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The police elimination resolution is first on tonight's agenda. Here's what happened two weeks ago when it was the last item. #oakedu https://twitter.com/ashleynmcb/status/1270886586687913985
Board president London: The district is entering negotiations and discussions with unions that rep police department positions (chief, sergeants, officers, security officers) that will result in new roles to cultivate a positive culture and climate. #oakedu
Board director Roseann Torres, who co-sponsored the legislation, emphasizing that this is just the first step. The development of a new safety plan is key.
"What’s about to go down in the safety plan is really safety around mental health of students and racial and implicit bias"
"What’s about to go down in the safety plan is really safety around mental health of students and racial and implicit bias"
Superintendent Kyla Johnson-Trammell: Police in schools are ultimately a symptom of a much larger issue. If we’re going to make progress, it’s not enough to merely remove the symptom. We have to transform the underlying conditions in the school system. #oakedu
Moving to public comment now. The @BlackOrgProject, which has been working for years to reach this point, will have five minutes. Then public comment opens for everyone else. https://oaklandside.org/2020/06/05/a-nine-year-campaign-to-end-oakland-school-police-may-finally-work/
Jackie Byers, executive director of @BlackOrgProject: This is a historic moment. Letting go of the law enforcement that has oppressed our communities for centuries is important. That’s why it’s taken us 10 years to do this.
All public comments so far have been in support of the resolution. Many are demanding that the police department officers have no role in discussions about safety going forward.
Board comment time. Director Harris:
Thank you to all the young people that got a middle-aged guy to believe in the possibility that safety could be looked at differently. I thank George Floyd for his life.
#oakedu
Thank you to all the young people that got a middle-aged guy to believe in the possibility that safety could be looked at differently. I thank George Floyd for his life.
#oakedu
Director Gary Yee brings up former superintendent Marcus Foster, who was assassinated in 1973: It doesn’t go without mentioning that the safety of our superintendent and her wellness and possibility to continue this important leadership work should be paramount in anything we do.
Director Aimee Eng, with a squealing baby on her lap, said she wanted her son to be a part of this historic moment:
Dir. Hinton-Hodge, who has been opposed to cutting the police department, supports the motion but will introduce amendments later.
Hinton Hodge: "This resolution should reform not only policing and security but reform what happens inside a classroom and inside our schools. Criminalization starts in those spaces when people call the police on young people."
#oakedu
#oakedu
Director Hinton-Hodge's amendments. #oakedu
Oops here's one more. These were not included in the docs provided ahead of the meeting.
Hinton-Hodge: My very big concern is if we don’t have race parity or race equity, we might very well replicate the system we have now, with 50% non-black/brown folks teaching our students.
Hinton-Hodge: My very big concern is if we don’t have race parity or race equity, we might very well replicate the system we have now, with 50% non-black/brown folks teaching our students.
Director Torres, who made the motion, rejects the amendments. #oakedu
Director London seconds the amendments, which means the board will vote on them. If Torres had accepted, they'd be accepted without a vote (I think).
Torres thinks the amendments deserve to be a resolution on their own and that some of the amendments relate to district staff work, not board responsibilities. #oakedu
Director Gonzales: We should take these ideas and refer them to the committee that BOP will be part of, teachers and principals will be part of. These are some of the first suggestions or ideas and allow that committee to take them up, flesh them out.
Student director Denilson Garibo: It’s disrespectful to put updates to the resolution that community worked on. Let’s leave the resolution as it already is.
The amendments fail, 7-2. Hinton-Hodge and London voted for them.
Then, a modified amendment (see below) proposed by Director Eng is accepted by Director Torres.
Then, a modified amendment (see below) proposed by Director Eng is accepted by Director Torres.
The George Floyd Resolution to Eliminate the Oakland Schools Police Department passes unanimously. #oakedu
Later tonight, the board will discuss how those laid off officers could be re-hired in different positions. #oakedu
. @BlackOrgProject member Jessica Black: Let’s not make this next process have to be 10 yrs where you don’t listen to community. It should never take for the world to come to an uprising when you have your own community talking to you for yrs at the podium in the school board mtg.
This reflects what I've heard from students about the SSOs: that the security officers look like them and come from their neighborhoods. They want to see these officers return in a different type of position. https://twitter.com/johnbaldo/status/1275988672018440192
