The Oakland Unified School District is reminding teachers to keep their personal political beliefs out of the classroom during in an unauthorized “teach-in” planned for this week focused on the war in Gaza.
The teach-in, scheduled for Wednesday, is being promoted in a social media video posted Nov. 26 that urges teachers to help students understand how “the forces of imperialism and capitalism motivate the decisions of global leaders.”
In the video, an unidentified teacher says educators can “apply their labor power to show solidarity with the Palestinian people” by encouraging students to think critically, by introducing them to new ideas and by having positive conversations about what’s happening.
OUSD Superintendent Kyla Johnson-Trammell sent out an email Monday saying the teach-in is not authorized and that the planned curriculum doesn’t align with the district’s approved materials on the topic.
“I am deeply disappointed by the harmful and divisive materials being circulated and promoted as factual,” Johnson-Trammell said.
“We have remained unwavering in our stance against antisemitic, anti-Israeli, Islamophobic, or anti-Palestinian prejudice or discrimination within our District,” she said.
It’s unclear who is organizing the teach-in, how many teachers and OUSD campuses might be involved and what, if any, disciplinary actions the district might take against participating teachers.
Spokespeople for the district and the teachers’ union didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.
Many local school boards, city councils and other governing bodies have weighed in on the war since it started Oct. 7, when Hamas attacked Israel from the Gaza Strip, followed by an Israeli siege and invasion of Gaza.
All of these teachings and marches and demonstrations are all for show. They are an exercise in futility. There is no way that they will cause a cease fire or peace. This is between Israel and the Palestinians.
Yeah, sure let’s do that, AFTER everyone get’s an A and a math and English quiz. Maybe a math and English teach-in?
Wish these Oakland teachers were as fired up about the years of dismal math and reading scores that they are largely responsible for. It is absolutely disgusting.
No doubt some of the teachers are responsible for the low scores but what I think is happening is children are entering school with no motivation. If that is the case than you immediately fall behind and eventually you cannot catch up. If I was running inner city schools I wonder hire positive motivators to make sure these kids understand that school is there future. No race talk no victim talk but positive motivation and a lot of it.
Perhaps at that “teach-in” they should lead with the live video taken by Hamas terrorists on their October 7 raid in Israel. This should add the perspective needed so the students can see why Israel is doing what they are doing in Gaza.
BTW, the war is between Israel and Hamas. It is not a war between Israel and Palestinians.
“Give me four years to teach the children and the seed I have sown will never be uprooted.”
–Vladimir Lenin
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“Give us the child for 8 years and it will be a Bolshevik forever.”
—Vladimir Lenin
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Giving tenure in 5 year increments is sounding better an better.
Lol Oakland at its best. Teach them to get a job and be good parents when they’re older. Let’s teach that first at schools.
They should stick to teaching what we were taught back in the day.Not this gender crap.And study history the way it happened and not change it to meet certain racial standards.
So stupid… stupid people doing stupid things. Stay in your lane! you are paid to teach students how to think not what to think! Arrogance amongst stupid people. O. unified is a little too late here as it should have been in their RPM (requirements and policies manual) before these empty heads were allowed to state opinion. All should be fired.
Easier to do this cxxp than do their real job teaching kids …. sounds just like Newscum… deal with the petty stuff and not the real job of a governor
Where were these teachers when we were throwing billions and billions at Ukraine?
Your personal politics do not belong in the classroom. If a student knows your political affiliation or religious preference, you have failed as a teacher and should be fired.
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Indoctrination exemplified.
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And folks wonder why most inner urban public schools are crap.
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Don’t get too worked up. Kids do not give an ‘eff about politics or another war between people they weren’t aware of until they started warring with each other. They got their own stuff going on. 😑
Meanwhile, students(especially In Oakland) continue to be abysmally low and poor in reading, math, science and other core educational knowledge and skills. California liberal diversity is really working out well.
Whatever happened to educating our children? Indoctrination should be left to the Lenins and Pol Pots of the world. No wonder so many students graduate who are subpar in the three Rs.
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“Denounce…”?
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Sooo weak and spineless. That’s not going to result in any consequences for these “educators” who are willfully disobeying their employer’s rules.
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A more effective approach would be “YOU’RE FIRED”.
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And the Oakland teacher union supports this. They even came out with a statement! Why doesn’t the spokesperson mention that little bit?