A Guest post by Courtney Martin, publicizing an event coming up with Equity Allies
School selection season is upon us — a time of heightened anxiety and no small amount of scheduling difficulty for Oakland parents. For those of us who can get to tours, not to mention figure out when the hell they are, it’s inevitably both inspiring (wow, teachers jobs look hella hard!) and confusing (what exactly am I supposed to be looking for?). Some school communities are great at marketing themselves–talking a big game about what they offer their students, their pedagogical philosophies, and more. Some school communities don’t value the performance of what they do well as much as, well, just doing it day in and day out. Does that make the latter any less worthy?
I certainly don’t think so. It took me a minute to actually take all of this in when I was trying to find a school for my kid a couple of years ago. It brought out all my insecurities–am I lazy parent that I’m not armed with ten questions and a confident sense of what matters at a school? Do I care less about my kid if I am prioritizing an easy commute? What should I make of these GreatSchools.org ratings anyway? And what about equity — my white kid, from what I’ve read, is going to thrive, but how can I make sure I’m making a choice that supports all kids?
If you’re anything like I am, or just looking for a place to learn more first-hand from real Oakland parents, come to our gathering next week! Childcare and mac & cheese provided, because lord knows you don’t know one more logistical challenge…
Please join us by registering here.