The Oakland EducationWeek in Review: 1/13-1/20

This week, lots of budget and potential strike coverage, including a look at area salaries, it’s open enrollment season and we look at schools making progress on tests and have all the open houses listed, a student’s stand against discrimination led to policy change at Tech, a great series on Black (mis) education in SFUSD, all that and more –please read share and get involved

 

Oakland:

California:

How You Can Help:

School Visits:

January 22nd:

January 23rd:

January 24th:

January 25th:

January 26th:

 

Oakland:

  • Haifa’s Story, How it Changed Oakland Tech, and Hopefully Other Schools: The Critical Role of Youth Voice in Equity
    • Haifa was forced to choose between her faith and her school.  She chose her faith and transferred out of Oakland Tech during her freshwoman year.  The school many consider Oakland’s crown jewel. She is in college now, but her legacy lasts, through a formal policy change there, and at other schools—hopefully including yours.
  • Public Elementary Schools Oakland Families Should Look at Based on the Latest Test Scores
    • Where you send your child to school is one of the most important decisions you can make.  The new school quality data was released by the state recently, and I wanted to highlight some of the schools making progress with Oakland children, and encourage families to visit.  Every child is different, and I will break it down into subgroups (schools showing progress with Black, Brown and low income students) in the next few weeks and you can also take a look at the schoolfinder tool to find local schools.
  • Oakland’s School Closure Plans Off to a Rough Start for Some Parents
    • A group of parents at Roots International Academy, an East Oakland middle school that’s been targeted for closure, say the district’s plans were made without their input. They are headed to Wednesday night’s school board meeting to demand answers, saying they’ve been living with the fear and stress of not knowing what will happen to their students next year.
  • Oakland Unified looks to higher teacher pay to improve student learning as teachers threaten to strike
    • As Oakland Unified faces a possible teachers’ strike and braces for deep budget cuts for the 2019-20 school year, its leaders are asking themselves: “Which expenditures would give us the greatest academic returns on our investments?”
  • Get Up Get Down! Oakland Is A Union Town — Mass March and Rally To Defend Public Education
    • On January 12, 2019 thousands of teachers, students and staff marched and rallied in Oakland to defend public education. The Oakland Education Association contract has expired and they are discussing striking in February.
  • New funding model could mean mass exodus of Oakland school librarians, closure of more libraries
    • The Oakland Unified School District is changing the way it hands out money to school libraries, and in an ironic twist, the seemingly equal distribution of money to each school is seen by many critics as very inequitable, especially for schools in poor neighborhoods.
  • Fremont High teachers call another OUSD sick-out
    • On Friday, Jan. 18, 2019, teachers from Fremont High School, along with teachers all across Oakland Unified School District (OUSD), will be holding another “sick-out.” Just like the last sick-out, this will look like multiple teachers from multiple schools calling in “sick” on Friday morning.
  • As Bay Area teachers talk strike, here’s a look at how much they get paid
    • As teachers are on strike in Los Angeles, and other unions in the Bay Area are also taking about holding rallies and sickouts over smaller class sizes and making a “livable, competitive wage,” KTVU decided to look at how much teachers earn.
  • Students Should Get More Acclimated with State Testing Results-A Student’s Perspective
    • In December, the latest dashboard for California testing came out. Part of our work at Energy Convertors is teaching students (1) that this information is available, and (2) understanding for themselves what any of this means.
  • A legacy of mistreatment for San Francisco’s black special ed students
    • African American students across the country are much more likely than any other student group to be placed in special education, and that’s true at San Francisco Unified too. The district’s troubled history has plenty to teach us about what is and isn’t working for black students with special needs today.
  • 16th Annual Oakland Black College Expo
    • Join us for our 16th Annual Black College Expo Saturday February 9th at our NEW LOCATION Oracle Arena. Seniors and Juniors and College Transfer Students meet one on one with top HBCUs and a variety of other colleges and universities and get answers right on the spot.
  • OUSD this Friday: A ‘Day Without Educators’
    • On Friday, Jan. 18, 2019, teachers and support staff from Oakland Technical High School will join together with educators from across Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) in a one-day work action. This work action will significantly impact the school day, and we expect that a large majority of educators at Oakland Tech will participate.
  • 6-12 Public Schools Oakland Parents Should Consider Based on the Latest Test Scores
    • Where you send your child to school is one of the most important decisions you can make.  The new school quality data was released by the state recently, and I wanted to highlight some of the schools making progress with Oakland children, and encourage families to visit.  Every child is different, and I will break it down into subgroups (schools showing progress with Black, Brown and low income students) in the next few weeks and you can also take a look at the schoolfinder tool to find local schools.
  • How can San Francisco support its most vulnerable black residents? Help them succeed at school.
    • San Francisco’s African American community has shrunk by half since 1970. Of the families that remain, nearly a fifth live in public housing or get a rental subsidy. Now, a city effort is turning public housing into a key front in the battle to improve educational outcomes for African American kids.
  • Oakland Teachers Plan Unsanctioned Disruption To Protest Slow Contract Talks
    • A group of Oakland teachers said Wednesday that they plan to engage in a major disruption on Friday to protest the slow pace of contract talks between the Oakland Unified School District and the teachers’ union.
  • Learning while black: The fight for equity in San Francisco schools
    • When the head of the San Francisco chapter of the NAACP demanded the city declare a “state of emergency” to tackle low academic test results for African American students, he turned the blame on the grown-ups. “It’s not that the children are failing,” the Rev. Amos Brown told school board trustees. “I’m using the plural pronoun ‘we.’ We are failing.”

California:

  • Looming Los Angeles teacher strike could herald fresh wave of unrest
    • Thousands of Los Angeles teachers plan to strike Monday — raising the possibility of a new wave of “educator spring” activity resurrected in the blue state of California.
  • It didn’t fix the L.A. teacher strike, but Newsom’s pension idea would help schools, anyway
    • Newsom’s proposal, made last week as part of a record $80.7 billion budget for K-14 education, threw school districts a modest lifeline on one of the public school system’s more widespread financial pressures—the rapidly rising cost of teacher pensions.
  • California Foster Students Get Patchwork of College Support
    • “My life wasn’t butterflies,” said Inzunza, who first entered the foster system when she was 5. “It was hard. It was difficult. It took me so long to get here.” She’s well aware that youth formerly in care face formidable obstacles in their educational path. Studies show that foster youth are the most likely to drop out of school and least likely to graduate high school, much less attend and graduate from college. In California, about 50 percent of foster students graduated from high school in the 2016-17 school year, compared to about 83 percent for all other students, according to the state Department of Education.

How You Can Help:

  • Three Demands for OUSD’s Budget Cuts
    • Oakland Unified School District needs to cut tens of $ from their budget to avoid bankruptcy and prioritize important areas like teacher salary and retention. We’re concerned with their current approach. TAKE ACTION: Click here to email your school board TODAY to join us in calling for 3 things: prioritize funding school sites, strategic redesign of the central office, and smarter spending practices.

School Visits:

January 22nd:

  • School Tour of Community School for Creative Education! All Welcome!
  • January 22 @ 9:00 am – 10:00 am
  • School Tour of Community School for Creative Education
  • For prospective parents interested in a guided tour and an opportunity to see classes and learn the school’s history. No need to sign up, but call main office when you arrive at (510) 686-4131.
  • Location: 211 International Blvd
  • Time: 9-10am
  • Contact Person: Ida Oberman | (510) 517-0331 | [email protected]
  • All Tour Dates (all from 9-10am):
  • Tues 1/22
  • Tues 1/29
  • Tour of North Oakland Community Charter School!
    • January 22 @ 9:00 am – 10:00 am
    • Interested in North Oakland Community Charter School?
    • Join us for a parent-led school tour where you can see the school grounds, visit classrooms in session, plus ask questions of current parents and students. At the end of the tour, you will be able to have a Q&A session with our head of school Mr. Kloker. Come learn all about all the programs, partnerships and community events that make NOCCS so special.
    • Location: 1000 42nd Street Oakland, CA 94608
    • Time: 9:00am-10:00am
    • Please RSVP by clicking HERE
    • Contact: Dr. Lehi Dickey | [email protected]
  • School Tour Of Carl B. Munck Elementary School! All Welcome!!
  • January 22 @ 9:30 am – 10:30 am
  • Interested In Carl B. Munck Elementary?
  • Please come to join them on a tour of the facilities!
  • Thank you for your interest in Carl B. Munck Elementary School #168!
  • Location: 11900 Campus Dr, Oakland, CA 94619
  • Phone: (510)531-4900
  • Web Address:  https://www.ousd.org/carlmunck
  • Dates/Times
  • November 27, 2018  at 9:30am
  • December 4, 2018  at 9:30am
  • January 22, 2019  at 9:30am
  • February 5, 2019  at 9:30am
  • February 26, 2019  at 9:30am
  • March 5, 2019  at 9:30am
  • March 26, 2019 at 9:30am

January 23rd:

  • School Tour of Chabot Elementary! All Welcome!
    • January 23 @ 8:15 am
    • School Tour of Chabot Elementary
    • Come for a tour of our school!
    • Location: 6686 Chabot Road, Oakland, CA 94618
    • Time: 8:15 am
    • Contact: [email protected]
    • Other School Tour Dates:
  • January 24
  • January 29
  • February 4
  • School Tour at Aurum Prep Academy
    • January 23 @ 8:15 am – 9:15 am
    • School Tour at Aurum Prep Academy
    • Please come to join them on a tour of the school!
    • Location: 1034 66th Avenue, Oakland
    • Time: 8:15am
    • RSVP by emailing [email protected] or by calling 510.746.7860.
  • School Tour of Montclair Elementary! All Welcome!
  • January 23 @ 9:00 am – 10:30 am
  • School Tour of Montclair Elementary
  • PROSPECTIVE FAMILIES TOURS (All Grades, TK-5)
  • Thank you for your interest in Montclair Elementary School!
  • We are currently conducting school tours for prospective families for the 2019-20 academic school year.
  • To sign up, click this this message for the Tour Sign Up link and fill out the form.
  • Tours are conducted on Wednesdays, 9:00-10:30 am; and Saturdays (limited), 10-11:30 am.
  • Parent volunteers lead the tours, and there will be a Q&A portion with Interim Principal Dr. Saddler.
  • The hour and a half-long tour generally includes visits to a Kinder classroom, the Library, and the play area.
  • Tours start promptly, so please allow time for parking and check-in.
  • All attendees are required to sign in as a Visitor in the school office located at 1757 Mountain Blvd.
  • Sign up as soon as you can, as spaces are limited and tours fill up quickly. Tours are for parents and guardians only (no students, please). We look forward to meeting you!
  • Location: 1757 Mountain Boulevard, Oakland, CA, 94611
  • Time: 9:00am to 10:30am
  • Other Tour Dates/Times
  • Wednesday, November 28, 2018, 9-10:30 am
  • Wednesday, December 5, 2018, 9-10:30 am
  • Saturday, December 15, 2018, 10-11:30 am
  • Wednesday, December 19, 2018, 9-10:30 am
  • Wednesday, January 9, 2019, 9-10:30 am
  • Saturday, January 12, 2019, 10-11:30 am
  • Wednesday, January 23, 2019, 9-10:30 am
  • Wednesday, January 30, 2019, 9-10:30 am
  • School Tour at Urban Montessori Charter School
    • January 23 @ 9:00 am – 10:30 am
    • Registration for Enrollment Tours are available here and registration is required. We do not offer visits to UMCS outside of scheduled enrollment tours.
    • Tours include an informational video about UMCS, a campus walk-through with classroom observations and a Q & A panel with school leadership, staff, and current parents. Because tours include visits to classrooms in session please do not bring children to the tours. Tours are for adults only and REQUIRE advance registration. We are not able to offer individual tours outside of the to-be-published tour schedule.
    • At UMCS, we work to create a truly inclusive school community reflective of the racial and socioeconomic diversity of Oakland where each student achieves, differences are valued, voices are heard, and power is shared. We share this vision early with prospective families with the aim of supporting them to also believe in and work towards this goal.
    • Tours
      • Wednesday, January 23, 9:00 – 10:30 am
      • Friday, February 1, 9:00 – 10:30 am
      • Wednesday, February 6, 6:00 – 7:00 pm (EVENING TOUR)*
      • Friday February 8, 9:00 – 10:30 am
      • Wednesday March 6, 6:00- 7:30 pm (Public Lottery & EVENING TOUR)*
    • *Evening tours are generally shorter because they do not include a school-day observation. When possible, we will work to include a brief Montessori lesson demonstration as part of evening tours.
  • School Tour Of Kaiser Elementary! All Welcome!!
    • January 23 @ 10:15 am – 11:15 am
    • Interested In Kaiser Elementary?
    • Please come to join them on a tour of the facilities!
    • Thank you for your interest in Kaiser Elementary!
    • Location: 25 South Hill Court, Oakland, CA 94618
    • Phone: (510) 549-4900
    • Web Address:  http://www.kaiserelementary.org/
    • Dates/Times
      • February 5, 2018  at 10:15am
  • Kaiser Elementary Open House
  • January 23 @ 10:15 am – 11:30 am
  • Interested In Kaiser Elementary School?
  • Please come to their Open House!!
  • Date/Time: January 23, 2019 at 10:15AM
  • Location: 25 South Hill Court, Oakland, CA 94618
  • Contact: [email protected]

January 24th:

January 25th:

  • Tour Of Aurum Preparatory Academy! All Welcome!!
    • January 25 @ 8:30 am – 9:30 am
    • Interested in Aurum Prep?
    • Come join a guided tour of the facility!
    • Location: 1034 66th Ave., Oakland, CA 94621-353
    • Time: 8:30am – 9:30am
    • RSVP by calling 510.746.7860 or emailing [email protected]
    • They will be hosting tours on the last Friday of every month from 8:30am-9:30am  until the end of open enrollment.
    • They will also be having tours on many Wednesdays from 8:15am-9:15am but to schedule those, parents should contact us at [email protected] or by calling 510.746.7860.
  • School Tour at AMPS Downtown Charter
    • January 25 @ 9:30 am – 10:30 am
    • School Tour at AMPS Downtown Charter
    • Please come to join them on a tour of the school!
    • Location: 2000 Dennison St, Oakland, CA, 94606
    • Time: 9:30 – 10:30 am
    • Contact: [email protected] or 510-535-1580
  • Oakland School of Language (SOL) – School Tour
    • January 25 @ 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
    • Interested in Oakland SOL? Join us for a school tour!
    • Address: 1180 70th Avenue Oakland
    • Date Time: January 25, 2019 at 12pm
    • Phone number: 510-636-7992
    • We will be holding school tours every Friday from 12-1 p.m. We will also schedule tours for families who cannot attend on Fridays if they contact us ahead of time and request a tour. 510-636-7992

January 26th:

 

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