A longtime educator, Lerma will join the board at a time when district officials are faced with balancing the budget and stabilizing enrollment.
Tag: OUSD school board
Posted inCity Hall & Policing
Jewish protesters occupy federal building in Oakland to demand ceasefire in Gaza
Hundreds demonstrated and scores were arrested in one of the largest acts of Jewish civil disobedience in Bay Area history.
Posted inEducation Equity
Oakland Unified is considering a Gaza ceasefire resolution
Tensions are running high within OUSD. Some say taking a stand is urgent, while others worry about community members feeling alienated.
Posted inEducation Equity
Oakland students call on school district to support peace in Palestine
Student leaders also want more education on the Israel-Hamas war and a chance to have discussions about it in class.
Posted inHealth & Environment
Controversial rule could make installing solar panels costlier
Oakland Unified is opposing a policy change before the California Public Utilities Commission, saying it could disincentivize green energy projects.
Posted inEducation Equity
OUSD is staring down tough budget decisions
Oakland school officials must figure out how to make the district sustainable, in the face of rising costs and declining revenue.
Posted inEducation Equity
Meet Sasha Ritzie-Hernandez, candidate for Oakland school board
The community organizer is one of two candidates in the Nov. 7 special election for the District 5 seat on the OUSD board.
Posted inEducation Equity
Meet Jorge Lerma, candidate for Oakland school board
The former teacher and principal is one of two candidates competing in a special election to fill the vacant OUSD District 5 seat.
Posted inEducation Equity
East Oakland charter school to receive $28M for badly needed campus upgrades
The OUSD board unanimously approved an agreement allowing Cox Academy to use the state funds. Also, a new report describes serious problems at American Indian Public Charter School.
Posted inEducation Equity
After bomb threat and shooting, calls for more secure Oakland schools
In recent weeks, safety concerns have forced OUSD schools to cancel instruction. Community members are pushing district officials to take action.
Posted inEducation Equity
East Oakland school demands OUSD take steps to release state money for campus fixes
Teachers and students at Cox Academy, a public charter, have dealt with leaky classrooms, an aging play-structure, and flooded basement.
Posted inEducation Equity
How can Oakland Unified be more efficient? Report lays out plan, including school closures
A majority of the school board is opposed to closures, but an agency recommended them to help the district improve services.
Posted inEducation Equity
OUSD special election candidates are back on the ballot
Sasha Ritzie-Hernandez and Jorge Lerma were told they didn’t qualify to run for the vacant District 5 seat due to confusion over district boundaries during the signature-gathering process.
Posted inEducation Equity
OUSD school board meetings are back. Here’s how to get involved
With a vacancy in District 5, the Oakland Unified School District board will have only six voting members until a special election in November. The first public meeting is Wednesday, Aug. 9.
Posted inEducation Equity
Oakland teachers and school board agree on a contract—but it’ll come with budget cuts
School district leadership applauded substantial raises for teachers but the board will need to make tough budget decisions or face insolvency.
Posted inEducation Equity
Are politics blocking this Oakland charter school from badly needed repairs?
Cox Academy in East Oakland could get around $30 million to fix the building it rents from OUSD—but the school board has to approve it first.
Posted inEducation Equity
Thanks to inflation, some Oakland schools won’t get the improvements they were promised by Measure Y
The school board says it’s forced to slash planned renovations at some schools to pay for the rising costs of others. The district has been criticized for its handling of school bonds in the past.
Posted inEducation Equity
Strike over: Oakland teachers union reaches agreement with OUSD
The tentative contract agreement must still be ratified by OEA members and approved by the school board. Classes will resume Tuesday.
Posted inEducation Equity
OUSD school board meeting canceled as teachers strike continues
OEA and the district are reporting some progress with negotiations, but haven’t indicated when the strike could end.
Posted inEducation Equity
Oakland teachers strike: OUSD and OEA at stalemate over ‘common good’ demands
OUSD Board President Mike Hutchinson said some of the issues fall outside of the OEA contract. But three board members are calling on the district to bargain over them.
