The Oakland Education Roundup from September 22

Our weekly look back on Oakland in the news, as well as other items of interest

Oakland

Really interesting new report looking at declining enrollment districts, the role of charters, and how to avoid some of the most negative effects– I hope Oakland is reading Better Together: Ensuring Quality District Schools in Times of Charter Growth and Declining Enrollment | Center on Reinventing Public Education

A critical look at the budget and the worsening financial situation in OUSD-OUSD Close of Books: What is it, and what does it mean for you? | GO Public Schools Oakland

Another good look at the Rainin foundation’s work with early literacy in Oakland-Oakland schools team up with local foundation to boost childhood literacy The Kenneth Rainin Foundation has given the school district $3 million for a program to get early elementary students to read at grade level.

A look at OUSD’s blueprint process OUSD talks plan to refurbish schools, redistribute resources On Thursday night, Oakland community members met at the Think College Now campus to discuss the “Blueprint for Quality Schools.”

Great stuff from two generations of freedom fighters including our Own Charles Cole We’re 42 Years Apart But Our Mission Is the Same: Change Education for the Black Community We are two Black men separated by 42 years in age. But we are bound by our collective rage about what is happening OUSD needs your input! 

Blueprint for Quality Schools Survey-Please complete an online survey so that OUSD leadership can understand your priorities for our school sites over the next 5 years.  Go to  www.ousd.org/blueprintsurvey to complete an online survey by Monday, September 25th!Your input will help inform options that OUSD considers including (1) Changing school buildings (2) Expanding, merging or closing schools (3) Changing the way Central Office supports schools

Upcoming educational events in Oakland, Oakland Education This Week and Beyond –Preview for September 18tha look at trainings, school tours, conferences and educator and parent opportunities in Oakland

Oakland Meetings

First meeting of the community advisory committee was on 9/18 you can see the agenda here

Budget and finance committee held a meeting on 9/18 you can see the agenda here

Measure N commission met on 9/19 the agenda can be found here

Growth Heartset”: Establishing a Culture of Caring –had an interactive learning session on 9/19.

Measure G Commission met on 9/20, agenda is here

California news

A 5 year old is suspended for “terroristic threats” for saying he has a bomb in his backpack California school suspends boy for “terroristic” threat

The state completely punts on defining “effective teachers”, basically if you have a credential you are now “effective”, students deserve better California defines ‘effective’ and ‘ineffective’ teachers, and why it matters.

Prop 13 cut California’s state education budget from 9 billion to 6 billion over night. I have written before about California’s status at the bottom of the school funding barrel, but let me make this real for folks.” A Tale of Two Cities and Why We Need to Reform Prop 13 – Great School Voices

“We haven’t addressed, not even in a minimum way … the notion of achievement gaps,” ‘Heartbreak’ for California Board of Education member: Focusing on compliance instead of equity. The state board approved a plan to satisfy the Every Student Succeeds Act, but some say the plan shows a lack of urgency toward helping black, brown and…

CA is smartly focusing some funding on vocational education, there are many good jobs that dont need a college degree, and many students who dont want to go to college Why California is investing over $200 million in vocational education

Best of the Rest

While the rest of the world invests more in education, the U.S. spends less – The Hechinger Report The world’s developed nations are placing a big bet on education investments, wagering that highly educated populaces will be needed to fill

We need to understand what is happening with young people to support them, and too often a misdiagnosis leads to mistreatment Are we misdiagnosing trauma as ADHD? How Childhood Trauma Could Be Mistaken for ADHD .Some experts say the normal effects of severe adversity may be misdiagnosed as ADHD.

Our foster youth deserve so much better, shameful treatment Foster campus violates rights – San Francisco Chronicle, 2017-09-17. The Children’s Receiving Home of Sacramento has been cited more than 120 times in the past few years for inappropriate staff conduct, mishandled medications and filthy dorms.

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