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Oakland Unified was taken over by the state of California two years ago, due to budget shortfalls. Randolph Ward, the Sacramento appointed administrator, has begun to dramatically reorganize the district; five schools are to be closed outright, an additional seven schools are to be "reorganized," a process which many believe to include the purging of outspoken, experienced or untraditional teachers, an additional thirteen schools are to be turned in "charter schools" making all functioning of the schools at the control of private third parties. In addition Ward has recently proposed the closure of Oakland’s Adult Schools which serve nearly 30,000 adults providing free language and job skill courses, and free classes for the elderly and disabled communities.

Many see this as a crisis, which must be protested and fought with legislation and letters to politicians. The BarringtonCollective sees this as an opportunity for full community control of our schools; the charter school model makes it possible for public education funds to be diverted directly into the hands of the community they serve. Parents, teachers and students could organize on the neighborhood level, demand charter status and form their own schools.

Public schools are generally viewed as inefficient, test crazed and/or prison-like. Many believe that the public schools are administered by those in power with interests in providing just enough educational resources to prevent rebellion. The BarringtonCollective sees such centralized institutions as alienating and destructive of community and culture. Wherever possible, we support the creation of decentralized, autonomous organizations networked horizontally rather than hierarchically.

The possibility of doing something else should be celebrated!

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