Latest news with #KylaJohnson-Trammell
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Oakland schools superintendent says farewell after her firing from OUSD
OAKLAND, Calif. (KRON) — On Thursday, the final day of the 2024-25 school year, superintendent Kyla Johnson-Trammell held a news conference before she departs from Oakland Unified School District. Johnson-Trammell was the longest-serving superintendent of OUSD in 55 years. Her tenure officially ends on June 30, marking eight years at the helm of the second largest school district in the San Francisco Bay Area. During the news conference, Dr. Johnson-Trammell highlighted accomplishments of her administration, including: Paying off $100 million in loans and exited a State Receivership after 22 years. Raising OUSD's graduation rate to its highest level in decades. Navigating schools through the COVID pandemic. Sparking public-private partnerships with Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation, KABOOM!, and Trust for Public Land to improve nearly two dozen school yards. Launching an all-electric school district bus fleet. Following a tense school board meeting when tempers flared in April, board trustees narrowly voted 4-3 in favor of firing Johnson-Trammell. Trustees offered zero explanations for why they decided to get rid of their superintendent. Johnson-Trammell did not attend the April meeting. However, she published a thank you letter writing, 'The last eight years have brought some of the most challenging and most defining moments in our district's history. Through it all, Oakland has shown what's possible when we stay grounded in our mission and vision and work in partnership for our students.' OUSD officials have not yet announced who their next superintendent will be. Trustees held a closed-door meeting Wednesday night. The NAACP Education Committee Oakland Branch wrote a letter to the school board raising alarms that OUSD is entering the summer in a 'leadership vacuum.' The letter stated, 'We are deeply troubled by the Board's April 23rd vote to terminate Superintendent Kyla Johnson-Trammell—an abrupt and destabilizing decision that has left a leadership vacuum in our district. Superintendent Johnson-Trammell's contributions were not only historic but stabilizing. She successfully led OUSD out of 22 years of state receivership and oversaw a $100 million state loan repayment—an extraordinary accomplishment for our district. Her removal, two years before her contract was set to end, was executed without a clear succession plan and has triggered widespread concern throughout our community for the past few weeks.' NAACP leaders questioned whether the board's decision was made in the best interests of students, or influenced by political agendas and 'behind-the-scenes union maneuvering.' Earlier this May, the school board voted fully reverse its plans to make sweeping cuts to afterschool, before-school, and summer programs. The planned cuts would have hacked expanded learning programs by up to 80% and impacted thousands of students who rely on the programs for academic support, mentorship, meals, and safety, advocates with Youth Together said. The board's reversal came after weeks of mounting public pressure. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Oakland school board ends contract with superintendent as district exits receivership
The Brief OUSD Superintendent Kyla Johnson-Trammell is expected to finish out the school year. The superintendent had two years left on her contract. The board is calling this a voluntary separation agreement. The district is now out of receivership after 22 years. Despite this the board has voted Johnson-Trammell out. OAKLAND, Calif. - The Oakland Unified School District on Wednesday voted behind closed doors to remove longtime Superintendent Kyla Johnson-Trammell. The decision was made despite her being credited with getting the district out of receivership. What we know The district has had a state or county trustee with veto power over financial decisions. Boardmember Mike Hutchinson said the district has had this oversight since 2003. Tonight's vote means, after eight years, Johnson-Trammell will be leaving the district at the end of the fiscal year. A preliminary 4-1 vote came down earlier this month, which set up tonight's final vote. Upset parents and community leaders were at Wednesday's board meeting. The crowd was largely supportive of the superintendent and criticized the board for their closed-door decision. The school board took action to approve a voluntary separation agreement with the superintendent to which a crowd of people booed. The reaction from the audience was swift when Oakland school board President Jennifer Brouhard announced that it had voted in closed session to end its contract with superintendent Kyla Johnson Trammell, who was not present at the meeting. The vote was 4-3. Hutchinson was among those who opposed the move. "We have a school board colluding with our teachers' union leadership attacking our district. There hasn't been one public discussion, not one person has given any justification for it or explain why they would want to do it and this is a superintendent where we just extended her contract less than eight months ago," Hutchinson said. He said today should have been a celebration with the district "finally leaving receivership after 22 years." "We're facing the biggest crisis we've ever seen," Hutchinson said. As Brouhard headed into the open session of the meeting, she declined to answer KTVU's question as to why the board voted to end its contract with the superintendent. Brouhard simply told us, "I'm going to report out in just a minute. I'll talk to you guys as soon as I'm done." Before the school board meeting got underway, Families in Action, a public education advocacy group that supports the superintendent, rallied and marched. "The stability of our top leader is crucial to the stability of our schools, the safety and the learning and the educational outcome of our students," said Kimi Kean, founder of Families in Action. Parents and students criticized the board, saying that it is not focusing on the needs of students. They say many Black and brown kids are not proficient in reading and math. "I know high school is not for everybody, but there is a life after high school and you need to prepare for that and you're not going to be prepared for that if you can't read or do math at your grade level," said Sarai Raines, a student at Oakland Tech High School. Gregory Nash is raising his 9-year-old grandson who attends Hoover Elementary School. He is critical of the board making decisions behind closed doors without community input. "Why are the board people fighting who's getting fired? Who's going to rasie our kids? Who's going to give our kids an education where they can stay at and be somebody?" Nash said. What's next Superintendent Johnson-Trammell has two years left on her contract, which was renewed within the last year. She is expected to finish out the school year in her current role. After that, the board will appoint an interim superintendent on July 1.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Oakland Unified School District votes to remove superintendent
(KRON) — There were some tense moments at Wednesday night's school board meeting in Oakland, where board members voted to remove the superintendent, sparking a heated response from one member against the plan. San Jose's 'Christmas in the Park' needs money After years of serving as Oakland's school district superintendent, Kyla Johnson-Trammell is now on her way out. The school board voted to end her contract. The board did not explain why they're ousting the current superintendent. However, efforts to remove her started two weeks ago, during the meeting on April 9 when school board member Mike Hutchinson announced that after eight years on the job and a recent contract renewal, the board majority was trying to get rid of Johnson-Trammell. Other members of the board, including its president, refused to comment on what happened in closed session, citing a violation of the Brown Act. On Wednesday night, they only described the decision as a 'voluntary separation agreement.' The announcement prompted outrage from community members attending the meeting. Johnson-Trammell did not attend the meeting. However, she did publish a thank-you letter on the district's website which said, 'As I prepared to step away from my role as your superintendent on June 30, I do so with immense pride in what we've accomplished together. The last eight years have brought some of the most challenging and most defining moments in our district's history. Through it all, Oakland has shown what's possible when we stay grounded in our mission and vision and work in partnership for our students.' Watch the full report in the video player above. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
