Great Oakland Public Schools

Listening Campaign Results

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:35:55 -0800

Over the last several months, Great Oakland Public Schools has hosted many party gatherings across the city to hear from Oaklanders what they are thinking about education in our city. The results of this listening campaign (from almost 2,000 pieces of data collected) are now available. Click here for the results.

Highlights:

80% of participants stated that Oakland schools do not have enough money to do a good job of educating students
75% of participants said that it was time for new school board leadership in Oakland. When asked to give one word to describe a great school board member, participants frequented words like "engaged," "knowledgeable," and "problem solver."
Participants noted 1) teachers, 2) parents, and 3) community support as the three most important factors to a child's success in school

Below is a visual representation of responses to the question, "What is the most important issue in Oakland education?" To see a word cloud of all responses received from the entire set of responses, click here. To see word clouds from other questions, click here.

Fundraiser with Ted Mitchell

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 17:31:58 -0800

Join us on Tuesday, March 6th to support Great Oakland Public Schools and hear from Ted Mitchell, former president of the California State Board of Education and president of Occidental College.

Currently, Ted is president and CEO of the NewSchools Venture Fund, an Oakland-based venture philanthropy organization committed to improving public education, especially for the under-served.

Online Ticketing for Great Oakland Public Schools Fundraiser with Ted Mitchell powered by Eventbrite

Online Ticketing for Great Oakland Public Schools Fundraiser with Ted Mitchell

Mike Johnston Speech Video

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:57:30 -0800

Below is a video from our fundraiser with Colorado Senator Mike Johnston in January 2012:

To view a recap of the event as written by C.J. Hirschfield, Executive Director of Children's Fairyland, click here.

Another blogger shared about the event here.

To see Mike's responses to audience questions, click here.

"Drive", she said.

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:40:28 -0800

Below is the text from an article by C.J. Hirschfield, Executive Director of Children's Fairyland, originally printed in the Piedmont Post. PDF version here.

On Thursday night January 5, more than 250 people sat shoulder to shoulder in a room in East Oakland's Lighthouse Community Charter School and listened to a story about car keys. By the end of the story, most of us were ready to embark on a quest to do whatever we can to make Oakland's public schools great.

The storyteller was Colorado State Senator Mike Johnston, a former teacher who co-founded New Leaders for New Schools, a national non-proﬁt that recruits and trains urban principals. Johnston, who looks younger than his 37 years, is a national leader in the ﬁeld of student-centered education reform, an issue many of us consider the next big civil rights issue.

Which is how Johnston came to be the keynote speaker at a sold-out fundraiser for Great Oakland Public Schools, an organization committed to ensuring that all Oakland students have the opportunity to attend quality public schools.

Johnston's story was about a woman whose role in the original civil rights movement was not familiar to any of us in the room that night. He set it up for us: The year was 1955 and Montgomery, Alabama, had started a bus boycott sparked by Rosa Parks' refusal to give up her seat for a white per- son. Organizers realized that the boycott needed to last for longer than a single day to be successful. Montgomery residents needed to refuse to ride the buses completely. But how could people get to work and home without the public transit they depended on?

After the ﬁrst day, a large group gathered to ﬁgure out how to solve the problem.

"I have a car," said a black woman named Mary Jo Smiley. She offered to lend her support to the movement by transporting boycotters to and from work and other places they needed to go. She said she ﬁgured she could help 20 people each day, and she was proud to do it.

And that's what she did.

The authorities noticed. Smiley was arrested after driving her friends and jailed for conspiracy. Boycott organizers gave her the option to stop her work for the cause. Her response?

"I need my car keys." She knew there were 20 people who wouldn't be able to make it to work, to the bank, to shop without her help.

Smiley continued driving boycotters immediately after her release from jail - day after day, for 381 days. Years later, Mary Jo Smiley - now the Rev. Mary Jo Smiley - told the Montgomery Advertiser: "The people of Montgomery made that boycott successful. The leaders had the strategy, but the people had the strength."

Why did Mike Johnston tell us that story in Oakland, in 2012? Because he knows that school re- form won't be easy, but he's in it for the long haul. He knows that if we focus on students, effective teachers, strong leadership, individualized education, empowered school communities, choice about schools and one vision for Oakland, success will follow.
He was urging us to grab our metaphorical car keys and start driving.

For more information about Great Oakland Public Schools, visit www.gopublicschools.org.

C.J. Hirschﬁeld is Executive Director of Children's Fairyland, which is located next to Lake Merritt at 699 Bellevue Avenue, Oakland. For more information call 452-2259 or e-mail cj@fairyland.org.

GO Fundraiser with Senator Mike Johnston - Live Twitter Feed

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 18:54:27 -0800

During our event the evening of Thursday, January 5th, watch this page for live Tweets from those attending the event. Join the conversation using hashtag #go2012.

We're 23 days away.

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 11:08:14 -0800

By: Jessica Stewart

I was at the GO Holiday Party a few weeks ago when someone shared with me that Senator Mike Johnston is the subject of one of the chapter's of Tom Friedman's new book (That Used to Be Us).

It made me even more proud that Senator Johnston will be joining us in just a few weeks to help raise money for GO's work in 2012.

So far, 141 people have purchased their ticket to support GO and be sure they have a spot at a fantastic Oakland education event. If you haven't reserved yours yet, be sure to do that soon. The early bird tickets are only available for two more days (until Friday).

I got my hands on a copy of Friedman's book so that I could see the section about Senator Johnston. Here is one of my favorite excerpts from that chapter that has a good analogy about where education stands today:

"Johnston said that when he thinks about the change that he and others are trying to effect in education, he thinks back to attending President Obama's inauguration in Washington. What impressed him most was seeing a platoon of wheelchairs parting the crowd on the Mall after the president took the oath. Sitting in them were the surviving Tuskegee Airman, the first African American aviators in te United States armed forces, who flew many successful missions in World War II.

"What I realized was that they lived in a moment when people didn't believe it was possible - they didn't believe that a black man had the courage or intelligence or stamina to fly one of America's most expensive warplanes," Johnson recalled. "So they said, 'Put me up in the air and let me show you,' and they became one of the only air squadrons in WWII who never lost a bomber." And of course they could and did become successful pilots. "And when they did, the world changed- because the argument about whether or not we were all created equal was once and for all over, and nothing else could have happened but that Truman would eventually integrate the air force, or that Johnson would sign the Civil Rights Act, or that sixty years later we would inaugurate the first black president.

"Education needs its own Tuskegee moment. One reason we have not been able ot galvanize the whole community for educational reform, "Johnston concluded, "is that some people still don't believe that every one of our kids can compete with the smartest kids from Singapore and China. It's our responsibility to get up in the air and prove them wrong. Then the whole world changes."

Senator Johnston led historic legislation in Colorado that brought together Republicans, Democrats, union leaders, district leaders, and others to support effective educators in Colorado classrooms. He also co-founded New Leaders for New Schools and was one of President Obama's top three education advisors. He is also the author of In the Deep Heart's Core, a book he wrote after being a teacher in the Mississippi Delta. He was also recently named to Time Magazine's 40 Under 40 List.

Needless to say, the conversation we're going to have on January 5th with Mike is going to be inspiring and interesting, and I hope you're a part of it. Get your ticket here.

2011 Listening Campaign Results

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 16:17:54 -0800

Over the last few months, our network has hosted many house party gatherings across the city with their neighbors to hear from Oaklanders what they are thinking about education in our city. We took the several hundred responses and created this word cloud to visually represent what is on the mind of our city. Click here to view a larger version.

Top Five Reasons

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 10:46:00 -0800

By: Jessica Stewart

"He is the best speaker I've ever heard."

That's Meg Stewart, Oakland teacher at Bret Harte Middle School. She got the chance to hear Colorado Senator Mike Johnston, a clear leader in the education community, speak earlier this year. We agree with Meg, so we asked Mike to join us in January for a GO Public Schools fundraiser.

Here are my Top Five Reasons to join us for this event on January 5th:

5. It's a great chance to see your fellow education advocates and meet some great new friends and make connections.

4. The event benefits Great Oakland Public School's work in 2012, which will be a truly crucial year Oakland education.

3. Mike Johnston is an impressive leader in the education movement. Check out one of his past speeches here on YouTube.

2. For the next few weeks, the early-bird tickets to the fundraiser are cheaper than they will be once we all go on winter vacation.

1. It's sure to be a thought-provoking discussion and a fun, interesting crowd.

Get your ticket today for the event on January 5th.

You may be familiar with Mike's work in Colorado and his leadership nationally as one of President Obama's top three education policy advisors to President Obama during the 2008 campaign and as a co-founder of New Leaders for New Schools. He also opened and led Mapleton Expeditionary School of Arts, a public district high school in Colorado. In May 2008, MESA became the first public high school in Colorado to get all 100 percent of its seniors admitted to four-year colleges.

We'll be kicking off at 6:30 PM on Thursday, January 5th at Lighthouse Community School at 444 Hegenberger and we hope you'll be there with us. Buy your ticket here and then join the Facebook event to get the conversation started.

I'll see you in January!

P.S. That night (January 5th) is my birthday, and I can't think of any better way to spend it than with others who care just as deeply about having a great school for every kid in Oakland! I hope you'll join us.

Announcing Our 2011 Summer Fellows

Fri, 17 Jun 2011 00:06:06 -0800

This year, we had more than five times as many applicants for our summer fellowship as last year. The group we have selected for this summer is a diverse group that brings in an exciting set of skills and knowledge to contribute. Fellows will be working on projects involving teacher effectiveness, outreach to our community, fundraising, and much more.

John Baldo
John recently taught Pre-Algebra and Geometry in Oakland as a Teach for America corps member. He graduated from the University of Southern California with a bachelor's degree in computer science and a minor in political science with an emphasis in law and public policy. He has a keen interest in the intersection of technology and education, especially longitudinal data systems. During his time at USC, he advocated for improved student services as a director in the undergraduate student government. He also served as a leader in a grassroots campaign to make USC a more sustainable community.

Sandrena Frischer
Sandrena is an undergrad at UC Berkeley, studying Education and International Area Studies, with a focus on human security and conflict resolution. As a volunteer at Manzanita Community School in Oakland, she gained experience working in an urban education environment. As a volunteer for Amigos de las Americas in Panama and the Dominican Republic, she taught classes about health, the environment, and youth leadership to elementary school students in rural communities. She is a Bay Area Native, and is interested in education policy and education as a means for social change.

Jordan Haedtler
A graduate of the George Washington University, Jordan is a passionate political organizer, writer, and education reform advocate. Jordan has years of experience on grassroots campaigns and with non-profits, working on a wide array of issues. Whether working to pass a renewable electricity standard through Congress, persuading California voters to approve high speed rail, or fighting unjust prison sentence disparities, Jordan has brought dedication to his advocacy. Most recently, Jordan managed a state legislative race in Southeastern Pennsylvania, selected by the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee as one of "40 Essential Races" nationwide. In his spare time, he sings barbershop harmony with competitive quartets and choruses.

Jack Holzman
Jack Holzman just completed his first year as a seventh grade math teacher at Elmhurst Community Prep in East Oakland and a 2010 Teach For America Corps Member. While obtaining his bachelor's degree in Computer Science at the University of Illinois, Jack served as an engagement partner for OTCR Consulting, a student-run business and technical consulting firm. This position was heavily focused on project management, staff development, and data analysis. Jack currently resides in Oakland.

Reed Matheny
Reed has been teaching in various capacities for over nine years, tutoring in private and public schools and volunteering as an English teacher through Learning Enterprises in Panama. He has just completed a Master's degree in English Literature at Stanford University, where he also co-founded Ithaka, a thriving 20-person co-op. He is excited to shift his focus from teaching to education advocacy this summer with GO Public Schools. If he's not working for social justice in education, you might find him cooking, reading Joyce or climbing trees in the East Bay hills.

Chinere McDaniels
Chinere McDaniels has been teaching in Oakland Unified for the last 3 years. She is currently a Kindergarten teacher at Hoover elementary. Chinere is passionate about our youth and has strong interest in creating educational opportunities for Oakland youth where there were none. She is an advocate for youth, a mentor and counselor. She has participated in summer camps, tutoring and extracurricular activities with her students. Her favorite quotes are "it takes a village to raise a child" and "the journey of a million steps starts with the first step". She believes that as a community we have the ability to change Oakland's future for the better -- one small step at a time.

Tara Ramanathan
Tara's work focuses on the intersection where education, poverty, and policy meet. In 2006 she authored a chapter in the book Poverty in India, in which she analyzed major lessons learned on poverty alleviation strategies in developing and developed countries. Her Honors thesis in Economics investigated successful microfinance programs in developing countries, and their application as alternative forms of education in the United States. After graduating, Tara taught in a low-performing school in Richmond with Teach for America; and then joined a research team at UC Berkeley to evaluate the efficacy of Teach for America corps members in boosting achievement among low-performing students. Tara has played a key leadership role in a number of successful campaigns, including the University of California campaign that led to the UC Regents divestment from Darfur; for which she was recognized with the Brutten Philanthropic Organization of the Year Award.

Sara Salas
As an undergraduate at UC Berkeley, Sara worked with various academic outreach programs serving youth throughout the East Bay. For two years, she served as Team Leader and Volunteer Coordinator for a non-profit organization promoting early childhood education. She also worked as a College Advocate at a local high school where she facilitated CAHSEE and SAT preparation seminars, as well as coordinated the annual College Fair. As a Staff Tutor for Berkeley Unified School District, she provided one-on-one academic support and college application advising. During her last semester, Sara participated in a language and culture program in Brazil where she conducted research on that country's affirmative action initiative in public university admissions. Through this fellowship, she hopes to gain valuable exposure in grassroots organizing and collaborate on progressive reforms for public education in Oakland.

Stephanie Wong
Stephanie is a rising senior at UC Berkeley, studying Media Studies, with a minor in Global Poverty and Practice. Her ties to Oakland public schools began three years ago, when she first became a tutor and mentor for Oakland Asian Students Educational Services (OASES). Since then, she has continued to volunteer with OASES and interned at the U.S. Department of Education. Most recently, she helped instruct a Berkeley undergraduate course on "Current Issues in Education," deconstructing and analyzing the social, political, and economic issues that affect education. She is passionate about social justice, human rights, education, and journalism, all of which help drive her educational interests and experiences.

If you are interested in hearing about future fellowship opportunities this fall and in the future, please join our email list at http://www.gopublicschools.org/.

OUSD's 2011-2012 Budget

Mon, 16 May 2011 13:00:33 -0800

Have questions about Oakland Unifiedʼs (OUSD) 2011-12 budget? Below is an overview of both the OUSD and State budget contexts, as well as some questions posed by GO Public Schools.

Key OUSD Background
1. OUSD still does not know how much money it will get from the State of California.
2. Cuts are estimated to be between $349-844 per pupil (between $12.5 and $30.5 M for OUSD).
3. OUSD needs to be prepared to cut up to $844 in per pupil funding ($30.5 M total) from its budget.
4. On April 6th, OUSD staff gave the School Board a list of 11 possible cuts totaling about $60M.

The BIG Budget Picture
1. The State decides how much money OUSD gets.
2. The OUSD Board of Education decides how to spend the money it gets from the state.
3. OUSD staff gives the Board of Education options to create a district budget.
4. The OUSD Board of Education either (a) accepts the staff's options, or (b) asks the staff for more options.

GO Public Schools proposes the following questions:

1. Central Office Cuts: Why werenʼt more Central Office budget cuts proposed?
The Central Office is budgeted $33.7M of "unrestricted" funds. This year, every OUSD School Site had to look closely are each program and staff member and make painful cuts. The Districtʼs Central Office should do the same. As a start, OUSD should publicly, and in an accessible format, examine the budgets of (1) Professional Development; and (2) Full Service Community Schools. Both of these budgets are large, and it is unclear if they are providing core services (e.g., direct student services, mandatory staff support). GO understands that the Central Office needs funding so that the district can function.

2. School Site Cuts: Why do schools sites have to cut so much?
Why isn't reducing the current level of school site cuts--$349 per pupil--among the options presented? We do not have to cut school site budgets by $349 per pupil in order to balance the budget. For example, School Sites could reduce their budgets by $150 and OUSD could make other cuts to balance the budget. When the School Sites cut $349 per pupil out of their budgets it meant losing 137 teacher positions, and many classified staff positions.

3. Restricted Funds: Will OUSD give more "restricted funds" to school sites?
For example, "Title I" money is given to OUSD to help children in poverty. OUSD currently uses $2.9M of its Title I funds for "oversight" and "indirect costs." This is the legal maximum that OUSD is allowed to use for that purpose. If OUSD reduced the cost of its oversight, these funds could be given to the school sites to directly benefit students.

4. Structural Deficit: What will OUSD do to address the structural deficit before next yearʼs budget? A "Structural Deficit" means that the district spends more than it brings in. Right now, in order to meet community concerns, the district is suggesting that we use a lot of "one time" money - that is, money that we only have this year to solve our budget problems. As a community we have to think about what happens next year.

5. Temporary Teachers: What is the plan to help the ʻtemporaryʼ teachers who taught for most of the year return to their classrooms? Last year, OUSD hired both ʻpermanentʼ and ʻtemporaryʼ teachers. Some ʻtemporaryʼ teachers were in the classroom all year, but because they were temporary they are being removed from the classroom.

Click here to view this as a PDF in English and Spanish.

Budget Crisis Update

Tue, 12 Apr 2011 22:57:47 -0800

On April 6th, OUSD's Board of Education met for a study session on the budget crisis, hearing a Special Presentation to the Board from District leadership. Below, we have summarized (1) the current situation, (2) the possible cuts proposed by the District, (3) the District's recommended cuts, (4) an update on teacher layoffs, and (5) the questions that GO was left with after the presentation. Click here to download a user-friendly PDF with this information.

The special budget study session began with some reminders regarding the severity of the crisis facing OUSD today, with District staff sharing additional budget documents: 2011-12 Budget Development: Unrestricted General Fund Assumptions, and Summary of Consultants. Click here to watch a video of the meeting.

A Snapshot

Last year, OUSD received $5,239 per pupil. Vernon Hal, the District's Chief Financial Officer, shared that OUSD had been preparing for a $349 per pupil funding cut ($12.5 M reduction overall). With the breakdown of budget talks in Sacramento, it is now preparing for $844 per pupil cuts ($30.5 M reduction overall).

It Could Get Worse

The $844 cut in per pupil funding is based on two assumptions: (1) the taxes proposed for the November ballot do not pass; and (2) the state education budget does not receive additional cuts during the state budget process. If the tax extensions pass, Oakland will get more money. If the state education budget gets cut, Oakland will receive less money.

The Board's Priorities

For the purposes of Wednesday's study session, the question of how to cut the budget focused around the Board's three priorities: (1) Increase Teacher Retention; (2) Eliminate the Structural Deficit; and (3) Increase Employee Compensation.

Options

According to Hal, OUSD needs to prepare for a $30.5M budget cut. He said there are four strategies to manage the budget, and proposed $58.5M in possibilities:

Increase the General Fund ("Revenue Enhancement")
Spend Less ("Expense Decreases")
Transfer part of the OUSD Fund Balance (Money the district has for unanticipated expenses, etc.)
Decrease "Proposed Expense Increases"

1. Increase the General Fund. (The General Fund is the budget category that is used to fund school sites and the Central Office.)

Flex Adult Education ($6.2M): This option cuts $6.2M of Adult Education funding and adds it to the General Fund so it can be used by K-12 school sites. $1M would remain in Adult Education.
Flex Adult Education's Unallocated Budget ($2.5M): This option cuts Adult Education's $2.5M Unallocated Fund Balance and adds it to the General Fund so it can be used by K-12 students.
Use the State Loan ($2.1M): This option would use $2.1M that OUSD has remaining from its $100M loan from the state, and puts it into the General Fund so it can be used by K-12 students.

2. Spend less.

Cut to School Sites ($14.6M): This option would reduce OUSD's expenses by keeping the $14.6M cut to school site budgets made under Results Based Budgeting. This is the cut that was made when the district asked schools to prepare a site budget based on a $349 per pupil funding cut.
Cut Early Retirement Fund ($2M): This option would reduce OUSD's expenses by not spending $2M of the $6.4M Early Retirement Fund this year.
Cut Some Music Teachers ($320,000): This option reduces expenses by cutting 4 of the 20 centrally funded music teachers. 'Centrally funded' means that these teachers are paid by the central office rather than school sites.
Maximize Elementary Class Sizes ($6.6M): This option would reduce OUSD's expenses by maximizing elementary school class-sizes to contract maximums. This means approximately 90 fewer full time teachers at school sites.

3. Transfer Part of the Fund Balance to the General Fund.

Fund Balance (Up to $19M): In this option, OUSD adds part of its $19M "Fund Balance" to the General Fund. The "Fund Balance" is money OUSD has not spent (for a variety of reasons, such as to pay audit fines, in case of economic uncertainty, etc.).

4. Decrease Proposed "Expense Increases." (These are expenses that OUSD planned to increase, but Hal is suggesting the District could choose not to go forward with the increase.)

Salary Increase ($2M): OUSD had proposed to give its staff a 2% salary increase. Choosing not to give this raise would save OUSD $2M.
Flex Adult Ed. Funds ($3M): OUSD had planned to use $3M in Adult Education Funds to pay for high school counseling, literacy, and A-G (college prep) offerings. Not offering these services would save OUSD $3M.
Summer School Funding ($543,000): OUSD had budgeted $543,000 for non-salary expenses related to summer school. Cutting these expenses would save $543,000.

District staff recommends that OUSD does the following:

1. Increase the General Fund

Flex all Adult Education Funds except for $1M
Flex Adult Education's Unallocated $2.5M
Use $2.1M of the State Loan

2. Spend Less

Reduce school site budgets by $349 per pupil
Keep the Early Retirement Fund fully funded
Do not eliminate the 4 centrally funded music teachers
Do not maximize elementary schools to class-size maximums

3. Fund Balance

Use $8.5M of OUSD's Fund Balance. This leaves $10.5M in the fund.

4. Reduce Proposed increases

Do not give employees a 2% raise
Do not cut the funding increase for high school counseling, A-G, etc.
Do not cut the budget for Summer School

Regarding Teachers
Barbara Gee, Director of Human Resources, acknowledged the great concern and anxiety in the district over the number of teacher layoff notices issued. She presented information about a group of schools with over 25% turnover rate. Regarding the teacher layoffs, Gee shared that while there is still uncertainty, if the district uses its one-time monies (flexing adult education, for example), it should be able to hold steady and reduce the number of layoffs significantly. That said, there would still be layoffs.

According to Gee, when school sites designed their budgets earlier this year, it resulted in approximately 137 consolidated positions. Note: a consolidated position occurs when a teacher's position is cut due to budget or program cuts. Over the past few weeks, the HR Department has collected information about the number of teachers who are: (1) retiring, (2) not being asked to return, and (3) temporary teachers. They discovered that there are at total of 233 teachers who are not, at present, returning to the district.

Jody London asked about the timeline for rescinding layoff notices. Jacqueline Minor, OUSD's attorney, said they were waiting for a hearing to happen on April 15, and Superintendent Smith indicated that they would move as quickly as possible.

Our Questions

1. Additional Options: Why weren't more possible cuts proposed through Central Office budget cuts?

There are currently $33.7M of unrestricted funds budgeted for Central Office expenses. However, cutting centrally funded teachers was the only central cut presented to the Board on April 6th. Every OUSD school site has closely evaluated each program to ensure that it is core and adding value to students. We ask that the District publicly, and in an accessible format, examine the budgets of (1) Professional Development; and (2) Full Service Community Schools Departments. Both of these budgets are large, and it is unclear if they are providing core services.

GO respects and recognizes the importance of the Central Office, and understands that it needs to be resourced to enable the district to function and advance the strategic plan. However, each department's budget needs to be closely examined to ensure that it is providing an indispensable service.

2. School Site Cuts: Given the range of options, it is clear that we could balance the budget even if we reduced the school site cuts. For example, the sites could reduce their budgets by $150 per pupil instead of $349 per pupil. Why isn't reducing the current level of cuts ($349 per pupil at school sites) among the options presented?

For example, if OUSD cut central office operations costs by 3%, it would mean a $1M savings. School site cuts could be reduced from approximately $14M to $13M, thus sparing teacher positions and support staff.

3. Restricted Funds: Will the District present options for passing more "restricted funds" to school sites?

For example, the District currently uses $2.9M of Title I funds for District oversight and "indirect costs." This is 15% of all District Title I money; funds which are intended to help children in poverty. If the District reduced the cost of its oversight, these funds could be passed to the school sites to benefit students.

4. Structural Deficit: How will OUSD work to address the long-term structural deficit prior to another year of budget cuts?

Note: Structural deficit refers to when, over time, the district spends more than it brings in. We can eliminate pain this year, but what happens next year?

5. Temporary Teachers: Last year, OUSD hired both permanent and temporary teachers with similar credentials. What is the plan to help temporary teachers return to their school sites?

6. Teacher layoffs and communication: How is information about the budget and staff layoffs being communicated district-wide? What steps are being taken to ensure that those who received layoff notices know that they are valued and that the district is doing everything it can to retain them?

After the presentation, the Board engaged with Hal on several points.

The current $349 cuts to school sites: Hal said that the district would not re-open the RBB process to reduce the cuts to school sites.
Furlough Days: Staff presented information that district-wide furlough days would result in savings of $1.3M per day, but noted that this would have to be negotiated with unions. Instructional days would be preserved as much as possible, with furloughs proposed for non-instructional days. Director Dobbins asked what other districts are doing regarding furlough days. Hal replied that some were using up to 10 days.
Classified Staff (non-teachers): Alice Spearman asked about classified staff, expressing concern that adequate levels of service would not be provided to students at school sites if schools cut classified staff to save teacher jobs. Hal replied that some classified services, such as custodians, were centrally funded, and that the district worked with school sites to make sure minimum standards were followed. School sites do, however, have flexibility around how they spend their money on classified staff.
Adult Education: Jody London asked what would be left of Adult Education if we flexed all but $1M of the funding, and wondered what other districts are doing regarding Adult Ed. funding. Maria Santos replied that most services would be gone, except for a few such as basic GED, and that many districts have cut it entirely.
A-G Requirements: Spearman asked whether it is possible that OUSD would relax or suspend the A-G graduation requirement. Hal said 'no.'
Strategic Plan: Gary Yee asked how the budget impacted the district's strategic plan. Maria Santos replied that the resources necessary to implement the strategic plan had been protected.
Facilities: Jumoke Hinton-Hodge asked if the district was going to "flex" any of the money used for facilities upkeep. Hal said 'no' because the district needs to take care of its buildings.

Resources

Please note: The above information reflects our best understanding of what was presented on April 6th. We have tried to characterize the main points from the conversation, and provide links to relevant resources. If you have comments, questions, or further ideas, please share them here.

Key Questions for the Oakland Teacher Convention

Tue, 05 Apr 2011 19:45:11 -0800

Key questions, research, and data that can help inform the critical conversations being held at the 2011 Oakland Teacher Convention

On Thursday evening, over 200 of Oakland's best teachers will be attending Oakland's first Teacher Convention. OUSD's Effective Teaching Task Force organized this two-and-a-half day convention, where teacher leaders will collaborate to define the priorities for a five-year strategic plan that will address teacher evaluation, compensation, site-based conditions, recruitment, retention, and professional development.

To help inform the critical conversations that will be taking place at the convention, GO Public Schools Information Center staff, board members, and policy fellows, in collaboration with members of the GO community, compiled the guide below with key questions, research, and data.

We acknowledge that:

Funding stability and adequacy are arguably the most important conditions to support our teachers.
Many conditions necessary to support teachers are not discussed in this guide.
OUSD has many good policies and practices that support effective teaching that should be continued.
The teachers who participate in the convention this week will bring a wealth of perspectives, knowledge, and understanding far beyond what our small group of educators and community have compiled.

Click here to download the full PDF, or click the headings below to access content related to that section.

Teachers are Leaders and Share Decision-Making

In which school-site decisions should teachers be involved?
What teacher leadership roles should exist at each school site?
What is the role of a teacher in determining professional development at school sites?

Teacher Evaluation and PD are Supportive and Data-Driven

What is the purpose of teacher evaluation?
How should teacher evaluation support teacher professional development?
How should teacher evaluation inform professional development decisions at the site and district levels?
How should data and evidence about student learning inform evaluations and professional development?

Schools and Teachers Choose Each Other ("Mutual Consent")

What are the roles of parents, teachers, and principals in selecting a teaching team?
When should candidates outside of the district be considered to fill vacancies at schools?
How can schools with high teacher turnover attract and retain quality teachers?
What should be the role of seniority in teacher placement?
What are the consequences of resignations, vacancies, or new openings at different points in OUSD/OEA hiring timeline?

Every School Has a Great Leader

What is a school leader's role in creating conditions to support teachers?
What qualities and skills must school leaders possess to support great teaching?
How much autonomy must school leaders have to lead great schools?
How important are a school leader's expectations of teachers? Students?

A System that Works for Teachers

How can OUSD's central office services support effective teaching?
How can OUSD's salary schedule be modified to help retain teachers?
What conditions, inside and outside of school, support effective teaching?

The teachers who participate in the convention this week will bring a wealth of perspectives, knowledge, and understanding far beyond what our small group of educators and community has compiled. We look forward to hearing about the conversations that emerge from a successful convention, and to partnering with teachers and the district to turn the ideas from the convention into actions to support teachers and students. Congratulations to the Oakland Unified School District and the Oakland Education Association for creating this opportunity for Oakland teachers.

Click here to download the full PDF. If you would like a print copy of this guide, please let us know!

Special Board Meeting TONIGHT

Tue, 05 Apr 2011 12:02:56 -0800

The coming six weeks are critical for OUSD students. The Board of Education is grappling with the state-wide budget crisis and will soon decide whether to lay off over 500 teachers and how to cut at least $30.5 million from the OUSD budget. To date, school sites have been asked to shoulder the majority of budget cuts.

Your voice needs to be a part of this conversation. Attend the Board of Education's Special Budget Meeting TONIGHT, April 6, at 5pm at the Board Room, 1025 Second Avenue. (Public comment follows staff presentations)

Here are the agenda, Special Presentation to the Board, and corresponding documents (11-12 Budget Development: Unrestricted General Fund Assumptions, and Summary of Consultants) to be presented tonight.

GO commends the efforts of principals from elementary, middle, and high schools across Oakland who have been working hard to make sure that students stay at the center of the discussion. For the past several weeks, a group of principals has been meeting (with support from GO Public Schools and OCO) to review the 2011-2012 budget, sharing information, polling colleagues, and collecting data about the potential impact of the budget cuts on students and school communities across the city.

The principals' presentation, available here, includes both facts and the recommendations that they will be sharing tonight.

Facts:

Schools cut $350 per pupil in Results Based Budgeting (RBB) for the 2011-2012 school year.
The State says we need to cut at least $825 per pupil next year.
OUSD leadership recently reversed its position of no central cuts, and has indicated that they can cut $350 per pupil.
At high poverty schools, cuts may eliminate the supports students need to access core programs.

Why Sacramento City Matters for Oakland

Thu, 31 Mar 2011 16:14:15 -0800

Click here to download a PDF of Why Sacramento City Matters for Oakland

As a result of the state budget crisis, more than 18,500 pink-slips were sent to California teachers on March 15. Here in Oakland, the district issued 538 layoff notices to certificated district employees.

A state policy known as "last-in, first-out" (LIFO) determines which teachers receive pink slips. Teachers, students, and families city-wide have been stunned by both the sheer number of layoffs and the recognition that LIFO policies hit some schools harder than others. Those schools hit hardest tend to be in the city's poorest neighborhoods, often with the highest levels of crime, lowest levels of student achievement, and highest levels of teacher turnover.

Sacramento City protects students' constitutional rights.

In Sacramento City, Superintendent Jonathan Raymond and the Board of Education sought to protect students in the six "Superintendent's Priority Schools" from the effects of teacher layoffs. These academically troubled schools, where the district had difficulty recruiting staff, were identified in March 2010 as part of an effort to improve under-performing schools that had failed to adequately serve students. Students at these six schools will not experience the devastating effects of teacher layoffs because none of their teachers will be laid off for the 2011-2012 school year.

Using the Law to Protect: Sacramento City's action to protect students is based on a state law that calls for two important exceptions to seniority-based lay-offs ("Skipping"). Under the Education Code, Districts are allowed to deviate from seniority-based layoffs:

1. for hard-to-staff fields (such as special education, math, or science), Cal. Educ. Code §44955(d)(1); and
2. "for purposes of maintaining or achieving compliance with constitutional requirements related to equal protection of the laws." Cal. Educ. Code § 4955(d)(2).

(Click here to read about the settlement in LAUSD that complies with this provision).

The Board Leads: On March 3, 2011, the Sacramento City Unified Board of Education approved a Resolution to Determine Criteria for Deviation from Terminating a Certificated Employee in Order of Seniority also known as "Skipping Criteria." In addition to skipping teachers in "hard-to staff" fields, the district also chose to "skip" the teachers working at the Superintendent's Priority Schools.

From the Resolution, Sacramento City's "Skipping Criteria" include the following:

1. individuals with the following certifications:

BCLAD (bilingual)
Special Education
High school math

2. individuals teaching in Priority Schools (the 6 schools designated by the Superintendent) [emphasis added]

3. individuals with the following experiences:

one or more years teaching in the Dual-Language Immersion Program
two or more years teaching and/or specialized training in a home or hospital setting
formal Waldorf method training
experience in the Accelerated Academy Program

What can Oakland Unified do now?
OUSD must use the power it already possesses under the Education Code to uphold students' constitutional, fundamental right to basic equality of educational opportunity. Current law (Education Code) requires a district to deviate from seniority-based layoffs "for purposes of maintaining or achieving compliance with constitutional requirements related to equal protection of the laws." Cal. Educ. Code § 44955(d)(2).

Rescinding Layoff Notices: The first step is to figure out how to rescind the layoff notices that have already been issued. Recognizing the no teacher layoff is good, OUSD should begin by working with the Oakland Education Association (OEA) and community groups to develop criteria for how to rescind the layoff notices issued on March 15. OEA President Betty Olson-Jones, in a March 22 open letter to the community, states that the OEA is "open to creative suggestions that will help minimize the instability caused by massive layoffs[.]"[1]

The criteria should be developed by OUSD, OEA, and community groups in such a way that will:

1. protect the most vulnerable schools that would otherwise suffer dramatic percentages of teacher layoffs;

2. distribute the remaining teacher layoffs more fairly across our public schools; and

3. be respectful of teachers and their collective bargaining rights.

This plan might include options such as entirely rescinding the layoff notices for the teachers at a select group of schools deemed most academically vulnerable, creating categories of schools based on academic performance and assigning each category a maximum percentage of the staff which can be laid off; or rescinding the notices such that no school has more than the district average of layoffs.

In the future, OUSD can also provide effective teacher attraction and retention supports at those schools that have suffered from high teacher turnover rates and have a disproportionately high number of newer teachers, with the goal of reducing teacher turnover at those schools.

For more information:

OEA Executive Board Elections - coming soon!

Wed, 23 Mar 2011 11:52:10 -0800

Nominations are due April 4th. Who is representing you?

There are 3 officer seats up for election:

2nd Vice President (incumbent: Rosenda Thomas)
Secretary (incumbent: Steve Neat)
Treasurer (incumbent: Mark Airgood)

There are 5 Executive Board seats up for election:

Board Seat #1 (incumbent:Tania Kappner)
Board Seat #2 (incumbent:Rodney Brown)
Board Seat #3 (incumbent: Bob Mandel)
Board Seat #4 (incumbent:Craig Gordon)
Board Seat #5 (incumbent:Aimee Green)

The term for the above seats is July 1, 2011 - June 30, 2013.

There are 3 CTA State Council Seats up for election:

Seat #1 (open)
Seat #3 (incumbent: Manny Lopez)
Seat #4 (incumbent: Steve Neat)
Alternate (open)

The term for the above seats is July 1, 2011 - June 30, 2014.

Timeline:

April 4: Nominations close, and all candidate statements are due at the end of the Rep Council meeting
April 4: Rep Council meeting at Oakland International High School (4521 Webster Street) - candidates will be given 2 minutes to speak
May 9-13: Election window

Click here to download a nomination form.
For more information, visit the OEA office at 272 East 12th Street, Suite C.

OCO to Host Community Meeting to Discuss Budget and Layoff Crisis - Monday at 5:45

Fri, 11 Mar 2011 17:36:27 -0800

Please join parents, teachers and principals for a strategy meeting to address the impact of budget cuts and layoffs at school sites across Oakland.

The purpose of this meeting is to develop action strategies to minimize budget cuts to school sites and prevent disproportionate impact of teacher layoffs on schools serving the most vulnerable communities.

The meeting will be held at the OCO Offices - #2 Eastmont Mall (upper level) - on Monday, March 14th at 5:45 PM.

Pizza will be provided.

A Youth's Perspective on the Budget Crisis

Thu, 10 Mar 2011 14:57:18 -0800

by Elaine Barfield, MetWest High School Sophomore and GO Public Schools Intern

"What makes you think I care about your education? Am I supposed to be worried about if you're learning and if you graduate or go to college? I know that you're the future, but do I really want to fund your school or is purchasing real estate a better investment?"

These are some of the things that I think of when I hear about budget cuts in schools. The famous cliché is, "you are the future of America", but when I hear and see what's going on, I wonder if adults are saying that, but don't really care. Their actions don't match their words.

In many schools right now, the most interesting and enjoyable programs are being removed, and being replaced with things that aren't as engaging or effective as before. When that happens, it's just showing us students what you adults think about us, like, "I want you to be intelligent, but I can't afford to pay for a quality education for you. You don't need any more art, dance, sports, or after school programs - the ones that are keeping you in school."

Many effective teachers are being removed from their jobs because of the "Last Hired, First Fired" policy. Some people may think that the last ones hired don't have much experience in teaching, and therefore are not effective. I know from experience that sometimes, they're the most effective teachers. Sometimes, it's the new teachers and not just the older ones who can connect with students and know some of what they like or they're interested in. I know exactly what it feels like to have a great teacher leave and be replaced with a poor one. It happened to me in middle school. After that experience, nothing was ever the same in school for me.

Currently I'm a sophomore student at MetWest High School in Oakland, where I can surely see the effects of budget cuts. At my school, the budget cuts have affected us in many ways. We don't have enough supplies, and if we have some, they're broken, messed up, worn out, or not up-to-date. We don't have a library, gym, cafeteria, lockers, fully functioning windows, or good food. And, to put the icing on the cake, we don't even have our own school; we share it with KDOL radio, Channel 27 TV, and a college preparedness group. As you're reading, you can see through my words some of the ways this budget crisis is affecting my education. And if nothing is done about it, it'll just get worse.

My plan, after finishing high school, is to become a pediatrician or a lawyer. Without a quality education, none of that will happen. In today's society, we need more than just a high school diploma to help us get a job. We need AAs, BAs, Masters, and Doctorate Degrees. And the budget crisis is right in the front line, blocking our path to a high quality education. If we don't do something to improve our system now, it'll affect the education of generations of young people to come. I hope people stand up for me. I hope people stand up for all the students of Oakland.

Oakland's Hard Decisions

Tue, 08 Mar 2011 20:25:13 -0800

With over 85 Oakland education advocates in the room, a thought-provoking presentation from MK Think, and lots of maps and data for review, last Thursday was an opportunity for our community to come together to discuss the demographic, enrollment, and facilities data that OUSD will be using to make challenging strategic planning decisions.

As announced on Thursday, our Oakland community has two weeks to weigh in and offer feedback to the Board of Education on approaches to district asset allocation and right-sizing.

At tomorrow night's Board of Education meeting, board members and community will review data we discussed along with new scenarios from MK Think.

The presentation offers four scenarios for the board's consideration:

Efficiency - operate the fewest sites possible (larger sites offer best economies of scale)
Remove portables - eliminate portables and concentrate resources on permanent buildings
Neighborhood - align capacity with neighborhood population and minimize overlap of site coverage areas
Choice - accommodate student preference patterns

Our understanding is that two weeks from tomorrow, on March 23, the Board will have another discussion and begin making recommendations to staff about the direction they want to go.

What You Can Do

Attend and speak at the Board Meeting on Wednesdays March 9 and March 23 at 5pm at 1025 Second Avenue.
Contribute to the conversation on our website - offer your feedback and recommendations in the comments section below.
Send GO Public Schools your thoughts today! We'll compile them and share with the Board and the Regional Assets Task Force.

Resources

OUSD-MK Think Asset Management: District Rightsizing Scenario Modeling 3/9/11
Notes from table discussions at 3/3 GO/MK Think event
2010-11 OUSD enrollment data by school
2010 OUSD API data by school
2009 Oakland Charter Public Schools data by school
2010 Oakland Public Schools API Map
2010-11 Live-Go Data by school <requested from OUSD>

CALL TO ACTION: Become a Delegate to the OUSD Teacher Convention

Fri, 04 Mar 2011 17:56:55 -0800

SHAPE THE FUTURE OF TEACHING IN OAKLAND

On April 7, delegates from every Oakland Unified school site will come together at the Emeryville Hilton for Oakland's first Teacher Convention. This is a unique opportunity for teacher voices to develop policy to support effective practice in Oakland Unified.

Will you be there?

OUSD's Effective Teaching Task Force is organizing this two-and-a-half day convention, where teacher leaders will collaborate to define the priorities for a five-year strategic plan that will address teacher evaluation, compensation, site-based conditions, recruitment, retention, and professional development. The convention represents an unprecedented opportunity for teachers doing amazing work for Oakland students to set the direction for accelerating improvement in instructional practice across our city.

TAKE ACTION: NOMINATE YOURSELF

Nominate yourself to be your school's delegate at the April 7-9 Oakland Teacher Convention. Principals and OEA site reps should be bringing information about the convention to a staff meeting next week, and voting for delegates will occur a few days later. Nominate yourself. Represent your school.

Our students are counting on you to advocate for them.

Effective teaching will be assured when...

Teachers are: provided time and compensation for collaborating with each other and for participating in relevant professional development; recognized, accountable, and rewarded for their impact on student learning and achievement; and provided opportunities for professional growth.
Teachers use multiple data sources to assess and adjust instruction, student interventions, professional development, and curriculum decisions.
Teachers consistently review student work against student learning standards, and assess and adjust teaching practice to better serve student needs.
School sites are provided with budgets, resources, training and tools to build the capacity of their staffs, ensuring that all are focused on high performance student outcomes and standards of work.
We have a higher base salary for teachers, as well as incentives to retain and reward effective teachers and those who choose to teach in high-needs communities, that is, teachers are paid more!
Teacher salaries are competitive with those of surrounding districts and communities.

Add your ideas as a delegate on April 7!

Helpful Links

Have questions about the convention? Email Ash Solar or call him at 510-879-8666.
Click here to watch the Teacher Task Force's video about the convention.
Resources from the Effective Teachers Task Force

GO Public Schools believes that we must focus on recruiting and keeping an effective teacher in every Oakland classroom. Current studies confirm that among in-school factors, teacher effectiveness is the single most important factor in student learning. Further, effective teaching can close achievement gaps and overcome the impact of poverty on student learning and educational attainment.

Click here to learn more about GO's ideas about teacher effectiveness.

Oakland Education Leaders Endorse Let Us Vote Campaign

Mon, 28 Feb 2011 18:11:29 -0800

Great Oakland Public Schools community asks Sacramento to "Let Us Vote" to preserve K-12 public school funds

Oakland, CA - February 28, 2011: Great Oakland Public Schools and Bay Area Parent Leadership Action Network are proudly supporting the statewide Let Us Vote! campaign. We represent parents, teachers, principals, students and community leaders locking arms to show support for Governor Brown's budget, including a proposed June ballot measure that will preserve basic funding for public schools.

Legislators and the Governor are already receiving pressure through a flood of letters, e-mails and calls leading up to the March 10 deadline to put the ballot measure in front of voters in June. In the first nine days, the Let Us Vote! campaign has garnered over 13,000 email letters to legislators, with letters from all 80 assembly districts and all 40 senate districts. Oaklanders have already sent over 700 email letters to legislators to support our schools, our children and our future. We expect to reach 1000 letters in the next few days.

"Democrats and Republicans in Sacramento are hearing a clear message that we need them to move forward a proposal to preserve funding for public schools," said Jonathan Klein, an Oakland parent with Great Oakland Public Schools.

California faces a $25 billion deficit and Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) faces a $30 million budget deficit for next school year, after already cutting $122 million over the past 18 months. For the first time in this recession, OUSD plans to lay off teachers, which will further destabilize our school communities. "Budget cuts, to me, are an excuse for people in power to use money for other things. When they talk about budget cuts at schools, it's like saying 'I don't care about our educational system, I don't care about youth learning'," stated a 10th grade student at Oakland's MetWest High School.

The Governor's plan is to cut spending by approximately $12.5 billion and generate another approximately $12 billion by renewing a tax extension that is set to expire on July 1, 2011. The ballot measure will allow Californians to vote on the tax extension. Currently, at least 4 additional legislators need to sign on in order for the tax extension to reach voters.

A recent poll completed by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) indicates that nearly 75% of Californians oppose cuts to K-12 education. Of those, 82% are willing to pay higher taxes to fund education. According to PPIC, between 2007-08 and 2010-11, the state's contribution to K-12 has decreased by 13 percent--and when one controls for inflation the decrease is greater. Yet, the legislature is still arguing about putting a revenue measure to protect school funding on the ballot.

Although this tax extension measure won't solve fundamental school funding issues, Oaklanders fundamentally believe that if the legislature doesn't allow this vote to reach Californians, the legislature will be robbing our children of the chance to have an adequate education. Without this revenue measure, parents are expecting devastating and debilitating changes to their children's schools.

"I've already seen the negative impacts of budget cuts over the years. We are doing the opposite of what needs to be done. Our schools need more money, more resources. At my son's school, we are at risk of losing all of the wonderful adults who support school climate and culture. How are schools seriously expected to meet goals of providing quality education under these conditions?" said the parent of a Westlake Middle School 6th grader.

Oaklanders can join the movement to Let Us Vote! by sending an email or calling legislators; instructions are available at www.gopublicschools.org/2011/02/oakland_demands.php.

Great Oakland Public Schools is a coalition of parents, educators, students and community leaders. GO Public Schools provides leadership, education, and information to ensure that all Oakland students have access to excellent public schools in their neighborhood and throughout Oakland.

The Bay Area Parent Leadership Action Network (PLAN) is a regional network working to unite and strengthen diverse parents and organizations to promote education justice through training, leadership development, organizing, and advocacy.

Educate Our State is a parent-led, statewide campaign to unite the voices of Californians in support of high quality K-12 Public Education and demand real change. Educate Our State represents 35,000 parents from across California and has combined forces with the Campaign for Quality Education, a coalition of over 20 organizations statewide.

For more information and to join forces visit www.gopublicschools.org / info@gopublicschools.org or www.educateourstate.org / educateourstate@gmail.com.