OUSD

Tell Our Governor

To Return Power

To OUR

School Board

We have a unique opportunity to have our locally elected School Board regain power over our school district here in Oakland! You can help by filing out and emailing/paper mailing back in the below letter urging the governor to sign AB45 (a bill that is about returning power to our school board). You can read more about the Bill HERE.

Simply copy and paste the "form" letter below, sign it - or fill it out - then you can email it to the Governor at this address hong.chang@gov.ca.gov.

Here's the Letter Format
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September 13, 2007

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, California 95814

Re: Please sign AB 45 – Support Democracy for Oakland Schools!

Dear Governor Schwarzenegger:

I am writing to urge you to sign AB 45, Assemblymember Swanson’s Oakland schools bill, into law. AB 45 will create a structured and orderly process for the return of local control to the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD). The District was placed into receivership in 2003, but has since been in a stalemate despite consistent academic improvements.

In the last three years, the District has diligently complied with mandated recovery plans. As a result, test scores have improved and controls over spending have been implemented. The school board itself has changed completely and is comprised of a majority of new trustees who were not on the Board at the time of the budget deficit.

I believe as part of our duty to guarantee quality education to our children, we must make sure that another lengthy stalemate is prevented. AB 45 achieves this objective by creating a structured and orderly process for returning operational authority to the OUSD while ensuring the continued financial solvency and academic improvement of the District.

Our schools should always be our greatest example of democracy and must support parental and community participation. Parents, students, and educators deserve a School Board that is accountable for educational decisions affecting all of OUSD. AB 45 will ensure that the Oakland School Board can be engaged as the District continues to move forward on its path to recovery.

I thank you in advance for your thorough review of AB 45, and urge your favorable consideration.

Sincerely,


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