Mike Hutchinson for Oakland School Board District 5

I AM PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THAT WE HAVE NOW BEEN ENDORSED BY STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION TOM TORLAKSON.

 

Here is what one supporter wrote:

Dear Dimond Neighbors,

I was an early supporter of Rosie Torres.  But after meeting Mike several times and doing substantial research on their positions, financial backers, and experience,I’ve written the following and hope you’ll check it out.  Thanks.

Allan on Townsend Ave.

10 Reasons to Vote Mike Hutchinson for School Board

We need a strong and effective advocate for public school students and parents. Below are some of the many reasons to vote for Mike Hutchinson for our District 5 School Board member. Please send this to everyone you know in District 5.  Mike is the only candidate for which the following is true:

*Accountable Only to Parents, Students, and Educators–Not Powerful SuperPacs.Has taken no money or support from billionaires, corporations, and school privatization organizations hoping to gain even more access to our public school tax dollars.

*Dedicated To Oakland Public Schools. Attended OUSD schools, and his mom Harriet taught in the district for 40 years.

 *Passionate About Educating Students. Worked directly with youth in Oakland public schools for the past 20 years, including running after school programs, serving on school site councils, and improving educational opportunities and outcomes.

*Understands How the School District Operates. Has been an active participant in Oakland School Board meetings for many years, knows the history thoroughly, and can hit the ground running.

*Has a Comprehensive Plan. For school improvement on all levels, increasing student enrollment, implementing alternatives to closing schools, and negotiating a fair union contract with our dedicated teachers.

*End to Bloated Bureaucracy and Balance the Budget. Will assure that taxpayer dollars are spent in the classroom, not on expanding the expensive administrative bureaucracy. Will stop the tens of millions of dollars wasted on outside consultants that helps place OUSD in violation of state regulations.

*Strong Working Relationships with Parents, Students, and Teachers. Long track record as powerful advocate for community involvement and collaboration in our local schools to build the best community schools possible.

*Keep Public Schools Public.  Will place a moratorium on new publicly funded, privately run Charter Schools, and assure accountability and responsible oversight of existing Charters by the District and the State. Knows that turning public funds over to another 40 private charter schools will be the death of our public school system.

*Will Keep Measure J Funds Public. Will resist pressures to use Measure J and other tax payer funds for privately run schools.

*Strong Endorsements. After a thorough vetting process, Mike is the only candidate endorsed by the Alameda County Democratic Party, the Oakland Education Association representing thousands of Oakland public teachers, the student-led All City Council, and many other organizations, families and individuals.

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Mike Hutchinson For School Board

I am proud to say I was born and raised in Oakland.  I was educated in Oakland, attending Crocker Highlands Elementary, McChesney Jr. High (now Edna Brewer), Oakland High, and Skyline High Schools before graduating in 1991 and going on to UC Berkeley.  My mother was a kindergarten teacher in Oakland for 40 years. For the past nine years I have run programs for non-profit organizations at Santa Fe Elementary School and Maxwell Park Elementary School.  I have worked and volunteered in Oakland’s public schools and with Oakland’s youth for the past twenty years, doing everything from running Sports4kids and after school programs to serving on school site councils and coaching soccer teams.  I was an active participant at school board meetings and in the fight to stop the school closures before deciding to run for a seat on the school board.  I have a passion for the education and betterment of Oakland’s youth and I highly value the role public education plays in individual lives and healthy communities.  I strongly believe that every child has the right to a high quality public education and the right to achieve his or her maximum potential.

I am deeply concerned about the state of public education in Oakland. After going through eight years in state receivership, during which time we had no input on matters involving our schools, we have just completed our third year of “local control” and it seems as though the community is still being shut out of the decision making process.  As a frequent participant at school board meetings I have watched as the board last year voted to close five elementary schools, cut special education funding, approve more charter schools, take away teacher’s union rights, etc..  All of these actions were taken without first engaging the community and often despite vigorous opposition.  The decisions of the current school board have created great instability and a climate of fear throughout the district.

We have a chance, with November’s elections, to chart a new course and begin to fix the districts many problems.  With a majority of the board’s seats up for vote, this election will decide which direction the district moves for the next four years.  It is critical that everyone gets involved.  We need school board members who have deep roots in Oakland and a long history of involvement in Oakland’s schools, not people who see the school board as a stepping-stone for their political career.  We need school board members who have an intimate knowledge of the history and current issues of Oakland Unified School District and schools in Oakland, not people who merely state their love for Oakland’s youth.  Of course we all want the best for Oakland’s youth but I also know how the district and its schools work and I have a plan of action.  We cannot afford to have a school board member learn on the job, there is too much immediate work that needs to be done.

If I am elected to the Oakland School Board there are many things I want to work on to improve our district. I believe there is enough money if we reprioritize the budget. I want to limit the use of outside consultants, reduce the top heavy administration, and bring the district into compliance with the state law requiring that 55% of school funding go to the classroom. I want to fight the debt to the state and the charter school law in Sacramento. I want to help Lazear Elementary become a public school again, reduce mandated and scripted curriculum, and lower the dropout rate. Due to the current conditions in our schools there are four things that I will work on first to begin to stabilize the district.

1. Re-proiritize the budget to find more resources to direct to the classroom.
2. Increase enrollment by ending school closures and the expansion of charter schools.
3. Facilitate true community engagement.
4. Negotiate a fair contract with Oakland’s teachers.

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