LA Protest Shuts Down FCMAT Meeting:Protesters Say Stop Closures, Charters/Privatization

Dozens of parents, students, teachers and public education advocate from around the state rallied and spoke out at the meeting of FCMAT Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team (FCMAT) in Downey at the Los Angeles County Board of Education. They were from the Ingelwood School District and the Oakland Unified school district.

FCMAT is a “non-profit” funded by the State of California which they said had been used as a tool to destroy public schools in Black and Brown working class communities while expanding charters. The FCMAT tried to keep the community and labor members out but were forced allowed them to speak and later were forced too adjourn the meeting after speaker demanded answers. The FCMAT board is made up mostly of superintendents from rural white districts and also charter representatives. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond has backed FCMAT allowing to push forward with the closure of 11 schools in Oakland and around the state.

Participants called for the shutdown of the state funded agency and full funding for public schools in California.

This was the first protest against FCMAT which usually is able to operate without public oversight. The UTLA, OEA, SEIU, CTA, CFT and other education unions in the State have been completely silent about this union busting "non-profit" funded by the Democratic legislature and Governor.

The action was supported by Oakland Not For Sale, Schools & Labor Against Privatization SLAP, We Are F.R.E.E. Inglewood, Real Moms Of Magnolia Street Resident of Oakland, HEAT, Higher Education Action Team HEAT, United Front Committee For A Labor Party UFLCP and Inglewood Rising.

This action took place on 9/21/22

Additional Media:
Connecting The Dots On Privatization of Community Colleges, Port & Public Services With Non-Profits
https://youtu.be/9nxL0zKuu7I

Privatization of The Port, Community Colleges & K-12 Education: SLAP Education Conference Part 3
https://youtu.be/OHRrDuvhi7w

Shut It Down! OEA Strikes & ILWU Shuts Docks In Fight Against Privatization & Union Busting
https://youtu.be/a4ozf6qiQSw

East Bay Trade Unionists Oppose Port Privatization of Howard Terminal For Billionaire GAP A's Stadium
https://youtu.be/X7BOde5wq_E

No Shutdown! Oakland La Esquelita School Meeting On Closures, ,Charters, OEA & Fisher's Stadium
https://youtu.be/bmS3D---_Os

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

Oakland ILWU & OEA, Students & Community Rally To Stop Privatization & Union Busting From The Port To The Schools!
https://youtu.be/-s2iGYDfUAs

Additional Information:

Attack on CCSF By FCMAT
https://beyondchron.org/errors-exaggerations-and-bias-in-the-fcmat-report-on-ccsf/

History Of FCMAT In Oakland
https://tultican.com/2022/05/28/fcmat-californias-unaccountable-political-player/

FCMAT Take-over
https://www.postnewsgroup.com/teachers-union-president-opposes-county-fcmat-takeover-of-oakland-schools/

Austerity Ordered By FCMAT
https://www.postnewsgroup.com/state-fiscal-austerity-agency-says-11-school-districts-face-similar-fate-as-ousd/

FCMAT Privatization Agenda In Oakland
https://www.fcmat.org/oakland

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