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by JR Valrey, the People’s Minister of Information
Progressive Oakland School Board Member VanCedric Williams is helping to pilot the ship of the Oakland School Board at a historic time on proverbial troubled seas. The ‘22-’23 school year was the first full school year since the pandemic lockdowns, which started in March ‘20. Student academics and mental health suffered tremendously as going to school took the form of looking at a tablet or computer day-in and day-out and learning without human interaction or physical exercise.
The teachers in the Oakland Unified School district continue to be some of the worst paid teachers in the Bay Area and the teacher’s union is threatening to strike if they don’t get a raise. Also, OUSD is facing a teacher shortage.
On top of all of that, the charter school movement seems to be getting stronger every year, with students leaving the public school system for charter schools run by corporations and nonprofits that are not beholden to a public, transparent and democratic process like the Oakland Unified School District. And McClymonds High and the surrounding West Oakland community still have lead in their drinking water. Nothing has been done about it, except now it is being monitored.
Oakland School Board member VanCedric Williams and I had a candid conversation about the state of public education in the Oakland public schools, three years after the government-declared pandemic lockdowns.
JR Valrey: How do you feel the Oakland Unified School District did, now that the first full year of school since the pandemic is coming to a close?
VanCedric Williams: The pandemic is not over, we’re still dealing with the long-term effects of the pandemic. Everyone in the Town has been exposed to inequitable conditions our families faced during the pandemic. We see more unhoused families earning low wages just trying to survive even though the Bay Area is one of the wealthiest places in California. That means we have more students facing those same challenges as well.
Even though the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) managed to provide families with the necessary food daily, internet hot spots and laptops for students to offer online learning and partnered with community stakeholders through the pandemic, I can tell you it is not over. Our state has a teacher shortage and our district educators are the lowest paid in the Bay Area.
Our educators can barely afford to live in the Bay Area; some drive from Modesto and Manteca, rent out garages, live with other families and some live in their cars. We have a fundamental problem right here. We depend on these educators to educate our kids, and they can’t afford to live in the Town. I believe that creates ripple effects because other districts surpass us in paying teachers what they are worth and we will continue to lose our teachers to those districts creating more vacancies. That isn’t good for our children or the communities we serve. We must pay teachers more!
I’ve advocated for the board to be more responsive to students and families. Develop support systems for Black students, foster youth, unhoused students and special education students. Fight with the district to upgrade the maintenance, install more security cameras and clean our school facilities. I can’t do it by myself. The community must use its voice to push our superintendent, the board president and other board members to support our students, educators and families. We can no longer afford our school district’s anti-families and community refrain. Our students need more, not less, and the community must hold OUSD accountable.
JR Valrey: Now that all the extra funding for Covid is drying up due to the end of the pandemic, how is OUSD preparing for this coming shortfall in funding?
VanCedric Williams: Yes, the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER funds) was passed by President Biden as one of the most significant investments ever for public schools. Oakland Unified School District received $280 million. It helped us obtain critical Covid testing for our students, staff and community. We were able to stabilize staff levels, target academic services for our students, invest in mental health, obtain work stipends for educators, and address facilities needs. We have two years left and I’m pushing the board to focus more on security and safety at our school sites, student intervention and school violence prevention.
Recently, Gov. Newsom invested $4.1 billion in public schools through a Community Schools grant initiative to transform our public schools, and Oakland received $60 million. We have an opportunity to reimage how schools serve their communities by lowering absenteeism rates and targeting higher graduation rates, with an integrated focus on academics, health, social services, leadership and community engagement to improve student learning, strong families and healthier communities.
JR Valrey: OUSD teachers have been striking; what is the problem the board sees with getting these severely overworked teachers a pay raise?
VanCedric Williams: OUSD teachers have been the least-paid teachers in the Bay Area for 20 years. The board directed the superintendent to address the severe OUSD teacher shortage and has yet to prioritize either our educators or para-educators. Living in Oakland requires a wage increase and we have the resources to make that happen for our educators.
JR Valrey: Two years ago, there was a huge movement in Oakland surrounding keeping schools in Black and Brown inner-city communities open. You and board member Mike Hutchinson were very vocal. Now that Hutchinson is president of the board, where is the board on this issue?
VanCedric Williams: So many folx are building a community movement to push back against school closures. Our families, students and labor partners were all involved. Carol Fife, Parker Elementary moms (Azlinah and Rochelle), educators Moses and Mx. Andre San-Chez for putting their bodies on the line, Asm. Mia Bonta for AB1912 and so many Oakland families. The struggle is real; many families leave the district because they don’t feel their children are supported, acknowledged or treated fairly. This movement against school closure galvanized those families to say enough is enough. They elected two new board members to represent them on a community platform.
The onus is on us to hold our leaders accountable and to bring in the voices of educators, our students and the community. Our new board is committed to a community-driven process that involves students, their families and community stakeholders in future decisions. We call that a real Community Schools model.
JR Valrey: As the board member over the West Oakland schools, you must have a special interest in cleaning up the lead-laced water at McClymonds High. What has the board done about it?
VanCedric Williams: As a board member, I have continued to advocate for replacing drinking water pipes at McClymonds. I’ve been working with parents and the community to force our facilities department to do more. In addition, McClymonds has been in the early stages of Measure Y Renovation and hosting monthly community meetings. The West Oakland Community is invited to join the visioning discussion on May 2.
Lastly, until we have a policy called BP3511.3 for clean drinking water quarterly testing, we must continue to ask questions and hold the district accountable to ensure our schools are safe, clean and joyful.
JR Valrey: Since your tenure on the Oakland School board, what have you been able to accomplish on behalf of Oakland students?
VanCedric Williams: Great question. Here are a few things: I will always push back against school closure. I was the only board member who voted against the superintendent raise. I approved workforce housing, added parent and student advisory reports to board meetings, supported Urban Garden projects with Common Vision, funded additional support for our foster youth and unhoused students, approved facilities renovations for schools in District 3, increased program offering and enrollment at our District 3 elementary and middle schools, and lastly partnering with labor to increase custodian and culture keeper salary. I am still working because there is still so much to do for our young people, educators and community.
JR Valrey: Do you have any community events, meetings or campaigns coming up that people can be a part of?
VanCedric Williams: I will be hosting a couple of town halls. Go to my social media for more information. Chess Makers meet every third Wednesday 4 to 6 p.m. at the West Oakland Library.
JR Valrey: How do people keep up with what your office is doing online?
VanCedric Williams: Folx can keep up with me on Facebook/VanCedricforousd, Instagram/VanCedricfor OUS, Twitter VanCedric Williams for OUSD/ @OusdVan. Thank you and I appreciate you.
JR Valrey, journalist, author, filmmaker and founder of Black New World Media, heads the SF Bay View’s Oakland Bureau and is founder of his latest project, the Ministry of Information Podcast. He can be reached at blockreportradio@gmail.com and on Instagram.
