After two special meetings this week discussing charter schools by the OUSD board I was more confused than enlightened. And while there are legitimate, if sometimes overstated, critiques of charters and the effect they can have on the broader system, some of what I heard was just factually wrong, and could have been corrected by…
School Choice
The Data We Need to Understand Oakland’s Public School Sectors and Why We Don’t Have it
There is some powerful data coming out on school performance and operations in Oakland, often comparing charter public schools and the district schools. The challenge comes in interpreting it. Charter school overall outcomes are stronger than the district’s, particularly at the middle and high schools, but is that because charters are actually doing a better…
Inconvenient Truths in Oakland’s Charter School Wars
Oakland has more school aged children that don’t attend a district or charter public school (17,572), than attend charters (11,774). Further OUSD has only lost 55 students since 2013-14, declining from 36,869 students to 36,814. These facts found in last week’s Board packets, further challenge the narrative that charters are the problem in OUSD and…
Important Tips For Oakland Families Still Looking for the Best School For Their Child
Recently, several parents have asked me about options for enrolling for the current year now that school has started. To get answers, I spoke with Shawn Masten, the external engagement project manager from Enroll Oakland Charters, an Oakland nonprofit dedicated to streamlining the public school enrollment process and helping families make informed choices, with a…
Unintended Consequences in the Public Education Wars—Vouchers Win
The latest poll numbers are in and they don’t bode well for public education. Support for charter public schools, while still predominantly favorable, eroded, while net support for vouchers grew in the latest Education Next poll. Concerted attacks on charters have been moderately successful, and in some cases the charter sector itself has been its…