Editor’s Note: The following paragraphs are excerpted from an article by Ashley McBride, published in Oaklandside.org on June 1, about the hotly contested Oakland School Board’s decision to close Parker Elementary School in Oakland, California. Two Oakland Unified schools will close this year and next year, five more schools will permanently close. See the full article at https://oaklandside.org/2022/06/01/parker-elementary-occupation-protest-oakland-school-closures/
“When a group of moms found out four months ago that their children’s school would be permanently closed at the end of the year, they made a promise to each other: They would try everything in their power to keep Parker, a 96-year-old East Oakland school, operating.
“On the last day of school, May 25, Parker promoted its final eighth and fifth-grade classes during emotional ceremonies.
“It was supposed to be one of the happiest times for these kids. And instead of watching them walk that stage happily, we watched them cry, hang on to their friends, and not want to leave the school,” said Azlinah Tambu, a mom of two Parker students. “So me, a group of mothers, children, and community members decided to stay after graduation and not leave.
“The group of about half a dozen families has occupied Parker since then, and doesn’t have plans to leave unless Oakland Unified School District reverses its decision to close the school. Other community leaders, neighbors, and education advocates stop by to take shifts for supervision and security, or to drop off donations . . .”
Please read the full article at https://oaklandside.org/2022/06/01/parker-elementary-occupation-protest-oakland-school-closures/
Ashley McBride reports on education equity for The Oaklandside. She covered the 2019 Oakland Unified School District teachers’ strike as a breaking news reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle. More recently, she was an education reporter for the San Antonio Express-News where she covered several local school districts, charter schools, and the community college system. McBride earned her master’s degree in journalism from Syracuse University, has held positions at the Palm Beach Post and the Poynter Institute, and is a recent Hearst Journalism Fellow.
