(A Guest post from Shfah Saleh an Oakland public school student and Energy Convertor) As an Arab, especially a female, you experience differently. It’s kind of rare if you feel safe in the community and sometimes they don’t feel like they belong or fit in anywhere because they look different than others. For me, I’m…
Nickel and Diming the District to Death; A Real Fix to OUSD’s Fiscal Problems
Death by a thousand cuts is what the headstone of OUSD will say if we can’t get our fiscal house in order. We have current deficits and huge deficits looming, 20 and 60 million dollars roughly in each of the next two years. And so far the approach has been to keep trimming the edges…
Getting the Data System we Need in California Education; A Job for the Next Governor
There is some powerful data coming out on school performance and operations in Oakland, often comparing charter public schools and the district schools. The challenge comes in interpreting it. Charter school overall outcomes are stronger than the district’s, particularly at the middle and high schools, but is that because charters are actually doing a better job, or is it…
Growing Up Kareem; Wanting People to See Me
(Guest Post form Karim Garcia, an Oakland public school student and Energy Convertors) Growing up was hard, tough. I was born at Kaiser in downtown Oakland. I lived in a duplex with my parents and my brothers. My extended family lived in the same duplex. Well, that didn’t last long. We eventually left that place…
The Growing Epidemic of PCSCSS in Oakland
Medical authorities have seen a recent spike in Oaklanders with Post Charter School Confusion Stress Syndrome (PCSCSS). And it is growing fastest among White affluent families. Experts describe the symptoms as a mix of anxiety, confusion and hypocrisy. You can spot someone suffering from the disorder as they sit in their BMW waiting to pick…