IT'S WAR! The Fight To Stop School Closures In Oakland As Hundreds Rally and March

Hundreds of students, teachers, parents and community members rallied in Oakland, California and marched to the Oakland Unified School District headquarters to demand a halt to the proposed school closures.

They talked about these traumatic attacks for the children, their families, teachers and the community.

The school board had previously sent a letter to State School Superintendent Tony Thurmond to reject a letter from FCMAT that the school district make $90 million inn cuts or face a possible state take-over. The state with a $45.7 billion surplus 2022-2023 could easily end the debt of the school district but is pushing for more school closures. No charter schools are on the list to be closed and the State continues to approve more charter schools as public schools are shut down. The rampant spread of covid was also reported in the schools with sickness and death.

Schools scheduled to be closed include Prescott Elementary, Carl Munck Elementary, Parker K-8, Brookfield Elementary, Grass Valley Elementary and Community Day School by the end of 2023, the district recommended RISE Elementary merge with New Highland, Westlake merge with West Oakland Middle School and Ralph Bunche merge with Dewey high schools. In 2024 Horace Mann Elementary and Korematsu Discovery Academy are among the schools slated for closure plus a recommendation to merge Manzanita Community School with Fruitvale Elementary the same year.

Although the demands of FCMAT are taking place at SFUSD and CCSF there was no mention of this by the speakers at the rally and a call for united statewide action by all education teacher, students and parents.

Additionally ILWU Local 6 workers spoke out about their contract fight with California Waste Solutions during the rally and their failure to get a raise for years and no pension plan.

Additional media:
FCMAT— The State Enforcers
"FCMAT Requests Applications of Interest for County Trustee at Oakland Unified School District”.
https://www.fcmat.org/oakland

Privatizing Oakland Schools
https://blackagendareport.com/privatizing-oakland-schools

STOP FCMAT Attack On Oakland Public Schools! OEA, Community & Pols Oppose $90 M In Cuts By Thurmond
https://youtu.be/hVZYDPDXgJA

Oakland School District Faces Hostile Takeover by State Overseers Demo Tony Thurmond
https://www.postnewsgroup.com/school-district-faces-hostile-takeover-by-state-overseers/?fbclid=IwAR1TvYKog2a1S448BKEE1PZQWj531HBacFUcCkktG9nx1RJk8vXVGtIJzKw

Don't Balance Budget On Our Backs! UESF President Cassondra Curiel At Rally Against SFUSD Class Cuts
https://youtu.be/_nYVsTNxQCs

No Cuts In the Classes! Trusteeship Threatened As SF UESF Teachers & Students Protest At SFUSD HQ
https://youtu.be/p-zk1okKQXw

Demos, Billionaires & War On Teachers & Public Education From SFUSD To OUSD With Jack Gerson
https://youtu.be/u52tZhMIt7M

San Francisco School Board made harmful budget choices for students
https://www.sfexaminer.com/opinion/san-francisco-school-board-made-harmful-budget-choices-for-students/?fbclid=IwAR34cgzXCA5G77L_r8BxYd5XqoaM4XMbi9Wank11eZmXWsedH0fs-ypgPQc

‘A cruel austerity agenda is the antithesis of what our students and schools need’
https://www.sfexaminer.com/opinion/do-not-divest-from-direct-student-services-to-balance-s-f-school-budget/

They Don't Care About Our Safety! UESF Teachers/Students/Staff Protest Lack of Testing & Protection
https://youtu.be/sBSguJmsguI

My Working Conditions Are My Student's Living Conditions" SF UESF Teachers Caravan & Rally Protest
https://youtu.be/t6sgpNGHfpM

Production of Labor Video Project
http://www.labormedia.net