During segregation at least we had dilapidated schools, and the backs of buses to sit in. For today’s digital second-class citizens, those families without access to the internet, they can’t even get into the digital schoolhouse door. The digital divide for the unconnected is a cliff in the age of remote schooling. Either you are…
Oakland Unified School District (OUSD)
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…
Oakland Parents and Civil Rights Groups Lead a Citywide Literacy Revolution
One of the most frustrating, yet enduring tropes in the realm of education debates is the idea of black and brown parents as disinterested, disconnected and ignorant. Far too often you hear about how the dismal outcomes for the nation’s students of color are the byproduct of their parent’s and families’ lack of interest in…
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…