As children of divorced parents, my siblings and I can struggle with motivating ourselves to do well in school. My brother is failing out of his freshman year of high school.I know if we still lived with my dad, he would have the motivation to keep his grades up. When my brother failed his first semester, none of his teachers or his counselor reached out with concern. It is important to note that it is not the school’s fault our family is experiencing unfortunate circumstances. However, the issue is how are schools going to support students through hardships so that we can continue to succeed?
Student Voices
There’s no better way to understand the importance of improving our public schools than listening to the students themselves. If you have a story to tell, or know someone who does, hit us up on our Contact Page.
Addressing the Disconnect: Grades vs. Proficiency in Oakland Schools
Attaining a high grade in a class doesn’t necessarily mean a student is proficient. Energy Convertors student researchers unpack this issue in their 2024 report, which was recently released.
Energy Convertors 2024 Oakland Report: Demanding Proficiency Over Pageantry
Welcome to the 2023-24 Energy Convertors Report on Oakland public schools. We’re excited to share with you the findings from this year’s report. Our student researchers examined learning in the classroom and how students are impacted through two key areas of focus: 1. Learning and Proficiency; 2. Classroom Management and School Culture. Check out our key findings here and download the report.
How AIMS College Prep High School is Raising the Bar, from a Student’s Perspective
As part of our coverage on how schools in Oakland that are Raising the Bar, today we are showcasing AIMS College Prep High School, who will be receiving the following accolades and more at tonight’s Raising the Bar Awards: Esperanza Oden, a student there, has quite a bit to say about how her school has…
Navigating the American School System as an Immigrant Student
I did not grow up speaking English. When I was born, my parents could not afford to raise me so I was sent to live in China, where I learned to speak Mandarin. As a result, when I came back to attend school in America, I did not speak any English. I struggled in elementary school. Most of my peers spoke English. During those early years, I was almost always extremely confused about what was happening and struggled to catch up to what was being taught in class.