Parents tell board of no‑confidence vote, urge higher teacher pay and question Collingswood ties

During the meeting's public comment period two community members urged the Oakland Board of Education to address staff morale, compensation and the district's relationship with Collingswood.

Danielle Lang (self‑identified) told the board that the Collingswood Education Association had issued a vote of no confidence in Superintendent McDowell and said this was the superintendent's second such vote in his career. Lang, a former Collingswood educator who said she taught there for 11 years, argued the board should "support these superheroes" — the teachers — and called current compensation levels "appalling," noting an example of a teacher with eight years' service making about $57,000.

"If compensation in Oakland is not competitive, the district will lose strong teachers as it did in Collingswood," Lang said, and she urged the board to show support by engaging with staff and visiting classrooms if raises are not immediately possible.

Later, Carl Lang (self‑identified) asked the board to formally study what a standalone arrangement with Haddon Township would look like, including costs, and to consider ending the current contract with Collingswood if it would better serve Oakland residents.

Board leaders did not take immediate action during the meeting; the public comment segment ended after the speakers' remarks and the board proceeded to adjourn. The speakers framed their concerns as matters for board review and potential future discussion rather than immediate votes.

The meeting record does not include a direct response from the superintendent in this session; the record shows only that the board received the comments and moved on to other agenda items.