SALESIAN, YOU SUCK!
Oops, forgot I wasn’t going to mention any names.

Your question as I understand it was what can be done about the situation with school libraries not being open in the District. And, your question is also how can the District be held responsible for spending money from Measure E/G to keep libraries open?

My reading of the Education Code is that the District is legally required to have school libraries open during the schoolday.

You are certainly within your right to insist that the District follow the law by filing a Williams Compliant and providing the section of the Education Code the District is not complying.

Getting the District to spend Measure E on keeping libraries open is a bit more problematic. It would take working with school board members and organizing a pressure group to make keeping libraries in all schools open.

The following is taken from the District website and provides information for filing a Williams compliant or a uniform compliant for not complying with the Education Code.

Jim Mordecai

Complaint Procedures

The Ombudsperson is responsible for the intake and monitoring of all formal District complaints. If you have a complaint about your school, please contact your principal. If you feel your complaint is not addressed, contact your school network leader. Formal complaints can be filed in this office.

The Ombudsperson is also responsible for investigating complaints regarding discrimination as well as complaints concerning the program for English Language Learners (ELL) and retaliation for, or interference with, ELL Program advocacy. The Ombudsperson also coordinates Williams Uniform Complaints and serves at the Title IX Coordinator for Educational Equity.

The Ombudsperson is also available to make presentations on the Uniform Complaint Procedures, Williams Uniform Complaint Procedures, and Sexual Harassment Prevention at parent advisory committee meetings and faculty meetings. The Office of the Ombudsperson also assist parents and community members to help resolve complaints informally. The Office of the Ombudsperson has staff who are Spanish bilingual. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our office.
Uniform Complaint Procedures (UCP)
For complaints regarding allegations of non-compliance with state and federal programs and/or for allegations of discrimination
bullet Board Policy (BP) 1312.3 (doc) [English], [Spanish], [Chinese], [Vietnamese],[Cambodian]
bullet Administrative Regulation (AR) 1312.3 (doc)[English], [Spanish], [Chinese],[Vietnamese], [Cambodian]
bullet Complaint Form Level I (doc) [English], [Spanish], [Chinese], [Vietnamese],[Cambodian]
bullet Complaint Form Level II and Level III (doc) [English], [Spanish], [Chinese],[Vietnamese], [Cambodian]
Williams Uniform Complaint Procedures (UCP)
For complaints concerning lack of textbooks or instructional materials, teacher vacancy or misassignment unsafe conditions of school facilities , unclean bathrooms and/or CAHSEE Intensive Instruction and Services.
bullet Williams UCP Administrative Regulation 1312.4 [English], [Spanish], [Chinese], [Vietnamese], [Cambodian] (doc)
bullet Williams UCP Notice to Parents, Guardians, Pupils and Teachers 1312.4 (E1):Complaint Rights [English], [Spanish], [Chinese], [Vietnamese], [Cambodian] (doc)
bullet Williams UCP Complaint Form 1312.4 (E2): [English], [Spanish], [Chinese], [Vietnamese], [Cambodian] (doc)

I personally verified this fact with the school’s long-term employees and the records.

I graduated in 2005 and I can say with absolute certainty that there was a library at Montera Middle School that students could go into.
Did the library fall into disrepute along with the school during that post-Salamack pre-Mesfun time?

What can we do, realistically, to cure this situation? We sure could not come up with $80k every year, and the district just wouldn’t give us funds for the library. Any specific (and realistic) suggestions?

Thank you for posting Measure G funding language.

Measure E money is under transition to Measure G money. However, I believe the language for both Measure E and G is the same.

The citizen’s committee that is to advise on the proper spending of Measure E money meets infrequently and there is no transparency on whether specific items for approval of expenditure have been vetted before the citizens’ committee or how the committee voted on items that come before the State Administrator/Board for final approval. The agenda just lists the item and the funding source as Measure E without indicating that the citizens’ advisory committee took a position on the item.

Currently management of finances has not been returned to the Board so it is the State Administrator that has final approval on Measure E funding.

Here are items pertaining to spending of Measure E money on tomorrow night’s agenda:

08-2379 Professional Services Contract – Debra Hughes – Claremont
Middle School
OE-11
Ratification by the State Administrator of a Professional Services Contract
between District and Debra Hughes, for the latter to provide Professional
Development and Coaching on Integration of Media into the Classroom for Staff
at Claremont Middle School, for the period November 20, 2008 through
December 19, 2008, in an amount not to exceed $11,500.00.
Funding Source: Measure E
Attachments: Document(s)
08-2621 Professional Services Contract – Trena Noval – Peralta
Elementary
OE-11
Oakland Unified School District Page 8 Printed on 1/ 11/09
State Administrator and/or Board of Agenda (Long) January 14, 2009
Education
Approval by the State Administrator of a Professional Services Contract between
District and Trena Noval, for the latter to provide support to students with grade
level specific standards based instruction that integrates the model
multimedia/visual arts and Core Curriculum; train teachers and students to work
well with these tools in their classrooms; lead project reflection at the completion
of each project; introduce both contemporary and historical art examples as they
relate to the projects to expand student historical knowledge at Peralta
Elementary for the period of December 15, 2008 through June 1, 2009, in an
amount not to exceed $5,855.00.
Funding Source: Measure E
Attachments: Document(s)
08-3025 Professional Services Contract – Laurie Polster – Robeson
High School
OE-11
Ratification by the State Administrator of Professional Services Contract
between the District and Laurie Polster, for the latter to provide arts integration
coaching to teachers including group and one-to-one meetings to cover
intergrated arts curriculum planning, resource gathering, documentation,
exhibitions and presentation of educational framework for the period December
12, 2008 through June 11, 2009, at Robeson High School, in an amount not to
exceed $10,000.00.
Funding Source: Measure E Arts
Attachments: Document(s)
08-3029 Professional Services Contract – Angela Wellman -
Elmhurst Community Prep
0E-11
Ratification by the State Administrator of a Professional Services Contract
between District and Angela Wellman, for the latter to provide Arts Integrative
Services to Staff including co-planning and co-teaching lessons in order to bring
the curriculum to life through the arts at Elmhurst Community Preparatory
School, for the period December 12, 2008 through June 12, 2009, in an amount
not to exceed $15,000.00.
Funding Source: Measure E Arts
Attachments: Document(s)

08-3050 Professional Services Contract – Heart to Heart Music
Productions – Instructional Services,VAPA
OE-11
Ratification by the State Administrator of a Professional Services Contract
between District and Heart to Heart Music Productions, for the latter to provide
four 45 minutes interactive music intergrated instructions to grades K-3 that
builds character and promotes self-esteem and to provide two professional
development sessions teachers and parent education workshops, for the period
January 5, 2009 through June 30, 2009, in an amount not to exceed $5,000.00.
Funding Source: Measure E
Attachments: Document(s)
08-3063 Professional Services Contract – Patrick O’Hearn -
Claremont Middle School
OE-11
Oakland Unified School District Page 12 Printed on 1/ 11/09
State Administrator and/or Board of Agenda (Long) January 14, 2009
Education
Ratification by the State Administrator of Professional Services Contract
between District and Patrick O’Hearn, for the latter in the after school program to
instruct the computer animation class at Claremont Middle School for the period
of December 18, 2008 through June 11, 2009 in an amount not to exceed
$24,000.00.
Funding Source: After School Education and Safety (ASES) Grant and Measure E
08-3304 Professional Services Contract – Luna Kids Dance, Inc. -
Tilden Elementary School
0E-11
Approval by State Administrator of Professional Services Contract between
District and Luna Kids Dance, Inc. for the latter to provide dance instruction;
professional development in dance; documentation; consultation, curriculum and
program planning, evaluation for the period January 15, 2009 through June 11,
2009 in an amount not to exceed $5,000.00 at Tilden Elementary School.
Funding Source: Measure E
Attachments: Document(s)
09-0018 Professional Services Contract – MOCHA – Manzanita Seed 0E-11
Approval by the State Administrator of a Professional Services Contract between
the District and MOCHA, for the latter to provide professional development for
classroom teachers in arts-integrated learning and inquiry; development of an arts
framework for a general curriculum approach known as Teaching for
Understanding; and a short term artist residency to model arts-integrated
approaches to math and language arts curriculum at Manzanita SEED
Community School for the period of January 15, 2009 through June 30, 2009, in
an amount not to exceed $5,584.00.
Funding Source: Measure E Arts
Attachments: Document(s)

Many of the items above are justified and decisions were site-based. However, I disagree with site-based decision making when the basics of keeping open school libraries in Oakland is not followed and the taxpayers provided money to keep libraries open. I then it is the wrong priority that middle school must have parents at the school pay for a librarian when Measure E and Measure G make keeping open libraries a priority for all Oakland Schools. For when the taxpayers were asked to fund school libraries then were not fairly told that some schools would be left behind.

Jim Mordecai

To attract and retain highly qualified teachers, maintain courses that help students qualify for college, maintain up-to-date textbooks and instructional materials, keep class sizes small, continue after-school academic programs, maintain school libraries, and provide programs, including arts and music, that enhance student achievement, shall Oakland Unified School district, without increasing he current rate, continue to levy its education special tax of $195 per parcel, commencing July 1, 2009, exempting low-income taxpayers, and with all money benefiting Oakland schools?

Jim Mordecai

California Education Code:

18100. The governing board of each school district shall provide school library services for the pupils and teachers of the district by establishing and maintaining school libraries or by contractual
arrangements with another public agency.

18101. The State Board of Education shall adopt standards, rules and regulations for school library services.

18102. Libraries may be established and maintained under the control of the governing board of any school district.

18103. The libraries shall be open to the use of the teachers and the pupils of the school district during the schoolday.