The Oakland Education Week in Review: 3/23-3/29

Many looks at how schools and the systems are reacting to COVID 19, including meal distribution, some inspiring educator stories, and lots on the digital divide and the need to make sure kids are online. Also info on the the Prop 39 drama, enrollment process updates, and lots of ways you can help support families or students in getting online, please read, share, and get virtually involved

Oakland:

California:

Other Stories:

Resources:

How You Can Help:

Oakland:

  • Teaching in the Time of a Pandemic; A Leader’s Message to Staff
    • “Our family’s dinner conversation has shifted from silly and interesting stories about our school days, to answering my daughters’ questions about their grandpa, “Mama, will we ever get to see Baba again?” Our lives have changed so dramatically in a matter of days.”
  • How Elmhurst is serving East Oakland students during the coronavirus
    • When one of our biggest concerns about closing schools is that we have so many students who won’t have access to a warm, safe, dry place to be for 8 hours and won’t have food to eat, we really need to think about what the hell we’re doing in this country.
  • A Look at EBIA’s Transition to Online Learning, but an Online Prom?
    • Spring 2020 is supposed to be a celebratory time for the East Bay Innovation Academy (EBIA) students, educators and community. The school’s founding students, who started in 7th grade when the school opened in 2014, are receiving their diplomas this year. They have been anticipating this for years, and now what will happen on graduation day is a giant unknown, as Oakland residents “shelter in place.”
  • Fixing the Prop 39 Facility Fiasco
    • The way that Oakland Unified allocates facilities is bad for kids, schools, and likely the district’s bank account.  We have all heard about the “too many schools” problem, but here I am talking about Proposition 39 which mandates that districts make “reasonably equivalent” facilities available to public charter school students.
  • School is Out Until at Least May 1, The Latest ACOE Press Release
    • Seven Bay Area county health officers, in collaboration with their county superintendents have made a unified, regional decision to extend school closures and student dismissals from regular school attendance through May 1, 2020 to slow the spread of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) to the maximum extent.
  • Enrollment Update: Offer Enrollment Deadline Extended 
    • Due to the current situation with COVID-19 and school closures, OUSD and Oakland Enrolls have decided to push back the deadline to give families more time to consider their options. The new deadline to accept or decline an offer for enrollment is April 9, 2020. If you do not take action and accept an offer by April 9, you will lose this offer.
  • Right Now, Being a High School Senior in the Bay Area Is a Waiting Game
    • Malia Johnson’s senior year at Fremont High School in East Oakland was going according to plan. She got accepted to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, applied for scholarships and lined up a paid internship to help pay for college costs this fall. Then, the novel coronavirus outbreak hit and her school began experimenting with online distance learning.
  • The Digital Divide, Parent Access and How We Can More than Survive During the COVID Crisis
    • Oakland’s reality is that families are struggling to meet their basic needs and now carry the additional burden of trying to guide their children’s education. Oakland parents are ready to work on behalf of their children, but now the district must authentically understand what it means to address equity and create the conditions for meaningful engagement.
  • The Latest Connecting with Kyla, looking at the COVID Crisis, Response, and Resources
    • As you likely know, our school closure has been extended through at least May 1. Although we want nothing more than for our students to be reunited with their teachers and school staff, the well-being of our community is our top priority. As May 1 approaches, we will reevaluate when we can return to school. It is my sincere hope that we get back in class as soon as possible, but we cannot do so before it’s safe for our community.
  • Digital Apartheid in the Age of COVID, Making the Right to Online Access for ALL Students a Reality
    • During segregation at least we had dilapidated schools, and the backs of buses to sit in.  For today’s digital second-class citizens, those families without access to the internet, they can’t even get into the digital schoolhouse door.  The digital divide for the unconnected is a cliff in the age of remote schooling. Either you are online at school or you are not at school. For roughly 17,000 Oakland students, they are on the digital cliff, sitting outside the schoolhouse door, and threatening to fall off.

California:

Other Stories:

  • Proposed coronavirus federal aid package could disrupt special education
    • Tucked inside the U.S. Senate’s coronavirus aid package is a provision that advocates say could upend special education for millions of students with disabilities. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, introduced Thursday by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, gives U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos 30 days to suggest a plan to Congress for waiving portions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the 45-year-old federal law that guarantees students with disabilities a free public education.
  • Madam C.J. Walker’s Mansion to Become a Think Tank for Women of Color Entrepreneurs
    • The National Trust for Historic Preservation announced last week that the New Voices Foundation purchased Walker’s home, called Villa Lewaro, for an undisclosed amount. The foundation functions as the nonprofit wing of the $100 million New Voices Fund, which focuses on women of color entrepreneurs.
  • Brooklyn principal, 36, dies from coronavirus complications
    • Dezann Romain, 36, headed up the Brooklyn Democracy Academy in Brownsville, a school where older-aged high school students transfer when they don’t have enough credits to continue attending a traditional high school. Her death marked the first known case of a city public school employee succumbing to COVID-19, according to The New York Post.
  • New Books Club Alert: 11-Year-Old Strats “Books N Bros” Reading Club for Black Boys
    • If 11-year-old Sidney Keys III took you on a tour of his school library, you’d probably find a limited amount of books that feature African American authors and characters. However, Sidney did not allow the lack of representation and literacy promotion to stifle his passion for reading. As a matter of fact, it drove him to start his very own book club, called “Books N Bros”. Sidney’s idea was solidified after his first visit to Missouri’s University City bookstore, “EyeSeeMe”, where his mother recorded a Facebook video of him reading. The video went on to receive more than 62,000 views.
  • Here’s How the COVID-19 Stimulus Bill Will Affect Education
    • Late this morning the U.S. Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, or the CARES Act. The total tab is $2 trillion and includes direct payments to Americans, an expansion of unemployment insurance and billions in aid to large and small businesses. It also includes $13.5 billion for schools and lots of waiver power for Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.
  • Despite assurances of flexibility, educators fear liability in online instruction of special ed students 
    • State and federal education leaders have assured school districts they would have flexibility in serving out-of-school special education students, but some districts are still afraid of lawsuits if they are unable to appropriately educate those students amid the coronavirus crisis.

Resources:

  • OUSD’s Grab and Go Free Meal Program Now in its Third Day As Need Expands
    • The Grab and Go free meal program for Oakland students is now in its third day and expects to continue growing exponentially. On day one of the program last Monday, March 16, OUSD Nutrition Services gave out about 25,000 meals to roughly 4,100 students. On Thursday, March 19, the second day of meal service, about 10,000 students received 50,000 meals. Today, the program has 90,000 meals ready for pickup.
  • For Those in Need: Chronicle Season of Sharing Fund
    • Housing and Critical Family Needs assistance is provided in the form of grants that are paid directly to the supplier of services, such as a landlord or medical equipment provider. If you or someone you know needs temporary assistance and might qualify for a grant, please read on for a list of coordinating agencies and their phone numbers.
  • COVID-19 Alameda County Rapid Response Resources
    • From the desk of the AC Care Connect Consumer & Family Fellowship Peer-to-Peer Advisors

How You Can Help:

  • Launching the REACH Relief Fund Coming Together for Oakland Families During COVID-19
    • This is a scary and uncertain time for everyone in Oakland. And for many of our most vulnerable families, it’s not just scary and uncertain — it’s about making the paycheck stretch another day, and surviving another week. While many of us are worried about stockpiling toilet paper and keeping our kids entertained and healthy, many Oakland REACH families are worried about affording rent and paying for food, utilities, and other basic necessities.
  • You can help expand internet access to every student in Oakland
    • It’s inspiring to see innovative teachers respond to this crisis, using technology to make sure learning doesn’t stop while schools are closed. But we need to remember that not all students have access to the internet or to a device. This analysis from OUSD is several years old, but it highlights that not all communities will be able to access distance learning opportunities and that this crisis will cost some families more than others. 
  • The Gaping Hole in Comcast’s Free Internet, Sign Our Petition to Close It
    • When COVID forced schools to online learning, we were worried about how students would get online.  We could provide laptops, folks like Oakland Technology Exchange have stepped up. Home internet was another issue.  So it was great to see Comcast promise free internet to all Oakland families for two months. Like so many promises, this one came with some strings, and not everyone could actually get internet.  Which is why we created this petition.
  • Donate to Tech Exchange
    • As the world comes together in isolation, finding a solution to close the digital divide is as important as ever. Your donation today helps ensure that all students and families can stay connected and access online learning opportunities.
  • How Can TechHire Oakland Help?
    • As the COVID-19 virus continues to spread in the Bay Area, we recognize that communities of color are disproportionately affected by shifts in employment, education, and digital access.  To help us provide guidance and resources during this time, we’d like to understand your needs. Help us by completing a 1 minute survey. 
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