GO Endorses Dr. Gary Yee for Oakland School Board District 4
In less than 70 days, voters in Oakland will have the opportunity to determine 3 of the 7 seats on the Oakland Unified School Board.
In District 4, we are proud to endorse Dr. Gary Yee. As a former Oakland teacher, principal, Board Member, and Superintendent, Dr. Yee has demonstrated the commitment and leadership that OUSD needs during this critical time.
Our community has decided to independently support Dr. Yee because of his four decades of education experience and his track record of academic and fiscal success:
- During several years of Dr. Yee’s tenure on the School Board, the District’s academic achievement improved faster than all other large urban school districts in California.
- Dr. Yee helped lead the effort to bring back local control to Oakland Unified after the 2003 state takeover.
- Under his leadership as Superintendent, the district enjoyed balanced budgets and higher financial reserves.
- More recently, Dr. Yee was instrumental in raising millions of dollars for Oakland schools, for initiatives ranging from career technical education and college prep to the necessary renovation and replacement of various school facilities. He sits on the College and Career Readiness Commission, which has been responsible for helping close equity gaps.
GO’s endorsement process involved gathering feedback from nearly 100 community members at our candidate interview day, where we heard from all of the District 4 candidates on the most critical issues affecting our students. Our network was clear that Dr. Yee’s positions are aligned with our Budgeting For Impact and 1Oakland campaigns. As the GO community continues to advance this important work, we look forward to Dr. Yee’s guidance and insight as a school board member.
As you can see from Gary’s website, he has deep support from Oakland’s educators:
“This is a critical time for Oakland. We need Gary’s knowledge of school finance and his commitment for all of Oakland’s children.” – Angela Aquino
“As a principal, I know that Gary understands the importance of supporting our teachers and site leadership.” – Denise Saddler
“Because he saw my passion as Tech’s principal for all students, including those with special needs, Gary recruited me to lead the district’s Program for Exceptional Children.” – Sheilagh Andujar
How can you get involved?
Dr. Yee will only have the opportunity to lead on behalf of our students if he is able to get elected on November 6th. Join GO’s campaign in support of Dr. Yee to do that.
- Volunteer: Join us to talk with District 4 voters at their doors at our kickoff campaign walk on Saturday, September 8th at 9:30am. We will have our first phone bank of the fall on Tuesday, September 11th at 5pm. Click here to RSVP.
- Donate: Pitch in today and we’ll put the resources toward helping to support our volunteers with the materials, snacks, and literature they’ll need to talk with voters in these last two months before Election Day. You can make a one-time or monthly contribution here.
- Yard Sign: Sign up here and we will drop a yard sign at your home—available for anyone who lives in or near District 4.
- Share on Social Media: We’ve prepared images here for you to share on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to let your community know that you’re standing with Dr. Gary Yee for all Oakland students.