A guest cross post from Bankh Akintunde who is a native of Oakland and the Manhood Development program instructor at West Oakland Middle School. FULL PROFILE → VIDEO SERIES: BLACK MALE EDUCATORS SPEAKIn partnership with Education Post, the Campaign for Black Male Achievement (CBMA) has launched the Black Male Educators Speak video series, focusing on the stories of four…
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.
The Goal for My Education Isn’t to be Well-Behaved
A guest post from an Oakland student and Energy Converter, Kai-Willow Smith Have you ever been told by your teacher that you were doing just fine, but in reality, you know you are close to failing? Welcome to the life of many black and brown students and parents. I am one of those who was…
The Internal Toll of Being Misgendered
This is another guest post from an Oakland student, Ash Whipple, one of Oakland’s “energy converters” Being misgendered feels like getting stabbed in the back, even when people don’t do it on purpose. I’ve learned to live with that pain, it’s something I experience every day, and I will face it for the rest of…
Bigger Than Bathrooms: Making Schools Safe for EVERY Student
A guest post from Ash Whipple, an Oakland student and one of Oakland’s Energy Converters. I’m sure when you’re out in public, or at work, all you worry about when going to the bathroom is if it’s clean or not. Nobody likes public bathrooms, they’re dirty, and you never know who you’re going to come across…
Journey of a Dreamer and Engineer
Guest Post by Juan Casas. He was born in Mexico and was brought to the US at the age of two. He grew up in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles and attended several schools because his family moved frequently. During the summer before starting high school, he was selected through the raffle system to…