I am an Oakland parent, and below is the text of my speech at the Oakland REACH kickoff event.
Who here wants the best for your child?
This a question that every parent here is faced with every single day. Although “the best” for us all means different things, we all want them to find success, to do better than we did.
And we at the Oakland REACH believe that success shouldn’t just depend on living in the right neighborhoods or being lucky in the lottery.
We as parents spend so much time trying to find the best options for our child, and then we still have to hold our breath to get picked in a lottery. That creates a lot of anxiety.
Who’s been there before? Who knows what I’m talking about? Hoping and praying your kid gets picked?
I went through this with my daughter. I wanted her to have the best quality education, I was in search for a school that would provide her with that. But my neighborhood options weren’t great.
But I was determined. After applying for schools and trying to transfer my daughter to another district, I did finally find a school in Oakland that could give her the best education. But it was a hassle and struggle to do so—it was hard to find resources—and it shouldn’t have to be.
We as parents should be able to put our children in our neighborhood schools, drop them off, and know that they are getting a quality education that will allow them to go to any universities or be in any industry they chose.
That’s why I’m part of the Oakland REACH because it’s time to make it easier to find good, safe and quality schools in our neighborhoods. Because here at the Oakland REACH we care and want the best not only for our children, but all children in Oakland public schools.
Who doesn’t want to feel powerless anymore?
Good news, there is hope. If we work together, we can be so powerful.
Please join the Oakland REACH, stay connected with our work.
The Oakland REACH is giving you a seat at the table so we can change this for our kids.