[News] Protesters arrested after sit-in at Oakland school district HQ

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Protesters arrested after sit-in at school district HQ

Six activists demand Ward's job, state control come to end

By Alex Katz, STAFF WRITER
http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_2592858
Inside Bay Area

OAKLAND ­ A group of six activists ­ including the son of a school board 
member and a City Council candidate ­ were arrested Tuesday after staging a 
sit-in and refusing to leave the office of Oakland schools State 
Administrator Randolph Ward.

The protesters demanded a meeting with Ward's boss in Sacramento, state 
Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell, and said they would 
not leave Ward's office until his staff set up the meeting. They told 
Oakland police that they intended to get arrested if their demand was not met.

"We're determined we're going to get a meeting with Jack O'Connell," said 
protester Kali Akuno, former director of the now-defunct School of Social 
Justice. "At this point we're just tired of the disrespect of the community."

The activists, encouraged by chant-ing from about 50 students demonstrating 
outside the building on Second Avenue, said they wanted to meet O'Connell 
to demand an end to Ward's job and to state control of the Oakland schools.

Ward's chief of staff, Woodrow Carter, told protesters that Ward was at a 
meeting in Piedmont on Tuesday afternoon and he pointed out that 
O'Connell's office is in Sacramento.

The activists said they had not tried to ask O'Connell's office for a meeting.

The state superintendent "has completely ignored our previous attempts" to 
set up a meeting, said protester Michael Siegel, son of school board member 
and mayoral candidate Dan Siegel.

O'Connell could not be reached for comment late Tuesday.

Ward has made dramatic and sometimes unpopular changes since he was 
appointed to run the Oakland schools in 2003, when the state took over the 
district after massive financial failures.

Tuesday's sit-in happened a week after Ward announced he might drop the 
district's adult education program. Activists also said they opposed 
Ward'sArrests end

sit-in at schools HQ

move to convert low-performing campuses into charter schools to comply with 
federal law.

The sit-in also came in the middle of negotiations between the district and 
teachers unions.

Ward was reached on his cell phone just as police started arresting the 
protesters.

"I hope they turn their passion into helping us fix schools," Ward said.

When asked if he wanted the protesters arrested, Ward said, "It seems to me 
they want to get arrested."

The protesters, including Oakland City Council candidate Pamela Drake, were 
handcuffed without incident by police and led out of district headquarters, 
where they were greeted by cheers from the several dozen students 
demonstrating outside.

A number of the students wore black bandanas across their faces or around 
their necks. Students and teachers kept up chants for at least an hour.

Also arrested were activists Anne Weills, an attorney, Micah Clatterbaugh 
and Linda Halpern, a longtime Oakland teacher. Oakland police said they 
would be cited for trespassing on school property and released.








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