The time has come yet again that we the people will be asked to set the course of our government. While we hold our breaths for how the presidential election will turn out, there are some local ballot measures that are gonna make a huge difference in our communities. Our organization has endorsed a couple of measures that you’ll be able to make your voice heard on. Check which district you live in using the city’s online tool, at http://gisapps1.mapoakland.com/councildistricts/ to know for sure what’s going to be on your ballot.

Mike Hutchinson is an activist for public education, and the founder of Oakland Public Education Network (OPEN) which advocates for “quality, public, neighborhood schools for all of Oakland”. Mike wants to end the pattern of closing public schools and replacing them with charter schools. Rather than give up on struggling schools, Mike wants to give parents and students more tools to make their schools accountable to the community. Mike Hutchinson has also been endorsed by the Oakland Education Association, the Service Employees International Union local 1021, Our Revolution, Bay Rising Action and the Alameda County Democratic Party.

You can follow Mike’s campaign at facebook.com/MikeHutchinson4SchoolBoard/

Ben Tapscott, or “Coach” as he is more commonly known as, is a long-time educator in Oakland. At McClymonds High School he became the first black head basketball coach in the district. He was later a co-founder of the New McClymonds committee which exposed the lead contamination happening in the school. Coach has put literacy as his top priority, recognizing it as a make-or-break factor in the school-to-prison pipeline, and acknowledges the roots of illiteracy in the times of slavery, when it was illegal to teach black children to read. Ben Tapscott wants to keep public schools open and keep billionaire-owned charters out of our communities. Coach has been endorsed by the Oakland Education Association, the Service Employees International Union local 1021, and the Wellstone Democratic Club.

You can follow Coach’s campaign at coachtapscott.com

Proposition 15, also known as Schools and Communities First, will raise $10-12 billion yearly to fund schools and local services, with 92% of the revenue generated from just 10% of commercial property holders. It will do this by increasing property taxes on commercial properties worth more than $3 million. This will ensure that the revenue from wealthy corporations don’t just go to the pockets of the few, but that it will help create a quality public life for the many.

Many studies show that being able to vote at a young age improves long-term engagement with the political process. It’s why many elections in Germany allow 16 year olds to vote. In this spirit, Ballot Measure QQ will give students 16 or older the ability to elect an OUSD school board representative. This will give students a voice at the table where decisions directly impact their lives.