Opportunity Ticket

Buying My Way Into an Oakland Public School: An Ally in Equity Addresses Privilege, Opportunity, Race and the Need for an “Opportunity Ticket”

This is a guest post from Jonathan Osler, a former teacher and school leader who is now a public school parent and advocate in Oakland. The Oakland Unified Board of Education is considering giving some families a so-called Opportunity Ticket, but the reality is that many children in Oakland — mine included — already have one. My family lives…

What’s Really Wrong with Closing Schools and How the “Opportunity Ticket” Fixes It

Closing schools balances the district’s budget woes on the backs of the already most underserved parents.  The reality of closings is that it does nothing for those parents who have been dis-served and will be displaced.  Typically, they attend an equally low-performing school that is further away and/or less familiar.  And while the district may…