Oakland public school officials are asking parents not to bring their children to school on Friday, as teachers in the city say they are moving forward with a one-day strike protesting the district's plan to close, merge or downsize nearly a dozen schools over the next two years.
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Kyla Johnson-Trammell, the Oakland Unified School District superintendent, wrote in a letter to parents on Tuesday morning that they shouldn't send their children to school on Friday because of anticipated staffing issues.
Johnson-Trammell said the anticipated strike is illegal because it's not over a health and safety dispute or a contract, and the district previously threatened to sue.
Oakland Education Association officials on Tuesday said more than 75% of its members approved the walkout, characterizing it as a last resort during a press conference.
"We've done every single thing that we can think of to express just how harmful these closures are," Oakland Education Association Vice President Kampala Taiz-Rancifer said.
The 11 schools that will close, merge or downsize over the next two years have student bodies that are, on average, 78% Black or Hispanic, according to Oakland Unified data. During the 2020-21 school year, 69.5% of the district's students were Black or Hispanic.
Teachers like Bethany Meyer are hopeful that Friday's action will cause the school board to reverse its February decision.
"Our schools and our communities are powerful, and I believe we're doing the right thing," she said.
Officials voted to close, merge or downsize the schools because of declining enrollment. The Oakland Education Association alleged on Tuesday that the district is the party acting illegally, by not abiding by a 2019 agreement to engage with families before announcing school closures.
If the strike moves forward on Friday, the district said the lost school day could be made up later this year, but not without negotiations with the teachers union.
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