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…
Being Arab and Female in These Hallways
(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…