Councilmember Kaplan Proposes Partial Remedy as Oakland Faces Daunting Budget Deficit Special to The Post
City Councilmember at-Large Rebecca Kaplan. File photo.
During a tense Oakland City Council meeting on Tuesday in which the City Administrator’s office warned that continued overspending could lead to a fiscal emergency, City Councilmember at-Large Rebecca Kaplan proposed an alternative that could reduce the projected $93-$115 million deficit by $30 million. In a 12-minute speech, Oakland Budget Administrator Bradley Johnson exhorted the City
Council to make significant cuts in expenses before year’s end. In response, Kaplan made a motion calling for a special meeting on Dec. 3 to “amend the FY2023-2024 budget to allocate up to $30 million in Fund 1100 (self-insurance liability fund) and transfer those funds to the General Purpose Fund Reserve (Fund 1011).” The City Council agreed to that motion. Disagreeing with the City Continued on page 10
Oakland Schools Superintendent’s New $602,000 Salary Questioned By Post Staff
OUSD Supt. Kyla JohnsonTrammel. File photo.
Community members are raising questions about the huge salary and three-year contract extension given to the superintendent of the Oakland Unified School District in the same school year that the district is facing an estimated $95 million deficit and proposing school mergers and potential school closures. The new contract, running from July 1 through June 30, 2027, pays Dr. Kayla JohnsonTramell a total salary package of $602,000 a year, including a base salary of $378,798.42, plus
$13,800 in additional stipends, $34,075.08 in health-related benefits, and $175,133.51 in other fringe benefits. For the last two years of her contract, Supt. Johnson-Trammell will work on special projects. Her superintendent duties will be handled by another member of the district’s senior staff, likely at a substantial increase in salary for that employee, similar to what happened when Dr. Johnson-Trammell took a threemonth sabbatical in 2022, and Dr. Sondra Aguilera’s salary was inContinued on page 10
Oakland Post “Where there is no vision, the people perish...” Proverbs 29:18
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61st Year, No. 47
Weekly Edition November 20 - 26, 2024
Oakland Education Advocate Oscar Wright, 101
Clifford Ray. Courtesy photo.
Former Warrior Clifford Ray Spearheads Book Drive
Special to the Post Clifford Ray, a member of the 1974-75 Golden State Warriors, the team that brought the first NBA Championship to the Bay Area, and an ambassador for the 2025 NBA All-Star Weekend in San Francisco, is thrilled to share that he is spearheading a reading initiative to support the students of the Bay Area. In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the 1974-75 NBA Championship and in the spirit of giving back, Ray has organized the Clif-
Edwin Jones Celebrates 100 Years
ford Ray’s Big Book Drive. “The goal of the book drive is to provide 4,000 copies of his book “Big Clifford Ray Saves the Day,” a true story, to the schools of Oakland, Richmond, Hayward and San Francisco” according to his editor. With the support of the community, Clifford hopes to reach his goal of igniting a passion for reading and learning in the hearts of young minds. For more information on this project, please contact layniedweaver.com.
Special to The Post
In a heartwarming celebration of life and longevity, Edwin A. Jones I, a beloved member of our community has officially turned 100 years old! Surrounded by family, friends, and well-wishers, the milestone birthday was marked with joy, laughter, and gratitude for a life well lived. Born on Nov. 2, 1924, in Blanco, Texas, Edwin has witnessed a century of history, from the evolution of technology to world-changing events, and has lived through significant cultural shifts. Over the years, Edwin has made an indelible mark in our community, whether through work and retiring from Pat Patterson Cadillac in 1985 after 35 years. Edwin has always been a symbol of strength and resilience. He became a member of Market Street SDA Church in 1948 under Pastor R.W. Nelson and is still a member under the Pastorship of Edwin F. Brown. Throughout his life, Edwin ex-
Edwin A. Jones I. Courtesy photo. perienced the highs and lows of the last century, and his ability to stay upbeat and connected with others has been key to his longevity. With a dedicated, loving wife alongside him for over eight decades, he raised a family of three children and four grandchildren, the adventures and stories are countless. The centenarian has always been an advocate for staying active, both physically and mentally. Whether it’s through walking, reading, upholstering, watching football games, completing word search puzzles, Edwin continues to embrace every opportunity life has to offer. Edwin offers these words of wisdom, “Go to bed early and get your rest” and “Save your money.” Edwin’s favorite Bible Scripture is Psalm 23. We look forward to many more celebrations as he enters his second century.
Oscar Wright. Courtesy photo. By Post Staff Oscar Wright, a longtime advocate for the education of Black children in Oakland, passed away on Monday. He was 101. The son of Mississippi sharecroppers who believed girls should be educated and boys should work, Wright nevertheless loved learning. He joined the Army after high school and served in World War II and the Korean War. Joining the Army Corps of Engineers after discharge, he attended an agricultural college before heading west to California in the mid-1950s. Parlaying his carpentry skills into union jobs in construction, Wright prospered in Oakland. Finding that Oakland was as effectively segregated as Mississippi in some ways, he became
Dr. Robert Jeffrey, EEOC Director, 91
involved in the NAACP. Although hailed as a milestone in the modern Civil Rights Movement, Wright decried the desegregation of schools under the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court ruling, Brown v. The Board of Education. Believing that Black children were treated unfairly in Oakland schools, he became an advocate for them and was a fixture at Oakland Unified School District board meetings. He gave particular attention to West Oakland students and McClymonds High School where he celebrated his centennial birthday last year. The Post will publish an appreciation of Mr. Wright’s life next week. At press time, funeral arrangements were pending.
Special to The Post
Dr. Robert Jeffrey, Sr., the last of the pioneer contributors to the Affirmative Action plan, passed away earlier this year and was laid Dr. Robert Jeffrey, Sr. Courtesy to rest on Aug. 21. A former Alameda County photo. Sheriff’s deputy, Jeffrey contin- dent Richard Nixon leading to his ued his law enforcement career as role as regional and district direcone of the 56 African American of- tor of the Equal Employment Opficers in the City of San Francisco’s portunity Commission. His office force of 2,000. Refusing to remain was responsible for researching, silent about racist policies, Jeffrey identifying discriminatory pracwas moved to organize the Offi- tices, negotiating remedies, and conciliating and monitoring the cers for Justice in 1969. Officer Jeffrey’s fight for equity settlements. After retiring, Jeffrey returned for the residents of Hunters Point and The Bay View resulted in the to Oakland and in partnership with creation of job training and educa- his son, Dennis, opened The Print tional programs that significantly Shop, later known as Oakland reduced crime in Bayview-Hunt- Print and Copy Center. It was the ers Point. Wanting to do more, largest Black-owned print shop in and with threats on his life, Jeffrey Northern California until its cloaccepted an appointment by Presi- sure in 2018 when Jeffrey retired.
Patrice Berry, Clifford Thompson, VanCedric Williams, and Rachel Latta are the projected winners of the 2024 OUSD Board of Directors election race. Berry and Latta will take over board seats for District 5 and 1, while Thompson and Williams hold their current director positions in Districts 7 and 3. File photos.
OUSD’s Newest Members Are ‘Eager to Get to Work’ Following Projected Wins
By Magaly Muñoz
While Alameda County is still waiting to call election races across the region, Oakland Unified School District board director races have enough of a margin to project the likely winners. As of Nov. 20, Rachel Latta was leading Ben Salop in the D1
race by 55 percentage points. In D3, VanCedric Williams was ahead of Dwayne Aikens by 10 percentage points; Patrice Berry had a lead of over 7% against opponent Sasha Ritzie-Hernandez in D5; and Clifford Thompson was surpassing Domonic Ware by Continued on page 10
Brookfield Elementary’s Field of Dreams
America SCORES celebrates Brookfield Elementary School Lions with Principal Leigh Daniels and Coach Corrin Haskell. Photo courtesy America Scores Bay Area. By Carla Thomas It was a “field of dreams” moment come true at Brookfield Elementary School in Oakland on Oct. 24, as students, faculty and
people from the community celebrated a brand-new soccer field on campus. Food, entertainment, vendors and student athletes playing on Continued on page 10
Congresswoman Lee Celebrates 26 Years of Service with Members, Stakeholders, Former Staff
By Sean Ryan Special to The Post
Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-12) yesterday celebrated her 26 years of service and thanked her colleagues, stakeholders, and former staff at an event in the U.S.
Capitol. Lee was greeted by a room full of her colleagues, including Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark, Congressional Black Caucus Chair Steven Horsford, Con-
gressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Chair Judy Chu, Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal, Appropriations Committee Chair Rosa DeLauro, Representative Ayanna Pressley and many more. Senators Laphonza Butler (D-
CA), Chris Coons (D-DE), and Tim Kaine (D-VA) also joined, alongside her Republican colleague Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations, the subcommittee Continued on page 10
Pictured: Congresswoman Lee with Tennessee State Representative Justin Jones. Photo courtesy of Barbara lee’s Media Relations office.