You have to love the Oakland Promise Initiative, an ambitious visionary look at the supports that families and students need to be successful; coordinated early care, school based college and career pathway development and money to pay for college. Kudos to the mayor, superintendent, district, and the constellation of funders and nonprofits for making this…
Do Black Minds Matter in CA? What do the numbers say?
Kicking off Black History Month let’s take a look at the current state of Black education in CA. Disturbing but not unexpected results came out from the recent Black Minds Matter report published by Ed Trust West. Some lowlights; Black students in California are LEAST LIKELY TO: Become proficient readers by third grade; Be placed…
Where are 17,572 Oakland students?
There is a gaping hole in the Oakland enrollment debate and it is 17,000+ kids wide. While anti-charter activists argue against inclusion of charter schools in the Oakland Unified enrollment system, we are missing the forest through the trees, and have left behind 17,572 kids in the bramble. Oakland has roughly 65,740 school aged children,…
Selective Criticisms on Philanthrocapitalism in Oakland
When district reforms like common enrollment come up, OUSD is besieged by arguments about how outsiders are driving policy. And until we can pay for these things ourselves we shouldn’t do them. Funny to hear the deafening silence from critics around outside funding when they agree with the spending. Case in point: the Oakland Promise, which…
Real Innovation in Education
The revolution will not be computerized, to riff on Gil Scott Heron. No the education revolution will not be computerized. The innovation we need in schools will not be technology based. No algorithm is going to reach and teach our most vulnerable students, nor will a panopticon manage their behavior and develop the social and…