For many students in our city, last week was the first full week back to in person classes in almost a year in a half. For others, today was that first day! We are still anticipating numerous changes as the school year progresses but one huge development is that vaccines are now required for all OUSD staff, contractors and more. We also covered the first OUSD school board meeting and Homeroom – a new film showcasing student life in our city.
- Families Will Demand a Quality Distance Learning Option Tonight, Will OUSD Listen?
- “I’m Going to Showboat my Behind Off” the Hot Mic Moment that Tells you Everything You Need to Know about OUSD’s Board Dysfunction
- Oakland Unified teachers, staff required to be vaccinated or tested starting Sept. 7
- Now Playing! Oakland High Seniors Meet, Greet the Moment in ‘Homeroom’
- Oakland students return to campuses amid national surge of COVID cases
Families Will Demand a Quality Distance Learning Option Tonight, Will OUSD Listen? -Oakland REACH has been running a Virtual Family Hub delivering excellent instruction that works. This week, The Oakland REACH will be speaking this Wednesday at the Board to deliver the message that whether their child is remote or in person, they expect nothing less than quality. The Virtual Family Hub has shown virtual learning can be of quality and provide ample learning opportunities for all students. Our Summer 2020 Hub ran 5 days a week, for 5 weeks, and offered 75 hours of quality, rigorous instruction.
“I’m Going to Showboat my Behind Off” the Hot Mic Moment that Tells you Everything You Need to Know about OUSD’s Board Dysfunction – The first OUSD meeting of the year was not off to a good start. The meeting was disrupted, adjourned and delayed for 2 hours. The key moment was during the adjournment, when Director Williams trying to keep the ship on course, while counseling Director Hutchinson said “man, you’re showboating,”. To which Director Hutchinson responds, “I am going to showboat my behind off…I am going to showboat my behind off.”
Oakland Unified teachers, staff required to be vaccinated or tested starting Sept. 7 – Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that all California teachers and school staff must either be vaccinated or tested once a week for COVID-19. This applies to all school workers at public, private and parochial schools. Oct. 15 is the deadline for all schools to comply. Read more about OUSD’s earlier push to keep students and staff safe.
Now Playing! Oakland High Seniors Meet, Greet the Moment in ‘Homeroom’ – In Homeroom, East Bay filmmaker Peter Nicks’ verité paints a portrait of the disorienting and reorienting senior year of Oakland High School’s class of 2020. From showcasing student life in isolation to protests in the streets with the murder of George Floyd, we see how Oakland institutions shape life in the city – especially as students.
Oakland students return to campuses amid national surge of COVID cases– According to Alameda County’s latest figures, the number of COVID-19 cases for the previous 14 days — spurred by the delta variant of the virus — increased from 1,032 on July 6 to 4,174 on Aug. 6, the latest available numbers. Thousands of students are returning to in-person instructions these next few weeks. (Note: this article was published before the statewide vaccination mandate.)