OUSD will approve its budget tonight after a tumultuous year. The good news is that they really did cut into the mounting deficit, and cut significantly from central office, mostly by reducing administrative positions. The bad news is that unless something changes, we may get a year off from fiscal crisis, but its coming. You…
Month: June 2017
Graduate Stories from Lighthouse’s College Declaration Day-Believe in Yourself, Work hard and You can Do It
Brianna wanted to drop out, Isabel didn’t think she could go to college, Brandon was flunking, Diana didn’t know any English, and DJ couldn’t read. Now they are all off to college, marked by a recent emotional celebration on College Declaration Day. Staff, alumni, families and graduating seniors at Lighthouse Community Charter School came together…
Two Ears and One Mouth; Doing Youth Engagement Right in Oakland
An amazing dialogue took place at MetWest last week. It was amazing for two reasons. First our young people are awesome, and second, the youth did most of the speaking. Even though there were many dignitaries and officials in the crowd, including our newly contracted superintendent, Dr. Kyla Johnson-Trammell (woot woot)—the adults largely yielded…
Are Oakland Students Ready for the World?
On Tuesday in Oakland, the school script was flipped. Gathered around bright tables in the atrium of MetWest High School, dozens of high schoolers and recent graduates confidently and openly reflected on if and how Oakland public schools prepared them for college and careers; while dozens of adults including the new Oakland Unified School District…
Watch These Oakland Students Tell Us How to Understand and End Gun Violence
About the Author: Sophia Sobko is a former teacher and current graduate student at UC Berkeley. Last Friday evening E14 Gallery in Downtown Oakland buzzed as 7th and 8th graders from Lighthouse Community Charter School shared their research, artwork, and writing on gun-related violence in Oakland. The exhibit was the culmination of a year of…