The Oakland Unified School District's ousted superintendent delivered her final address as schools chief Thursday morning.
Supertinendent Kyla Johnson Trammel, whose contract was terminated by the school board in April without explanation, spoke at a news conference Thursday. Her tenure officially ends in June after eight years.
Watch NBC Bay Area News free wherever you are
WATCH HEREJohnson Trammel discussed some of the highlights and challenges during her tenure, including the fact that she got the district out of state receivership by paying off its $100 million in loans.
She also talked a bit about the challenges the district faces going forward.
When asked about why her contract was terminated with two years remaining, Johnson Trammel was a bit vague because she didn't want to violate the school board's closed-session restrictions.
"We have to be aligned to sustain financial stability to get the academic outcomes that I’ve talked about in great detail," she said. "Then if we’re not on the same page, then it’s time to respectfully part ways."
In an open letter to Oakland Unified published Wednesday, the Oakland branch of the NAACP demanded transparency and an explanation for why Johnson Trammel was fired. In the letter, the organization says it is deeply troubled by the decision, calling it "abrupt and destabilizing."
Local
"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," the letter states. "Many now question whether this was a decision made in the best interests of our students, or one influenced by political agendas and behind-the-scenes union maneuvering. Since that vote, the continued lack of accountability and transparency has only deepened public mistrust."
The school board last week reversed course and restored millions of dollars to fund after-school programs. During its March meeting, the board passed a resolution to put a cap on services and contracts for next school year at $125 million, which would have had the unintended consequence of impacting contracts connected to after-school programs and potentially reducing funding for some of those programs by 50%.
Get a weekly recap of the latest San Francisco Bay Area housing news with the Housing Deconstructed newsletter.
SIGN UP 