Last night a young Black child came to the OUSD Board meeting to proudly sing a song that they learned in Spanish. Their family was beaming, but the child was upset. She wasn’t shy. She was upset. She didn’t want to sing. Clutching her mother, head in her chest she was silent. And what upset…
School Choice
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…
Taking Action to Improve the State of Black Education in Oakland-Demand 1—Break the Chains Between Segregated Neighborhoods and Quality School Access
“Without struggle there is no progress.” Long ago Frederick Douglass voiced the mantra of Black folks in America, and it still rings true. The numbers are dire. One in Six black children can read in elementary school, charter or district in Oakland. Black folks are being priced and pushed out, only 4% of Black families…
The Problem with the “Great School in Every Neighborhood” Platform
Everyone wants great neighborhood schools. Thing is, that has never existed in my experience, at least not in Oakland. And saying that our school improvement strategy is centered around something that has never happened is at best a remote hope, and at worst a lie that asks parents to wait for a savior that will…
The Slides You Need to See from the Oakland Achieves Report
The latest report is out on achievement in Oakland, and everyone should be worried about the general trends and also the disparities. There are some bright spots though, and it has important implications for district policy and the way we look at the range of public schools here. Too Many Schools Are Showing Declining Performance…