This week’s news–several looks at the OUSD budget challenges and some of the background, flat state test scores and large and persistent achievement gaps for Latinx students, California teacher empowerment, the need to reform Prop 13, opportunities for educators and ways you can help, and much more, please take a look and share
Oakland
An update from the Superintendent on the budget and lead in district water. Connecting with Kyla – November 2017
Democratic powerhouse Tony Podesta struck it rich with Oakland schools
The OUSD Budget Slide you need to See and the Coming Storm
Potential Solutions to OUSD’s Budget Crisis
An Open Letter from a Former OUSD Leader Supporting Latitude Charter High School
ACLU: Allow ‘Black Lives Matter’ signs in Alameda schools
OUSD Supt. Overspent Budget for Administrators, Nearly 100 Percent
Fearless Latina Student Leader Aims for a Seat on the State Board of Education
For Oakland youth and Families
Radio and Podcasting Class for Youth from KALW and EOYDC
Free Flu Vaccine Available For All Participating Oakland Elementary Schools
The GIRL Project Shine Workshop
East Bay Children’s Book Project Is in Peril
Now is the time to find and apply to the right school for your child!
Best of the Rest
MyWays: What learners need to thrive in a world of change
What can states learn about teacher empowerment from California?
Reform Prop. 13 to increase California’s investment in public education
No, there’s no reason to think DeVos is planning to resign, contrary to viral news stories
State board asked to reject history textbooks that fall short on LGBT contributions
Stagnant California test scores pose problem; state board may rejigger how to rate districts
Latino students lag far behind whites in every county in California, new study shows
Opinion: California needs better oversight of charter schools that taxpayers fund
Math festivals help elementary students – and their families – see math as fun
Before You Get Rid of ‘No Excuses’ Discipline, Hear Me Out
This Black Owned Tech Mentorship Program Just Got $1M from Google
Educator Opportunities
Teachers: Free Field Trips to the Exploratorium this Fall.
9/19 – 11/30 Apply for Paint the Town!
12/9 School Enrollment & Community Resource Fair
12/16 West Oakland School and Resource Fair Public
How you can help
East Bay College Fund’s Mentor Recruitment season is here!
Help an Oakland student and educator whose home was destroyed by fire
Support students with Listening Tools
Bring Coding and Engineering to Life with Lego Robots
Click here to support Literacy for Lazear Students! organized by Kaitlin Friedman
Oakland
An update from the Superintendent on the budget and lead in district water. Connecting with Kyla – November 2017 OUSD Superintendent Kyla Johnson-Trammell provides an update on the budget and shares information about the water.
Democratic powerhouse Tony Podesta struck it rich with Oakland schools Democratic power lobbyist Tony Podesta, who is stepping down from the firm that bears his name after coming under investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller, has a political reach that extends to the Bay Area.
The OUSD Budget Slide you Need to See and the Coming Storm
Tonight will be another OUSD meeting addressing the budget crisis, looking backward and doing a post mortem on the causes and looking to the present year.
Potential Solutions to OUSD’s Budget Crisis What can OUSD do about its budget crisis? We offer up some ideas in this #OUSDBudget series post.
Fmr. OUSD Supt. Overspent Budget for Administrators, Nearly 100 Percent administrators and consultants grew dramatically during the three years of Supt. Antwan Wilson’s administration and regularly exceeded the adopted budget
An Open Letter from a Former OUSD Leader Supporting Latitude Charter High School Here Aaron Townsend, a successful former OUSD school and district leader, shares his support for the Latitude 37.8 Charter High School petition that is up for vote.
Fearless Latina Student Leader Aims for a Seat on the State Board of Education-A guest cross-post by Alma Renteria and our sisters at Lacomadre.org Gema Quetzal, a student leader from Oakland, is competing for a seat on the State Board of Education.
ACLU: Allow ‘Black Lives Matter’ signs in Alameda schools The ACLU of Northern California wants the Alameda Unified School District to allow Black Lives Matter signs and stickers on campuses
Will your child be entering TK, K, 6th or 9th grade next school year? Or is your family interested in other OUSD options? Now is the time to find and apply to the right school for your child!
For Youth and Families
Free Flu Vaccine Available For All Participating Oakland Elementary Schools. Shoo the Flu program will return this fall for teachers and students at elementary schools throughout Oakland.
Radio and Podcasting Class for Youth from KALW and EOYDC – Calling all East Oakland Youth 14-18! Tell a story you care about, in your own voice– take the Radio and Podcasting class from KALW and EOYDC.
The GIRL Project Shine Workshop began on 10/11 free for girls ages 11-14 living in the San Antonio district of Oakland. Come on down after school dismissal for art and dance classes. Food and homework support available throughout the session Workshops will be held every Wednesday from 1:30 PM – 4:30 PM through December 13. Doors open at 1:00 PM. Eastside Cultural Center 2277 International Blvd. Oakland, CA 94606 Questions? Please contact Shaunnah Ray
California
What can states learn about teacher empowerment from California?
Opportunities to develop teacher leadership can build a sense of agency and lead to increases in student achievement.
Reform Prop. 13 to increase California’s investment in public education-As a result of chronic underfunding, California’s teachers are becoming increasingly over-burdened and students are not receiving the quality public education they need.
State board asked to reject history textbooks that fall short on LGBT contributions-Two K-8 texts by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt did not comply with state’s History Social Science Framework, according to Instructional Quality Commission.
Stagnant California test scores pose problem; state board may rejigger how to rate districts-State may change color configurations on the school dashboard to reduce the number of districts and student subgroups requiring county assistance.
Latino students lag far behind whites in every county in California, new study shows There is not a single county in California where the majority of Latino students are proficient in math or English language arts, according to a report released Monday.
Opinion: California needs better oversight of charter schools that taxpayers fund-California spends billions on charter school facilities at the expense of regular public schools that often show better results for students.
Math festivals help elementary students – and their families – see math as fun Across the state, a growing number of elementary schools are hosting math nights and festivals for students and families to show that math is fun.
East Bay Children’s Book Project Is in Peril– The beloved nonprofit, which supplies books to low-income kids throughout Oakland, has lost its lease and may have to shut down.
Back to the Roots of the Charter School Movement As a longtime believer in the possibility of charter schools, the so-called “charter movement” has been a disappointment.
Best of the Rest
MyWays: What learners need to thrive in a world of change-This 2 minute video provides a high-level overview of the MyWays Project, describing the urgent need for K-12 education to respond to the accelerating changes in our world that acutely affect today’s young people.
No, there’s no reason to think DeVos is planning to resign, contrary to viral news stories-Betsy DeVos haters can rejoice it seems: The secretary is planning to resign from Trump’s cabinet, according to a much-shared Salon story. But it’s not true.
Before You Get Rid of ‘No Excuses’ Discipline, Hear Me Out I’m concerned about the growing backlash against what are referred to as “no excuses” schools. Too often, critics depict overly-rigid approaches to discipline.
Opportunities/Funding for Educators
Teachers: Free Field Trips to the Exploratorium this Fall. Take BART to the Exploratorium and get free admission for your class, plus free round-trip BART tickets. Register at exploratorium.edu/BART or email [email protected]
9/19 – 11/30 Apply for Paint the Town! Apply for Oakland’s new street mural program from September 19th – November 30th. This pilot program allows community members to paint temporary street murals on Oakland’s roads. Make sure to come to an application clinic hosted at an Oakland Public Library, where community members can learn about the program and receive assistance on applications. Attending a clinic is not required to apply but they encourage you to come! The dates and locations of the clinics are available on the website. If you have more questions, email and visit the website for all application materials.
12/9 10 AM – 2 PM-School Enrollment & Community Resource Fair East Oakland Youth development Center 8200 International Blvd, Oakland, California 94621learn all about your public school options. Meet school principals, teachers and families. Learn how to make the best use of School Finder to explore and compare public schools. Get help with your EOC enrollment application and/or apply online on the spot. And learn more about the services provided by local community organizations.
12/16 – West Oakland School and Resource Fair Public · Hosted by Enroll Oakland Charters
Oakland families are invited to learn more about their public school options. There will be:
* School Booths (Elementary, Middle, High schools) – Visit with school principals, teachers and families
* Enrollment Booths – Explore and compare public schools using Oakland’s school finder. Get help with your online application and/or enroll online.
* Resource Booths – Learn more about support services provided by local community organizations.
How you can help
East Bay College Fund’s Mentor Recruitment season is here! The East Bay College Fund, which is currently supporting 800 Oakland scholars in college, is excited to begin recruiting Mentors for the 2018/19 Scholar year! College is definitely challenging, but it can be made easier with the support and advice of someone who has been there before. Every young person needs supportive relationships in order to grow and develop into thriving, productive, and engaged adults. Mentoring is a powerful way to help the next generation succeed! East Bay College Fund’s next Mentor Information Sessions will be on the following dates: Saturday, November 18th from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Thursday, December 14th from 6 – 8 p.m. For more information about upcoming mentor information sessions please contact Volunteer Manager, Lena Ringstrom, at [email protected]
Help an Oakland student and educator whose home was destroyed by fire. Huber was an Education for Change student, and is now an Education for Change teacher in the Fruitvale neighborhood of Oakland. He and his family represent Oakland at its best, and in the early hours of Friday, September 8th, they awoke to their home on fire. Thankfully, nobody was hurt, but you can imagine the pain, stress, frustration, and anger in seeing your family home on fire. We are asking that you donate whatever you can to help Huber and his family respond to this loss quickly so that he can resume the job he loves and support his family. Help spread the word!
Support students with Listening Tools – A strong listening center is much needed in all elementary school classrooms. The stacks of CD’s and cassettes on a day to day for engagement, enrichment in both love for learning and academic standards. My students need a protected space with a CD player and timers to listen, learn and be heard. Be the first to donate | $484 still needed, Ms. Semana Aspire College Academy, Oakland CA
Bring Coding and Engineering to Life with Lego Robots at Oakland Sol. This is the second phase of our great robot adventure, where students experiment with engineering concepts and coding practice, as well as learning about the design phases of a technical project. My students need these EV3 Mindstorms kits to take their skills to the next level! 2 donors | $466 still needed… Give to Mr. Davis
Click here to support Literacy for Lazear Students! organized by Kaitlin Friedman
Lazear is raising money to buy books for students! Our 3rd-8th graders are implementing a new literature curriculum where students learn to read and annotate in their books.