A Tactic without a Strategy in OUSD’s Failed “Charter Moratorium”

Oakland Unified’s tactic of denying every charter petition, no matter how promising, isn’t working, and is actually counterproductive based on the district’s own goals.  It won’t constrain charter growth and will undermine collaboration in areas helpful to the District.  They need to rethink it. The OUSD board and superintendent have expressed 3 specific policy goals…


My Oakland; A Student Reflects on a Changing City

A guest post by Oakland student Jeremiah Vaughn, one of Oakland’s Energy Converters I live in Oakland but I don’t. Let me explain See I’m from the old Oakland where everyone knew everyone and the saying that “it takes a village to raise a child” actually showed. I’m from old Oakland where if you got in…


Oakland Education Roundup from the Week of November 3rd

Looking back on everything Oakland this week, the teacher of the year, keeping cuts away from students, parent and student narratives, OUSD’s lead problem, the effects of traumatized students on teachers, bullying of Muslim students is up, racial disparities in discipline persist, meeting recaps, funding for educators, ways you can help and much more please…


Reflections of a Muslim Girl Growing Up in Oakland Unified

By: Meelan Mohsin one of Oakland’s Energyconverters (Meelan was the writer on this story reporting another student’s experience. Meelan conducted a series of interviews to capture the emotion this student felt all throughout her time as a student here in Oakland.) I moved to the U.S. from Iraq when I was 11 years old. I only…


VIDEO: In Oakland We Believe in the Greatness of Our Black Male Students

A guest cross post from Bankh Akintunde who is a native of Oakland and the Manhood Development program instructor at West Oakland Middle School. FULL PROFILE → VIDEO SERIES: BLACK MALE EDUCATORS SPEAKIn partnership with Education Post, the Campaign for Black Male Achievement (CBMA) has launched the Black Male Educators Speak video series, focusing on the stories of four…