Rudsdale Newcomer’s Second Class of Graduates Speak on What the Future Holds

This is a guest post from the powerful folks at the Oakland Unified School District’s English Language Learner and Multilingual Achievement Office (ELLMA), who are doing some amazing work. It originally appeared on their blog, where they spotlight Oakland teachers and students and the diverse strategies they’ve implemented to support English-language learners in achieving at…


Latino/a Student Achievement in Oakland: Bringing Equity to My Community

Maria Ramirez is an Oaklander, born and raised. She is currently in community college and is working hard to make a beautiful and dazzling life for not only herself, but family as well. Maria is grateful that she gets to give back to the city that made her, wonderful Oakland. Last Tuesday I had the…


Journey of a Dreamer and Engineer

Guest Post by Juan Casas. He was born in Mexico and was brought to the US at the age of two. He grew up in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles and attended several schools because his family moved frequently. During the summer before starting high school, he was selected through the raffle system to…