Parental Dissenters Given Warning By Oakland School District

The following posting from Oakland North and dated today, reveals a depth of depravity embodied by the Oakland Unified School District that is enough for the Tattler to forgive its 'Emeryville only' news policy.  It should be noted that Oakland's School Board, under the thrall of its Superintendent Tony Smith, formerly Emeryville's superintendent, is philosophically aligned with Emeryville's School Board.  This alignment is under-girded by the rubric of educational entrepreneurism with its laying off of teachers, cutting educational programs, wiping out public schools while setting up charter schools, and a top down metric with a reliance on private contractors spouting the need for this kind of radical rethinking.  This story of the Oakland Unified School District, a Galactic Empire with its Supreme Commander crushing parental dissenters, is a harbinger of how such a protest would likely play out here in Emeryville.


The absurd irony of peaceful protesters being warned about 'interfering with the good order' of a school the District has recently closed down is probably lost on the Oakland Unified School District.  If Oakland history is to be a guide, next will come the truncheons, pepper spray and concussion grenades as they drag anyone left off to jail. 

The following is what happens to parents and citizens who dissent  in Oakland:


Lakeview Elementary School encampment protesters given warning notice

A photo of the notice posted by the Oakland Police Department Monday morning. Photo courtesy of the protest group.

By: Yirmeyah Beckles | June 18, 2012 – 12:29 pm

More stories about Oakland school closures

• Concerned citizens protest school closures at OUSD board meeting
• At Oakland schools on the closure list, distraught pleas to reconsider
• Students and parents seek to stop school closure
• Outraged parents confront OUSD board over school closures
• OUSD school closures vote Wed follows years of creating small schools, then having to pay for them
• At OUSD school board meeting, parents and students rallied against proposed school closures
• OUSD meeting turns into emotional protest
• Oakland parents, teachers march to protest school closures
• Oakland parents on school closures: Where do we go?
• Reacting to closures, 3 Oakland public schools ask to become charters
• Parents to march to school board meeting, petition for recall of 5 board members
• Parents build tent city at Lakeview Elementary with help from Occupy Oakland protesters
• Lakeview Elementary School encampment protesters given warning notice

Protesters at an encampment that has Protesters at an encampment that has been growing for the last four days at Lakeview Elementary School, just off Grande Avenue, have been served with notices from the Oakland Unified School District to leave the school immediately and not return for 30 days. The notices were distributed Monday morning by Oakland Police Department officers who posted them over the outside gate of the school, the outer grounds and the school building.

The notice reads: “Safety, healthy and supportive schools require good order and peaceful conduct. Willful interference with the good order of a school is a misdemeanor. You are interfering with the good order and peaceful conduct of this school. You are directed to leave this school immediately and you may not return for 30 days. WARNING: if you return during the period you have been directed to stay away or if you violate this Notice, you are guilty of a crime under California Penal Code Sections 626.8, and you will be arrested.”

Parents, teachers and community activists have relied on the help of Occupy Oakland protesters to build their tent city and supply food for the crowd of approximately 30 peoplewho have been camping there since the protest began on Friday, June 15. The encampment is an effort to keep open five elementary schools—Lakeview, Lazear, Marshall, Maxwell and Sante Fe—that OUSD board members voted to close at the end of this school year. By Sunday, there were approximately nine tents set up by protesters on the school’s grounds. The group held a rally on Saturday that drew over 100 people. Read more about the weekend’s events here.

Teachers are holding garden activities with kids at Lakeview Elementary despite being served a notice to leave the grounds. Photo courtesy of the protest group.

So far the Lakeview protesters have not heeded the warning notice. According to an Alima Catellacci, an afterschool teacher at Lazear Elementary, teachers have opened the school’s doors and are holding classes inside the building with a curriculum that focuses on social justice issues. There are plans for children’s activities throughout the day that includes arts, sports and gardening.

As 12:15 p.m. no police enforcement was present on the campus, according to Catellacci. The protesters plans on having another rally in front of the school Monday at 4 p.m.

You can see Oakland North’s complete coverage of Occupy Oakland here. 

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