Comments on: Notes from the school closure meeting

By: Katy Murphy

Katy Murphy — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 04:41:24 +0000

The enrollment number I cited — 212 — was for grades k-5. The spreadsheet broke the numbers down by grade level and did not include pre-k.

By: Oakland Teacher

Oakland Teacher — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 03:39:55 +0000

How many of Sankofa’s students are from the neighborhood? I thought that was supposed to be a major criteria of determining closures. It does not make sense to close schools with most of the students living nearby, while at the same time pouring money into schools with a much lower percentage of neighborhood children.

By: Parent

Parent — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 03:02:47 +0000

The commitment to re-structure Sankofa was made this year.

You’re right Katy it is higher, but you are including the Pre-k.

By: Turanga_teach

Turanga_teach — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 00:41:41 +0000

With respect, 8.8 million divided by 212 instead of by 140 is still a wee bit above our typical per-student expenditure…I do sometimes wonder why some commitments made in flusher times get honored while others are, perhaps understandably, set aside these days.

By: Richard Allums

Richard Allums — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 00:36:13 +0000

What office is Mr. gallo unnig for? He is a politician of the extraordinaire- the typical Oakland type politico!

I love how he proudly dons the shirt of Lazear a school that has miseducated parents, and students for years! Politicized parents does NOT equal good school Mr. Gallo. They destroy.

By: Katy Murphy

Katy Murphy — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 23:07:44 +0000

Sankofa had 212 students on the 20th day of school, according to an enrollment spreadsheet I requested from OUSD.

By: Parent

Parent — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 23:02:34 +0000

Del,

How about the 8.8 million dollars OUSD is giving to Sankofa and it’s 140, non-neighborhood students to expand it’s location 2 blocks from Peralta and 5 blocks from Sante Fe to K-8? That’s just for starters.

By: del

del — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 19:15:22 +0000

That’s a classic comment by Spearman that explains why we’re in this mess. Basically, she’s saying “I know what I have to do but I’m not going to do it.” I’m glad Yee called Gallo on his consistent choice to do nothing but go where the political winds blow him.
I don’t think anyone WANTS to close schools… but where is the money to keep them open? What is plan b?

By: Special Education Parent

Special Education Parent — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 06:21:27 +0000

5 schools have been foreclosed tonight.

As the mother of a child with autism, I know intimately how difficult it can be for children to feel safe when they are uprooted. My hope tonight is that we hear this decision as a call to action. In our schools, about how carefully we attend to the most basic needs of children. Beyond, about how we will challenge those forces at the root of tonight’s decision.

Let’s get our children’s money back.

By: Special Education Parent

Special Education Parent — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 03:50:28 +0000

Burckhalter and Burbank were mentioned as growing or taking in other schools. Where is this district’s memory?! Burbank took in all of the Pre-k Special Ed programs after Tilden was closed and incorporated the diagnostic center. (This is only Burbank’s second year.) Burckhalter has Pre-k to 5 autism classrooms and also took many of the students from Tilden. To compound all of this, the closure of Marshall will eliminate a K to 5 line-up of Special Day classrooms. If the existence of these classrooms and programs is not mentioned and highlighted by the Board members and other District leaders, they do not represent my child or other children with Special Needs. Will those programs and students continue to be pushed out as has historically been the case?

It is difficult to view these Board proceedings tonight. Given my child’s challenges, I cannot always be present to speak out. I must place my faith on others to carry our voices where we cannot bring them ourselves. When I can, I will join my voice and actions to those of other families to carve out a decent and inclusive education for all children.