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Press Advisory<br>
March 7, 2005 2:45 p.m.<br>
<br>
Local Educator Tackled After Asking Jack O'Connell to<br>
Visit Oakland<br><br>
Two of the Recently-Arrested "Oakland Six" Visited SF<br>
Press Conference to Issue Request to Schools Chief<br>
<br>
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF. At 9:45 A.M. today at a press<br>
conference celebrating a $14 million grant to a San<br>
Francisco charter school, Oakland educator Michael<br>
Siegel was tackled by the personal security guard of<br>
State Superintendent Jack O'Connell when he persisted<br>
in asking the state education leader to schedule an<br>
immediate meeting with Oakland community members. "I<br>
was blind-sided," Siegel explained. "I did not<br>
anticipate experiencing physical violence in response<br>
to a simple question."<br>
<br>
The press conference at City Arts & Tech (CAT) charter<br>
high school was organized by Superintendent O'Connell<br>
to announce that $14 million dollars in facility funds<br>
will be given to CAT High, which currently serves 110<br>
students. After speeches by school officials,<br>
students, school board members, and Superintendent<br>
O'Connell, Siegel rose for his comment: "Mr.<br>
O'Connell, thank you for your support of these<br>
students and this school. I am from Oakland, where<br>
you are currently in control of our entire district of<br>
over 40,000 students. When will you come to meet with<br>
us to learn how we feel about our schools?"<br>
<br>
As Siegel was talking, he was grabbed from behind by<br>
the personal security guard of Jack O'Connell and<br>
wrestled from the room. The officer (who identified<br>
himself as "Officer Pritchard" stated that by removing<br>
Siegel he was ensuring that no person attempted to<br>
harm -- or disrupted the business of -- the State<br>
Superintendent of Public Instruction.<br>
<br>
Siegel, an Oakland-based educator and activist against<br>
the state takeover of the Oakland schools, has not<br>
decided whether to pursue legal action against the<br>
State Superintendent. He read about the press<br>
conference on O'Connell's website and attended the<br>
event with Pamela Drake, an adult education teacher<br>
and candidate for Oakland City Council. Both Drake<br>
and Siegel were arrested at the Oakland school<br>
district headquarters on March 1st for refusing to<br>
leave until a meeting with O'Connell was scheduled.<br>
<br>
"I believe it is critical that the Oakland community<br>
continue to demand a meeting with the man who<br>
currently controls the educational services provided<br>
to 40,000 of our children and youth and thousands more<br>
of our adults," says Siegel. "I also believe that
the<br>
state should not resort to violence when we make these<br>
statements, but should instead respect our concerns<br>
and do their best to serve the Oakland community."<br>
<br>
Michael Siegel can be reached at (510) 289-3318 or via<br>
email at michaeljwsiegel@aol.com. See the attached<br>
letter for more information on the Oakland<br>
coalition's demands for Superintendent O'Connell.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Text from letter presented to Jack O'Connell on March<br>
7, 2005<br>
<br>
March 7, 2005<br>
<br>
Jack O'Connell<br>
Superintendent of Public Instruction<br>
California Department of Education<br>
1430 N Street<br>
Sacramento, California 95814<br>
<br>
Dear Superintendent O'Connell,<br>
<br>
On behalf of students, parents, educators, school<br>
staff, concerned community members, and thousands of<br>
Oakland voters, we hereby request that during the<br>
month of March you meet with a diverse group of<br>
Oakland residents to discuss the current state of the<br>
Oakland public schools. <br>
<br>
We feel that your appointee, Dr. Randolph Ward, has<br>
made decisions that jeopardize the academic success of<br>
our student population as well as the long-term<br>
financial health of our district. We are very<br>
concerned that, nearly eighteen months after Dr. Ward<br>
took control of the Oakland Unified School District,<br>
he has still not produced a fiscal recovery plan. <br>
Without such a plan in place, we demand that you<br>
immediately cease to close schools, convert existing<br>
sites to charter schools, or lay-off any additional<br>
workers.<br>
<br>
As our elected representative, we believe that it is<br>
your duty to meet with your constituents, especially<br>
when the education of nearly 40,000 children and<br>
youth, as well as thousands of adult students, is at<br>
stake.<br>
<br>
Please announce as soon as possible your intentions on<br>
this issue. We will gather signatures on this letter<br>
until we hear your position.<br>
<br>
Sincerely,<br>
<br>
(Signed by Kali Akuno, Michael Siegel and Pamela<br>
Drake)<br>
<br>
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