Flying from California to New York and stopping in the middle, I moved from relative balmy and calm debates over the common core to fierce storms. In CA, implementation was delayed, and relatively smooth, with minimal pushback and very few opt outs from testing. In other places it is very different with an astounding 20%…
An Easy Fix for Oakland Schools
When charter-run schools were started they were viewed as potential laboratories of innovation. Where lessons learned would be replicated in the district-run schools. This promise has gone largely undeveloped for a host of reasons. But if we look at Oakland data, and review some research there is a gem to be found. One of the…
Oakland Charter-run and District-run schools by the Numbers
Thank you OUSD for throwing some hard numbers into the charter school debates. While I missed 2/22/16 Board engagement session (I was in NYC), I did look at the materials. Big takeaways; students at charter-run schools tend to perform somewhat better on state tests and be more economically disadvantaged. While district-run schools had somewhat greater…
Why I Testified in Vergara and Why It Still Matters
(Guest Blog by Brandon DeBose Jr. is a recent graduate of Oakland public schools and is one of nine plaintiffs in the historic education equality lawsuit, Vergara v. California.) I distinctly remember the day I stepped into the courtroom for the very first time. My story made headlines throughout the country—the day a Los Angeles County…
I Saw the Devil- The Need for a Better Abuser List
I saw the Devil. Twice. The first time, I worked at a group home. A small voice, without shaking, said the devil visited him while he slept, and slipped a hand under the covers. That was almost 30 years ago. Then I saw the devil again. This time a former resident from the home sent…