The Oakland Ed Week in review 9/5-9/12

Last week, declining attendance and enrollment at OUSD, talking to families, vaccine mandates, the Curry’s latest, the recall and education, a powerful reparations task force from the state, the enduring effects of ethnic studies, our podcast on the digital divide, a great new book on Oakland Ed, Learning in Public, a powerful PD opportunity with the Jazz and Democracy Project, Decoding Dyslexia’s lawsuit in BUSD and more, please read share and get involved

Oakland 

• Oakland Parents Say The Pandemic Helped To Get Learning Concerns Addressed
  • Many people are eager for life to get back to normal, but some Oakland parents feel that normal was not enough, and that the educational upheaval of the pandemic forced educational officials to listen. 
• OUSD’s Troubling Attendance and Enrollment Numbers
  • School may be back for OUSD, but many students aren’t showing up. Nearly a third of OUSD students are chronically absent, and even more are considered at risk. What does this data mean, and what should be done about it?
• Steph and Ayesha Curry’s Newest Vehicle for Serving Oakland: A Transformed Bus\
  • Steph and Ayesha Curry have unveiled a new mobile resource center for their organization Eat. Love. Play, designed to bring education, nutrition, and recreation directly to the people of Oakland in the form of a renovated bus. 
• Oakland Unified School District Considering Vaccine Mandate for Students 12 and Up
  • As Los Angeles Unified School District has voted to mandate coronavirus vaccines for students 12 and up, many Bay Area school districts are considering doing the same. OUSD Vice President Sam Davis is amongst the people pushing for mandatory vaccinations, and has put forward his own proposal mandating vaccines to the Oakland School Board. 

California

• California is Achieving Nation’s Biggest Education Reforms. Recalling Newsom Endangers Them.
  • Governor Newson ran on the idea of a “cradle to career” education system, and he has made significant progress in reforming the states education system. However, these reforms have not been centered in the recall conversation, despite their important impact. 
• How California’s slavery reparations task force has the power to transform us all
  • Most Californians were taught little to nothing about the states history involving slavery. This could change soon, with the addition of a school curriculum teaching students about California’s history with slavery, and its lasting effects. 

• California schools to get help identifying homeless students if Governor signs bill
  • California schools would have a standardized procedure for identifying homeless students, thousands of whom attend the states K-12 schools. As well as s standard method, schools would also receive funding to support their homeless students. These resources are contingent on a bill which has already been approved by the legislature being signed by Governor Newsom by October 10.

Other Stories

• Courtney Martin: Learning in Public
  • Writer, journalist, and storyteller Courtney Martin discusses her new book, Learning in Public, chronicling her experiences sending her child to Emerson Elementary, the poorly rated public school in her area. 

• Getting to Reading; a Discussion with Decoding Dyslexia on the Class Action Suit in Berkeley, and How the Settlement will Help Children There and Elsewhere
  • Join Decoding Dyslexia for an in depth conversation with Deborah Jacobson, one of the lead attorneys for the plaintiffs of the Berkeley USD class action lawsuit. The discussion is focused on the terms of the settlement, and the positive changes that will be made in its wake. 

• A Conversation with Chris Lewis, CEO of Public Knowledge on the Roots of the Digital Divide
  • Dirk Tillotson and Chris Lewis hold an in depth conversation on how the digital divide came to be, and how it can be fixed.
• How Enduring 9/11 Memories From Brooklyn Shaped Me as a Teacher
  • Jonathan Osler’s first day of student teaching was 9/11/2001. It was a day that would leave a permanent mark on him, along with the entire nation, and has continued to affect him as a teacher to this day.
• Research Finds Ethnic Studies in San Francisco Had an Enduring Impact
  • Research recently released showed that the benefits of 9th grade ethnic studies classes has had a lasting impact on students throughout their high school careers. The first year course engaged students, resulting in lasting higher attendance, higher graduation rates, and increased enrollment in college. 

Resources

• Jazz, Democracy, and You; An Impactful  Opportunity for Educators
  • For over a decade, Dr. Wes has been offering explorations and professional development in Jazz and Democracy for Bay Area educators. Now, the application for this year has opened up. Any educators interested should check out this amazing opportunity now!