Watch as Oakland Parents and Students (Like Sarai pictured in the middle) demand for better schools as we marched from Lake Merritt to the OUSD board meeting on April 23, 2025.
Sarai is a senior at Oakland Tech, about a month away from graduating. Though her time as a student in the Oakland Unified School District is winding down, she is very concerned about the quality of education her younger siblings and all the Black and Brown students who come after her are going to experience.
That’s why Sarai joined over 100 other FIA family and student leaders on a march to the OUSD Board of Education meeting to share their truths with the school board. The family and student leaders, supported by FIA organizers, first held a press conference at Lake Merritt before coming together to march together to the school board meeting, chanting “Raise the Bar!”
FIA Youth Leaders Tatiana and Jorge speaking at the Press Conference.
That’s why Sarai joined over 100 other FIA family and student leaders on a march to the OUSD Board of Education meeting to share their truths with the school board. The family and student leaders, supported by FIA organizers, first held a press conference at Lake Merritt before coming together to march together to the school board meeting, chanting “Raise the Bar!”
“They say (at the current trajectory) it will take four generations for Black and Brown students to read on grade level,” Sarai said. “So not my brothers and sisters, not my kids, not even my grandkids. It’s like, how long do we have to wait for someone to do something about this?”
The list of demands from the FIA parent and student leaders included:
#1 Parents Must Know
- Every Oakland parent must know their child’s data and their school’s data
- We need a district commitment to training, tools and accountability system parent-teacher-student communication on individual student academic and college eligibility progress
#2 Transparency and Accountability
- OUSD and charter boards progress monitor and discuss/adopt monthly report on Math, ELA and A-G outcomes toward goals.
- All schools post data on their front doors “Scores on the Doors”
- Schools must go through a spotlight and renewal process and schools that are not equitable, quality are redesigned or merged.
#3 We Can’t Wait: Redesign for the Present and Future
- We need a realistic number of schools that can get the resources they need
Over 100 FIA families attending the April 23, 2025 Board meeting!
After marching to the school board meeting, family and student leaders then had to wait until 9 pm to finally speak to the board, as the meeting start time was delayed and the board president also moved that agenda item to later than it had been previously scheduled.
Undeterred, the family and student leaders remained a force at the meeting, continuing to chant and raising signs in English and Spanish with slogans like: “We won’t wait for college eligibility,” “We won’t wait for reading at grade level,” and ”Higher proficiency in math and literacy.”
“80% of our Black and Brown students are getting left behind,” Cecilia, an Aspire Lionel Wilson parent, told the board once she had a chance to speak. “They can’t read or do math at grade level, and we’re calling for that to stop now. This is deeply rooted for us, as many of us did not get a quality education. The same remains true of our kids, who give up on school, feel left out and unseen because the education system is not set up for them to succeed.”
At the rally and press conference at Lake Merritt earlier in the day, Cecilia talked about what motivated her to march and speak to the school board.
“We’re demanding changes,” said Cecilia, who brought her three children with her. “We want hope. If (the school board) is not going to answer our emails, then I guess we have to come to them in person. Our children’s education is on the line. It’s an important matter.”
Gregory, a Hoover grandparent, was front and center during the march to the school board. He has infectious energy, and led the other parent and student leaders through the streets of East Oakland to the school board meeting, roaring into a bullhorn: “When families rise, Oakland thrives.”
Greg bringing up the energy and passion at the rally!
“I’m very concerned about my grandson’s education,” Gregory said in an interview before the march. “I came out here today because I want to know why the school board is not focusing on our kids’ education. It’s the last thing they’re focusing on. Man, I’m getting sick and tired. These schools are not helping our kids grow like they should.”
Like Sarai, Jorge is a FIA student leader and a senior (at Oakland Unity High). He’s looking forward to graduating soon and heading off to UC Davis in the fall. He said that, growing up in Oakland, he feels “incredibly lucky” to go to Unity, especially compared with the other school options he had.
Jorge also said he was proud and inspired to join in the march with other student and parent leaders. He felt like he was part of a united movement and was feeling inspired to make a real, lasting change for the better for Oakland public schools.
