A new report compares students at charter public schools and district run ones in Oakland, and surprise, they are very demographically similar, though there are some big differences in outcomes especially in high school for Black and Brown students. I am sure lots of folks will pronounce the story over, either pro or anti charter based…
oakland
Choosers, Losers, Abusers and “Opportunity Hoarding” in Oakland
School choice can divide us into winners and losers. In fact it already has. I am talking about charters. But not just charters, also those lucky enough to be able to choose where they live, with corresponding quality neighborhood schools, or have the resources to hustle their kid into an-out-of neighborhood or private option, the…
A Big Week for Oakland “Privatization”
Oakland schools were front and center in the national and local debate around, “privatization”, with a front page NY Times article and local stories on a contested visit by Steph Curry to a West Oakland district-run school. The common point shown in both of these events was the division in rhetoric, and in my view…
The Charter Association Suit Against OUSD and what it Means for Oakland Kids
Push came to shove today as the California Charter Schools Association filed suit against OUSD for its alleged failure to follow the law in providing charter school students equal public facilities. Most probably don’t know it but Proposition 39 created a legal right for public school students in charter-run schools to attend “reasonably equivalent” district…
Hits and Misses in the NY Times article on Oakland
Oakland was showcased in the recent Times article, “Oakland District at the Heart of Drive to Transform Urban Schools.” And while I appreciate the coverage, the article focused too much on the elite adult arguments and too little on the opinions and needs of actual underserved Oakland parents. Oakland is increasingly a forum, where a…