photo credit: Joe Brusky

It is hard to find anybody in Oakland who isn’t standing firmly behind our teachers’ demands for a living wage, smaller class sizes, and more counselors and nurses. Tens of thousands of Oaklanders have joined picket lines, rallied downtown, and marched through the streets for the schools Oakland students deserve.

However, one person we haven’t heard from is District 1 Board Director Jody London.

In fact, the community’s support for OEA’s demands are totally contrary to Director London’s support for a plan to close Kaiser Elementary School and 23 other Oakland schools – most of which are in Black and Brown communities – and which history demonstrates will result in even more charter schools – which already cost OUSD $57 million per year!

As our school board member, we need to know which side Jody London is on. Parents, students and teachers, or the billionaires pushing to close and privatize our schools? It is time that Oakland teachers and students came back to their classrooms, and the sooner that Jody London takes a firm position in support of our teachers, the sooner that will happen.

Call Director London (510-879-2161), comment on her Facebook page, and email her (jody.london@ousd.org)  to ask her to immediately take a firm public position in support of our teachers and help get our students back in school. The community has spoken, now it is Jody London’s turn.