As a member of the so-called “charter movement,” I have to tell you: there is no such thing. Seriously, the “charter movement” is a movement in the same way a bowel movement is a movement (anyone with a capable infrastructure, some inputs, and a little luck can have one). And this “movement” really shares nothing…
Action (Still) Needed to Serve Oakland’s English Language Learners and How “Dreamers” Can Help
Almost 25 years ago as a bright-eyed and bushy- tailed law student I worked on the so- called “Zambrano case”, where OUSD conceded that they were not adequately serving English Language Learners (ELLs) and promised to do better. The central issue raised was the lack of sufficient bilingual staff in Oakland and the District’s structural…
Getting honest on charter school admissions, and catching bad actors
Some time ago, at a charter school near you, I went to enroll a foster child, let’s call her ”Keasha”. She needed a good school, that was smaller and more personalized. Brushing aside my lack of legal authority, we asked the receptionist for an application. She explained that the school may not have any spots,…
Making school choice work for ALL families. We need an app for that.
My friend’s grandson was struggling in his elementary school, a very smart kid, he had regressed over the last couple of years. He can be a tough kid, he has seen more than he should have, and holds a reservoir of anger and sadness. But he has been labeled at his school as “the bad…
Oakland Schools Have Contract, But No Time to Relax
Hallelujah. The Oakland Unified School District and local teachers union have agreed on a new contract, averting a disastrous strike. This is big. But as big as it is, Oakland still has a ton of work to do in delivering quality education equitably. Overall, the contract is a good deal for Oakland’s teachers and kids.…