Dear Friend,
My name is Sasha Ritzie-Hernandez, and
I’m an organizer running for the Oakland School Board. Like some of you, I grew up in the Oakland
public education system. As an Afro-Indigenous Latinx immigrant, I’ve
seen how our schools have failed our most vulnerable population:
working class black and brown students. Although I’m running for office,
I’m a labor organizer first — in May’s teachers’
strike, I walked the picket line, made food packages, and recruited
others to the cause. As of
today, I’ve received endorsements from 12 pro-labor organizations,
including Oakland Education Association,SEIU 1021, Alameda Labor
Council, & the Building Trades Council of Alameda County. I’m also
a proud member of East Bay DSA, and you all have voted to endorse my
campaign. Now it’s time to do what we in East Bay DSA do best, which
is run a top-notch ground game and win this election. Pitch
in to our campaign to put a DSA member on the School
Board!
Oakland’s working class teachers
and students have won hard-fought victories over the past few years. I
know the East Bay DSA has been there, every step of the
way. Now, the billionaire
class has their eyes set on the special election this November.
But I know my comrades in East Bay DSA
won’t let that happen. It’s time to finally secure a
labor-backed majority on the school board. Pitch
in to help East Bay DSA win my election to the
School Board now!
The stakes for this race are high. In the next year, the school board will be
making historic decisions about the future of Oakland public schools.
Will we continue to close public schools while charter schools siphon
tens of millions of dollars from the school district? Will we cut
essential staff at our schools, or chop from the top of our bloated
central office? Will we support good contracts for our unionized
staff, or continue to bleed staff to better compensated school
districts? I know I stand on the side of teachers and
the working class. If
you’re with me, chip in now.
Friend, I’ll keep it real with you — running for an elected
position is hard. Mentally,
emotionally, and especially financially. I’m grateful that I have the
support of my wife, who serves as my campaign manager, and the
organizations behind me. But the reality is that school board
elections are largely inaccessible to working class candidates. In the
past, candidates for the school board have gone into
debt and lost. We have the
movement to change that reality. If elected, I will recruit and raise
other organizers to run for elected positions. That way we can use the
power of our office to organize more workers, to build a movement, and
to give ordinary people democratic power over their own lives.
Donate
to East Bay DSA to get labor organizers elected now!
I know no one does campaign support
like East Bay DSA. You’ve already been canvassing, phonebanking, and
door knocking for my campaign. I’m so thankful for your support — and
I’m excited to see what we can win for the working class
together.
In solidarity,
Sasha
Ritzie-Hernandez
East Bay DSA
Member
Candidate for Oakland School Board District
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