Our recap of all the Oakland education news fit to link—This week a look at the budget deficits and the painful cuts to sports, stories from our youth on their experiences, an inspiring young Black teacher and his pink slip story, a call for us to come together as a community of schools, the latest…
The Slides You Need to See from the Oakland Achieves Report
The latest report is out on achievement in Oakland, and everyone should be worried about the general trends and also the disparities. There are some bright spots though, and it has important implications for district policy and the way we look at the range of public schools here. Too Many Schools Are Showing Declining Performance…
Will OUSD Leave $175 Million of Facilities Money on the Table
You would think that a district on the verge of bankruptcy, that is asking for another bailout, that has hundreds of millions in facility needs, and also cutting current projects, would not squander a hundred and seventy five million dollar state facility bond. But you might be wrong in Oakland. OUSD applied for and received…
(Mis)Understood, The Challenges of Seeking Help
(A guest post from Alondra Gonzalez, an Oakland public school student and one of Oakland’s Energy Convertors) All my life I’ve been good at school. I’ve gotten As and Bs my since I was in elementary school but things are changing. I don’t feel relaxed in a classroom environment. Sometimes I am able to sit…
Dead Poet’s Society, The Oakland Edition, Young Black Gifted and Fired
Mr. Bey’s students still rave about him. I remember the kids streaming in after school, just wanting to talk to him. He was one of those authentic teachers, who made school relevant, and also saw and cultivated the genius that all youth have, but mostly he cared. He loved his kids, and they loved him…