I woke up most of those mornings before board meetings with a prayer that I might be in service. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve. What an incredibly humbling experience working inside the complexity of OUSD — hearing the voices of young people, the struggles of parents, along with the inspiring hope they…
ousd school board
The legendary Toni Cook opines on Housing for All
The Honorable Toni Cook is a legend in the education landscape of Oakland from the cradle to college. I had no idea who Ms. Toni was — the Honorable Toni Cook, School Board member from District 6, the school board member who made the equity-minded appeal for adequate and additional resources for students who spoke…
A Conversation with Dr. Charles Cole
By Jumoke Hinton I’m grateful for the words of Dr. Charles Cole, III and the life he leads! Our conversation was heartfelt and powerful. We’ve broken down the session and will share some Dr. Cole gems from our conversation throughout our SoBEO Repurposing OUSD Lands for Housing campaign. I had the opportunity to sit with…
The Digital Divide, Parent Access and How We Can More than Survive During the COVID Crisis
By Director Jumoke Hinton-Hodge Oakland’s reality is that families are struggling to meet their basic needs and now carry the additional burden of trying to guide their children’s education. Oakland parents are ready to work on behalf of their children, but now the district must authentically understand what it means to address equity and create…
Who Is Silenced When Privilege Tantrums? Student Board Members, the Unsung Heroes of OUSD.
A guest post from OUSD Director Jumoke Hinton-Hodge. We don’t often hear about the unsung sheroes and heroes of our boards of education, the student board members! They represent the authentic voices of everyday students. They sit side-by-side with elected board members, attend meetings twice a month, special meetings and facilitate youth convenings upwards of…