Parents of Ile Omode would like to thank the council for your time and meeting with families to discuss the current state of Ile Omode School following the incident that occurred on Wednesday, February 13, 2019.

We hope that you heard our concerns about the need to begin a reconciliation process, one that is inclusive of Baba Jahi and begins with his reinstatement. We believe that this moment should demonstrate to the community how we treat our own and provide opportunities for reconciliation and atonement. We are clear that this is the beginning to larger community dialogue and action around culture, values, policies and procedures. But immediate action concerning the Director needs to occur this week.

Here are the requests asked of the council during deliberation:

1. We request that Baba Jahi be reinstated as Director and educator of Ile Omode following his two week suspension. We believe that the two weeks suspension without pay, despite its severity, is a sufficient disciplinary action based on the facts the council presented.
2. We request that during this time of deliberation the council consider the character of Baba Jahi and his impact on Ile Omode as an institution, students, families, and community.

• Baba Jahi works tirelessly to ensure our children receive an exceptional educational experience. He teaches math, science, humanities, computer science daily while supporting and nurturing teachers & staff.
• He has established and sustained productive relationships with private high schools resulting in admittance and financial aid for families who would otherwise not be able to attend.
• Baba Jahi’s middle school college tour has provided an opportunity for our students (often underserved) to visit colleges and learn that college is a tangible goal.
• He starts the school day with cleaning the grounds and ensuring that our students do not have to enter the campus and witness all of the blight and illegal dumping that occurs in the neighborhood.
• Furthermore, the impact he has on cultivating scholars and a discipline for learning that is unmatched by any institution in Oakland can not be taken lightly.
• His work transcends beyond Ile, in that he works with Alumni to ensure that they get to and through college.
• All this work demonstrates his deep commitment to the growth and sustainability of Ile Omode. It shows that his values are rooted in community and this is more than a job, it's a calling.

Therefore, in this moment we have to show our gratitude for the sacrifice and dedication. We can not leave this out of the discussion.

3. We believe that the current narrative adopted by the council needs to achieve greater balance to reflect the interests of the entire community, parents, staff, and Baba Jahi. We thank Baba Tyembe for his tone and candor during the meeting on Tuesday and believe his tone should be used as a guide for how to handle communications moving forward.

4. Founded on the idea of autonomy and self determination, we hope those same values will be used to come to a decision about Baba Jahi. We are a private institution and our response should derive from our values not from the fear of outside institutions.

In the spirit of Umoja,

Ile Omode Parents