A Catalyst for quality school options in San Leandro

San Leandro families living in the Bay Fair area near East Oakland have a great need for quality public schools that prepare students to succeed in college and beyond. Only 14 percent of African American public school students are on grade level for math, and just 29 percent are reading on grade level. For Latino/a…


The Long and Winding Road to a Better Building For Oakland Children Ends Well at Berkley Maynard

A guest post from Families in Action It took a winding journey to get there, but the Aspire Berkley Maynard Academy (BMA) community ended up in the right place: with a long-term lease from the Oakland Unified School District at the aging facility it has occupied for 15 years, and with the power now to…


Redefining who is a college student so everyone benefits

When Aspire Golden State Prep counselor Leonardo Ayala looks back on his own academic career, he remembers himself as an “average” student. He was a first-generation college student, and he remembers the support he received from his parents, immigrants from Mexico and El Salvador, and how much they valued education and how he benefited.  Now,…


Challenging all students to meet college requirements

Ensuring students have met A-G course requirements so they can apply to UC and CSU schools is nothing new at ARISE High School. Now in its 13th year, making sure all students are on a college-bound track and have access to college was one of the foundational pieces of the school. “A-G has always been…