Vote No on Measure E in Oakland

VOTE NO ON MEASURE E (An E-mail to forward is below)
I think the following is a difficult, but necessary
position for us to take as a community. It is
sometimes necessary for us to make sacrifices as we
speak out for justice. Teachers striking in Oakland
led to smaller classes throughout the state and on
Tuesday I feel we should vote NO ON MEASURE E to send
a message that we will not let our elementary schools
be closed down and our District be hostilely taken
over. This was a difficult position for me to come
to, but I feel a necessary one.

FORWARD WIDELY!
From SaveOaklandFive [at] aol.com (the Coalition Against
School Closures)

Vote No on Measure E
Oakland needs to accountability, clarity and community
voice before we commit ourselves to a new parcel tax
for the Oakland schools.

Why We Must Oppose Measure E

Although most agree that Oakland schools need more
funding, this parcel tax is not right for Oakland's
needs right now. Measure E was put on the ballot by
State Administrator Randolph Ward, and the failures of
the measure reflect the failures of his leadership in
Oakland. Here are the reasons why:

1. The State Administrator is not accountable to
anyone in Oakland.

Dr. Ward's recent decision to close five Oakland
schools without due process, clear criteria or
community input highlights his attitude: he is here to
save money, period, regardless of the consequences for
children and education. Even though Measure E calls
for a "community advisory committee," Dr. Ward will be
the only person with the authority to determine how
the money is spent. One example of Dr. Ward's current
practice is a proposed budget that includes $13
million for various economic reserves (far beyond the
required amount) and only $4.5 million to pay off the
District's debt.

2. The first need for Oakland's schools is to end the
state takeover.

Ask just about any educator in Oakland's public
schools right now, and they will tell you that Dr.
Ward's administration has brought morale to an
all-time low. Families and educators are leaving the
district, principals are afraid to take any innovative
action for fear of losing their jobs, and community
organizations are unable to collaborate with school
sites due to countless new rules and restrictions. In
order for Oakland to maintain a viable school
district, we will need to end the flight of students
from the district by regaining local control and the
already-existing momentum for education reform.

3. Measure E, as currently written, may cause more
divisions at school sites

Read the fine print: Measure E, as proposed, will not
fund teacher salary increases, but rather "bonuses and
incentives." Which means: extra money for teachers
who produce high test scores, which means extra
tension at school sites over issues like class
rosters, grade level assignments and more ("I'm not
going to have Daniel in my class - there is no way his
scores can go up.") Of course, since the parcel tax
is non-binding, Dr. Ward would not have to direct any
money to teachers, if he so chose.

4. We can rewrite the measure for the November ballot

If the community so decides, we can rewrite the
measure to include requirements for community input
and clearly articulated funding (for example, $6
million to pay off the bond and reduce the state
takeover by three years).

5. This is a referendum on the State Administrator

Simply put, a "no" vote on Measure E is a vote of no
confidence in the State Administrator and the role of
the State Education office in the Oakland schools. We
must not compromise our most critical issue: Oakland
needs community control over its schools!

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