aims to bring further community awareness to closure of 5 elementary schools, including Lakeview Elementary. In addition, the People’s Schools shows that when OUSD will not provide students with essential resources, parents, teachers and community members will. The People’s School, as well as the Sit-In has gained the support of key labor leaders, including Betty Olson-Jones, president of the OEA.

The Lakeview Sit-In demands a stop to all school closure, or the resignation of Tony Smith, superintendent of the OUSD. The Sit-In at Lakeview is held in solidarity with all parents and teachers struggling to demand quality public education across the country.

Who: Parents, teachers, students and community members

What: Education Rally

Where: Lakeview Elementary School, 748 Grand Ave, Oakland

When: Tuesdasy July 03, 2012 5:00 PM

For more information on the sit-in visit http://saveoaklandschools.org/