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School’s future is Certain. <br><br>
There is nothing up in the air about the future of the<br>
School of Social Justice and Community Development.<br>
The fact is that the school, as a new small autonomous<br>
school’s project, is over. What Alex Katz glaringly<br>
omitted in his conservative track against the school (see Oakland Tribune
article below)<br>
is that Dr. Ward and his administrative staff forced<br>
the staff, students, and parents out. He forced us out<br>
by blatantly denying us our autonomy. He forced us out<br>
by continually blocking the completion of what was<br>
supposed to be the schools permanent site. He forced<br>
us out by not providing security for the school after<br>
it was robbed over twelve times (the district has<br>
since installed a gate lock and secret camera’s to<br>
<b>control and monitor the staff’s behavior</b> as they attempt<br>
to close down the school. This after it repeatedly<br>
denied doing so upon our request to stop the<br>
robberies). He forced us out by not providing us with<br>
the infrastructure and services to actually operate as<br>
a real school within OUSD; these being simple things<br>
like connection to the districts internet services and<br>
lunch. He forced us out by making us wade through<br>
human excrement and clean our own campus for a year.<br>
And rather than resolving to improve the situation<br>
next year, he and his staff were intent on making this<br>
deplorable situation worse by denying us a freshman<br>
class and attempting to turn us into a Continuation<br>
School. This is beyond what anyone should have had to<br>
endure, particularly our students. We tried to be<br>
patient, we work with Dr. Ward and his staff, and we<br>
tried to stay his wrath. But, to no avail. So, rather<br>
than allow ourselves to continue being so blatantly<br>
disrespected, we, the founders of the School of Social<br>
Justice and Community Development, decided to leave<br>
OUSD and the dictatorship of Dr. Ward with dignity. We<br>
did not abandon ship as Katz implies. Some of us are<br>
presently attempting to reorganize the school as a<br>
Charter school so that we can exercise the autonomy<br>
Ward stripped from us and continue providing a<br>
relevant education for our students (legal counsel is<br>
presently being attained to ensure that Dr. Ward and<br>
OUSD can’t continue using the School of Social Justice<br>
and Community Development name for any of its projects<br>
and activities). Most importantly, some of us are<br>
determined to fight Dr. Ward, fight the state<br>
occupation of OUSD, and restore local democratic<br>
control over our children’s education. Alex Katz would<br>
do well to get the story straight, report the facts,<br>
and not impart his own biased slant over these<br>
critical issues.<br><br>
Kali Akuno<br>
Director, School of Social Justice and Community<br>
Development. <br>
Tuesday, June 29, 2004 <br><br>
<br>
<b>School's future up in the air <br>
</b>Founding teachers at the experimental social justice institute <br>
are leaving after two difficult years <br><br>
<br>
<b>By Alex Katz<br>
STAFF WRITER</b> <br><br>
<b>Monday, June 28, 2004</b> - OAKLAND -- After two turbulent years,
founding teachers at Oakland's School of Social Justice are jumping ship,
leaving the future of the small, politically minded high school
uncertain. <br><br>
The school's first commencement this month -- featuring Aztec dancers and
a taped address by convicted murderer and activist Mumia Abu-Jamal -- was
more of a celebration than a regular graduation ceremony. <br><br>
But most of the school's founders also were lamenting the end of their
involvement with the ambitious project they started two years ago.
<br><br>
After a difficult academic year and more than a few conflicts with the
Oakland school district, "I think each person made his own decision
(to leave) for very different reasons," former principal and founder
Linda Halpern said. "I think there is a sense of just being
overwhelmed by the task." <br><br>
District officials say the School of Social Justice will open in the fall
with new teachers and fewer students, and there is some talk of turning
the program into a continuation school. <br><br>
But whether the school keeps its commitment to radical politics -- or
stays open after the upcoming school year -- remains to be seen.
<br><br>
A group of teachers and activists started the school to serve students
who had dropped out, <br><br>
were on probation or just wanted a more political curriculum. <br><br>
Halpern said the school managed to attract a lot of students who would
have dropped out of other schools. But even a small, more personal
program couldn't stop some students from dropping out or ending up in the
criminal justice system, said Halpern, a veteran Oakland teacher who
plans to return to the classroom in the fall. <br><br>
The school of about 130 students has regular mathematics and humanities
courses, as well as an alternative curriculum including urban planning,
anti-war rallies, hip hop poetry and a class called "Pa'lante,"
which covers police brutality, Palestinian issues and "the
injustices of our condition," one student said. <br><br>
Student Jessica Haynes said she was attracted to the school's focus on
oppression and the African-American community. <br><br>
"We get to learn our real history, not history out of American
history textbooks," Haynes said. <br><br>
For a while, the school rented space from the Allen Temple Baptist Church
in East Oakland. But the school was evicted after clashes with the church
over rules and student behavior. <br><br>
The district has been building a campus for the school in back of
Castlemont High in East Oakland. But construction is behind schedule, and
the campus suffered from spotty electricity, sewage leaks and other
problems this year, teachers said. <br><br>
Halpern said the campus was not hooked up to the Internet or the
district's attendance system. There were even problems with the delivery
of lunches, she said. <br><br>
Also, the school was burglarized on a regular basis last semester, and
thieves made off with everything from computers to cleaning supplies.
<br><br>
The district "just ignored us the whole time," school founder
Kali Akuno said. <br><br>
Akuno said his run with the school ended after the district decided to
appoint a new principal and open the school in the fall without any new
ninth graders. <br><br>
"I know our students are fleeing and trying to find other places to
go," Halpern said. "If the staff as they know it no longer
exists, it's no longer (their) school." <br><br>
Although oppression was a big subject in the curriculum, the school
"was not creating a sense of being victims or being
victimized," Halpern said. <br><br>
Instead, students learned about the sometimes ugly reality of American
history, and about empowering themselves to change it, she said.
<br><br>
"I think we are what the country needs," Halpern said.
"But I also think the country is not ready for us yet."
<br><br>
<br>
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