The Oakland Education Week in Review: 9/15-9/22

Last week, lots of Kaiser news and views, a discussion of PTSS, Salesforce invests in OUSD, some controversy on the Oakland Promise, a look at CA’s early desegregation cases, how parents can vote for justice with their feet by taking the “two tours challenge” all day kindergarten, and much more with links, please read, share and get involved

Oakland:

California:

Other Stories:

Resources:

How You Can Help:

Oakland:

  • The Latest from Kaiser; Kaiser Teachers “Will not Participate” in the Merger, Plus the Court Filings Looking for the Root of the Conspiracy
    • The Kaiser-Sankofa merger is a done deal after the board’s vote on Wednesday for a merger, but the controversy is not over.  The Kaiser teachers penned a blistering letter to the board, rejecting any cooperation with the merger.
  • About the “Kaiser-Sankofa-Santa Fe” Situation w/Dr. Brian Stanley
    • This podcast series delves into the minds of some of the most influential Black leaders in Oakland (and beyond). When we let great minds just rant, they always leave a trail of gems in their wake. Enjoy.
  • Connecting with Kyla: Tuesday, September 17, 2019
    • Last week was an important one for the OUSD community. I want to share some vital news as we continue to move from crisis towards stability and create a high quality, sustainable public school system. Below, are some updates about the Close of Books, the Grand Jury Report, and the Blueprint for Quality Schools.
  • Oakland Unified School District Apologizes After Failing To Deliver Lunch To Students
    • The Oakland Unified School District is apologizing after failing to deliver hot lunches to roughly 20kindergartners, first graders and second graders at Oakland’s Henry J. Kaiser Elementary School.
  • ‘Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome’: DeGruy talks to Oakland audience about the lingering trauma of African diaspora
    • “If it gets difficult or if it gets deep or if it gets hard, stay in the room,” Dr. Joy DeGruy told an audience of 600 or so who had filled the pews at First Congregational Church in downtown Oakland on Friday evening. DeGruy, author of Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome: America’s Legacy of Enduring Injury and Healing, was at the church to talk about race—in particular the unique, multigenerational and still-unresolved trauma of the African-American experience. “Because we can’t deal with this issue,” DeGruy added, “if we don’t stay in the room.”
  • Latinx Celebrated at Oakland’s Montera Middle School
    • Monday is Mexico’s independence day and the start of National Hispanic Heritage Month. There was no better place to celebrate this event than at Montera Middle School in Oakland.
  • Teaching 6-Year-Olds About Privilege and Power
    • On a sunny day in April, I drove to Head-Royce School in the hills of Oakland, California, to join circle time in Bret Turner’s first-grade classroom. I had asked Turner if I could sit in on some lessons after reading an article he wrote describing how he teaches about some surprising topics — like race and class — in an elementary school classroom. I wanted to see what that looked like and what kind of conversations first-graders at this private school would have around such complicated and fraught topics.
  • Salesforce provides $18.2M in grants to bolster math and computer science education
    • Salesforce will give a total of $18.2 million in grants to the San Francisco and Oakland school districts in California as well as local education nonprofits “to expand educational opportunities for students and leaders in the Bay Area,” the company said in a news release.
  • Oakland’s Promise Kept or Not?
    • Oakland City Council President Rebecca Kaplan continues to raise questions about Oakland Promise, the wide-ranging education initiative created four years ago by Mayor Libby Schaaf. After asking for a city audit of the program two weeks ago, Kaplan has pressed on, saying it is unclear whether individual savings accounts pledged by Oakland Promise for every Oakland student have ever been created.
  • Bay Area school districts won’t excuse students for climate rally, angering some parents, teachers
    • Jemima Kiss is looking forward to taking her two sons — one 7, the other 10 — out of school Friday to attend the Global Climate Strike march in San Francisco. They’ll miss a day of reading, writing and math, but they’ll get schooled in politics and civics, she said.
  • Mayor Created Oakland Promise by Approving Resolution While City Council Was on Summer Break
    • Local residents who follow city government might well wonder why Oakland City Council members allowed Mayor Libby Schaaf to set up her signature multi-million dollar college scholarship program, Oakland Promise, placing complete control of the program in the hands of the mayor with a minimum of oversight or transparency.

California:

Other Stories:

  • Eight Black Hands: Ep. 30: Live in DC w/Jalen Rose
    • Deep in the heart of public school education wars rage on, and few warriors come to fight for the people. Yet, there is one small band of freedom fighters bring sanity to the village. Anyone who threatens the education of our 8 million black children is likely to catch these eight black hands.
  • His Mom Lied About Their Address So He Could Go to a Good School. Now He’s a Rhodes Scholar.
    • Hazim Hardeman is a Rhodes Scholar. In fact, he is Temple University’s first student to be bestowed this honor. The award’s namesake aside, this is quite impressive. Like all Black, Brown, and/or poor parents, Hazim’s mother, Gwendolyn Hardeman, wanted her child to be safe, successful and educated. She couldn’t find it in her neighborhood school, so she did what thousands of Black, Brown, and/or poor families do—she lied about her address to ensure her son had a better education.

Resources:

  • IEP Basics English
    • Peer parent presentation for families about the Individual Education Plan Process (IEP) in California.

How You Can Help:

  • Help Joana fight her rare cancer
    • With heavy heart we are sadly to say Joanna gain her wings today. We are asking to please help us with any donation to bury this young beautiful lady and any funeral expensive. If you can’t donate please pray for the family.
  • Vote for Justice with Your Feet- Take the “Two Tours Pledge”
    • Change starts with us, it always has, and always will. No place is this more real than in school segregation, where thousands of individual choices tend to reinforce racial and class separation and continue the cleavages emanating from America’s original sin of slavery.
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