Our weekly look back at the education news coming out of Oakland and beyond
Oakland
Oakland program brings out students’ hidden genius– It’s summer vacation, but these young Bay Area teens are laser focused. Inside Oakland’s David Glover Education and Technology Center their laptops are in hand and finger tips busy coding away. ktvu.com
Great stuff from the Kenneth Rainin Foundation, Oakland schools start the year with a new $3 million investment from the Kenneth Rainin Foundation. Funds will be used to boost outcomes for transitional kindergarten to first grade students during the 2017-18 school year.
Charter School Transparency and Ethics In Oakland-The Facts – After two special meetings this week discussing charter schools by the OUSD board I was more confused than enlightened, here I outline my understanding of the current state of charter transparency and ethics locally.
Great Oakland Public Schools’ new campaign-Most folks in Oakland really want the same thing, great neighborhood public schools, this is a good step forward in thinking about how we come together to really answer these questions- It’s Time for 1Oakland
School leaders should tune out charter debates, says former district official– Administrators should also focus on addressing the concerns of “end users.” The charter wars don’t help kids or focus the district on priorities, instead of fighting charters; districts need to understand their appeal to parents
OUSD’s Measure N Commission met on 9/5 you can see the agenda here
Special meeting of the OUSD Board was held on 9/5 see the agenda here
Budget and Finance Committee met on 9/6 you can see the agenda here
Oakland Education This Week and Beyond-Trainings, Meetings, and Educator Opportunities – Great School Voices– This week in our education preview, Sanctuary Schools, Reforming Prop 13, and the Budget and Finance Committee, further out we have blueprint meetings, an autism conference, Waldorf and Trauma, as well as opportunities for teachers and school leaders take a look
California
Sen. Mike McGuire’s SB 138 would leverage California’s expanded Medi-Cal enrollment to connect 650,000 more low-income students to free school meals. Kids can’t learn if they’re hungry. Here’s a bill that will help.
The shameful repeal of DACA, puts many young people into a legal purgatory- California’s DACA students brace for uncertain future
Recommendations to Reform California’s Education Funding Formula– The LCFF while well intentioned has not necessarily targeted money to our most disadvantaged students, we need to assure transparency and accountability. chronicleofsocialchange.org
Make It Fair California‘s event.- This is a huge structural change we can make that would make a difference.- Reform Prop 13
Best of the Rest
While special education is supposed to provide a set of structured supports and protections for students with special needs the lived experience of many Black families is quite the contrary, take a look. Who’s Afraid of an IEP? A Lot of Black Families
Native American Students Face Ongoing Crises in Education – Indian Country Media Network– From racially and culturally insensitive and incompetent teachers to low graduation rates and ableism, Native American students face ongoing crises in education. indiancountrymedianetwork.com
Some of Trump’s worst education proposals were reined in by the Senate, at least for now- Senate Panel Rejects Trump Teacher-Funding Cut, School Choice Proposals. Lawmakers in the Senate overseeing education spending dealt a big blow to the Trump administration’s K-12 budget asks in a spending bill approved. blogs.edweek.org