Call-in to demand that state superintendent meet with oakland parents

Bay Area Parent Leadership Action Network (PLAN) is a BAIRC member working on
education equity. Join them in demanding that State Superintendent Jack O'Connell
meet with parents in Oakland.

Call-in Day for Education Equity - Thursday, December 6, 2007
On December 6th, call Superintendent Jack O' Connell:
(916) 319-0800

Tell Jack O' Connell, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, to meet and listen
to the voices of Bay Area Parents!
Background:

* On October 20th, PLAN hosted a Parent Action Forum on the Achievement Gap,
Community Violence and Racial Justice. Over 75 parents and community members came
together. We invited Jack O' Connell but he declined.
* On November 13-14, O'Connell hosted an Achievement Gap Summit in Sacramento,
but with a cost of $50 and no scholarships provided, the event was inaccessible to
most parents.
* On November 13th, we sent Jack O' Connell 150 signed postcards which asked O'
Connell to meet with us in parent-accessible environment. It's been a month and
they still have not given us an answer.
* On December 4th, O' Connell made surprise visit to Oakland to speak at a press
conference, announcing partial return of Local Control to Oakland School Board.
Despite our demand to meet with him in the Bay Area, PLAN was not approached for a
meeting.

This is not acceptable!
We want Superintendent Jack O' Connell to come and meet with Bay Area parent and
community members to discuss solutions to the academic achievement gap now!

Take Action! All it takes is one minute!
Sample Script:
"My name is [your name] and I'm calling as a part of the Bay Area Parent Leadership
Action Network Call-in Day. I am a [parent, voter, resident] in [city], and I
represent [my organization, other parents like me]. I am calling to ask
Superintendent Jack O' Connell to commit to a Bay Area meeting with a PLAN parent
delegation by January 1, 2008 to hear parents' ideas on what is needed to resolve
the state's racial Achievement Gap.

Additional Talking points:

Parents want to meet with Superintendent O'Connell to discuss policies to:

* Implement a new strength-based school model that incorporates community and
culture as an essential component to our children's academic success
* Encourage and support more parental involvement and leadership development,
especially among parents of color
* Create better ways to measure student success (not just high-stakes testing)
* Discuss the need for teacher training and classroom support, especially
regarding how to work with California's diverse students
* Expand funding for public education and distribute existing funds more equitably.
*PLAN's 2007 Fall Parent Action Forum identified these as priority issues for
Educational Equity*
Please respond to Michelle Matos at
michelle [at] parentactionnet.org to let PLAN know
that you have participated.



-------------------------
Larisa Casillas
Director
Bay Area Immigrant Rights Coalition (BAIRC)
310 - 8th Street #303
Oakland, CA 94607

510.839.7598 (phone)
510.465.1885 (fax)
http://www.immigrantrights.org