Great Oakland Public Schools Leadership Center

Videos from this Week's School Board Meeting

Fri, 11 May 2012 12:53:07 -0800

Here are some important highlight's from this week's OUSD Board of Education meeting.

Facilities Master Plan: (Click the links for video)

Tim White, Assistant Superintendent of Facilities, gave an overview of the plan. He explained that the Facilities Master Plan is "an exhaustive list of OUSD's greatest facilities needs," however, the schools have not yet been listed in order of priority. When asked about how the plan would support technology, White clarified that the plan will only provide the general infrastructure - for example, more power outlets to allow for upgraded schools to enhance their computer labs. White was also asked about the funding of the plan, to which he explained how funds would be generated through a proposed bond measure ($475 million) and through state and federal grant funding (amount to be determined).
Zenobia Barlow, from the Center for Ecoliteracy, spoke to the need to prioritize the infrasture for nutrition and quality food service in the plan.
Michelle Gonzalez, Nidya Baez, Mickel Calderon, Lisa Shafer, and Principal Daniel Hurst from Fremont High School spoke about the impacts of poor facilities on learning and enrollment.
Elaine Guarnieri-Nunn, from the California Charter Schools Association, spoke about the need to include charter schools within the plan.
The Facilities Department is accepting community feedback on the plan through their website and Board Members can be reached individually via email.

Polling on a potential November 2012 Bond Measure:

The polling was completed by Gene Bergman & Associates, who has been doing this type of polling for OUSD since 1994. The poll interviewed six hundred likely Oakland voters residents about their perceptions of Oakland Unified and likelihood to support a bond measure. Click here for the presentation slides.
This 2012 poll was the first year that more respondents said that OUSD Schools were performing "excellent or good" than respondents who stated that OUSD schools were doing "poorly."
A Proposition 39 bond measure requires a 55% passage rate. On average, 67% of respondents stated that they would vote in favor of a bond. Residents in Districts 1, 3, and 5 were more likely to vote yes for a bond measure
Mr. Bergman suggested the possibility of complimenting a bond measure with a parcel tax, as the combined measures would be more likely to pass together. The proposed parcel tax would be $20 per parcel and would generates $2 Million to support the maintenence of the facilities. However, the Board only requested draft ballot language for a bond measure. Director Kakishiba stated that pursuing a parcel tax would not worthwhile, since he thought that there were other ways to pay for the maintenence fees and he wants to support a larger parcel tax that is more progressively structured.
Hugh Morrison, an Oakland parent, shared his insight on revenue generation for facilities. Click here to see his speech.

Superintendent's Report:

Mr. Smith read a letter from the SD Becthel Jr. Foundation Letter, honoring OUSD for its progress and great work. Bechtel has granted over $3 Million over the past 2 years. Click here to see this video.
School Recognition Presentation: Principal Carin Geathers shared the strategies she has implemented to create success at Burckhalter Elementary School, which was recently announced as a Title 1 Achievement School for the second year in a row. She attributed this success to holistic care for students and increased opportunities for students to raise their concerns. Burckhalter has also reduced its absenteeism. Click here to see her presentation.
Supt. Smith recognized the 2012 California Distinguished Schools, Kaiser and ACORN-Woodland elementaries, as well as the California Title 1 Academic Achievement Award Recipients: Lincoln, Cleveland, Burckhalter, Lighthouse Community Charter School, and American Indian Charter School II.

Other updates:

The LPS R&D Charter School was approved by a vote of 6-1. This charter will overtime phase out the LPS College Park. The school will focus on Linked Learning and blended learning. The school plans to move in the spring of 2013 to a new campus near the Oakland airport.
The Board removed the mandate that required the Oakland Athletic League Commissioner to be held by someone with an administrative credential.

Summary of OUSD's Facilities Master Plan

Tue, 08 May 2012 15:48:31 -0800

On Wednesday, May 9th, the Board of Education will host a first reading of the 2012 Facilities Master Plan during their regularly scheduled meeting. The plan includes all of the major building projects that OUSD will be working on over the next five to ten years. The most recent Facilities Master Plan was written in 2004. You can read the current plan here, as well our summary below. Click here to see which schools and projects have been proposed.

Here are a few questions to consider while reading the plan:

How have the projects been prioritized? Do they support the most critical student needs? How does the plan support technology and creating schools of the future?

The plan has three main goals, which incorporates a focus on sustainability, efficient use of resources, demographics and enrollment projections, and community input.

1) Supporting Full Service Community Schools ($447 Million)

 This funding will ensure that facilities are aligned with the needs of the Thriving Students strategic plan, which calls for schools to serve as community resource centers and provide wrap-around services. Sample projects include dedicated space for Early Childhood Education (Pre-K & Transitional-K), storage for after school programs, private rooms for family counseling, and evening access to sports and athletics fields.   

2) Enhancing Seismic Safety ($333 Million) 

Although all OUSD schools meet current building codes, seismic upgrades must take place in order to prevent damage and adhere to new building codes. Seismic safety enhancements will be made to 133 buildings throughout OUSD school

sites.

3) Modernizing and Upgrading Facilities ($690 Million) 

There are five key components for modernization and facilities upgrades:

Portable Reduction - $336 Million: OUSD's goal is to provide permanent facilities whenever possible, in order to promote healthier learning environments. Currently, portable classrooms account for 21% of all K-12 classrooms.
Building Systems Upgrades - $228 Million: These projects include improvements to heating, roofing, plumbing, security systems, etc.
Nutrition Services Master Plan - $44 Million: This plan, designed in partnership with The Center for Ecoliteracy, is a roadmap for changing school kitchen facilities as well as creating a new OUSD Central Kitchen, and 14 community kitchens.
Site and Grounds Updates - $29 Million: These are improvements to turf fields, schoolyards, and educational gardens.
Solar and Energy Efficiency Programs - $53 Million: These sustainability upgrades will reduce water and energy usage, through solar panels, stormwater remediation, and efficiency enhancements.

Here are a few short cuts to reading the Facilities Master Plan:

OUSD facilities "By the Numbers" - Page 6

Enrollment projections - Pages 32-33

Special education & universal access - Page 38

Nutrition Services Master Plan - Pages 44-45

Cost list by project category - Page 46-47

Why We Hella Love Oakland Teachers

Tue, 08 May 2012 06:41:13 -0800

Anyone who is or has ever been a teacher knows that the work a teacher does is extraordinarily complex - physically and mentally demanding, inspiring and exciting, intense and virtually never-ending. It is both a highly rewarding and highly demanding profession.

The hard-working individuals who become teachers in our city are doing this work for our children despite the possibilities many have to work in higher-paying districts nearby. Oakland, with all of its fantastic diversity and beauty, faces many challenges. Our teachers are doing the hard work every day of teaching our youth to meet those challenges and continue to build the Oakland we all know we can be.

During this Teacher Appreciation Week, we salute our teachers for everything they do to teach, empower, and love our children. It is not enough to appreciate teachers, though - we are committed to playing our part to help create conditions for teachers to thrive and to amplify teacher voice in Oakland.

We at Great Oakland Public Schools hope to play a role in building an Oakland where teachers are at the very center of policy discussions about what it takes to have effective teaching happening in every child's classroom. That's why we've been building an Effective Teaching Campaign over the past year. We believe that the time to prioritize support for great teaching is now. Consider the following:

Approximately 8 percent of our most effective teachers leave the profession every year, impacting over 1 million students. (Public Impact, 2010)
Oakland Unified loses 55 percent of its teachers after only three years with the district. The annual teacher turnover rate is slightly more than 14 percent, which is around twice the national district average.
Nationally, there is more research and understanding than ever before about what it takes to support effective teaching.
Effective teaching is a critical part of Thriving Students - the OUSD strategic plan.
OUSD has created an Effective Teaching Task Force and there are new positions and people inside the district with renewed energy and focus on supporting teachers.
Excellent teaching matters deeply for students. Education Trust West's recent "Learning Denied" report found that second-graders who started off behind academically and then had access to three school years of highly effective teaching accelerated to academic proficiency, while students with less effective teaching remained stuck below grade level.

We imagine an Oakland where every teacher is supported to be outstanding at their profession and where every student gets to experience truly fantastic teaching every day. We hope you'll join us in making this happen - our teachers deserve for that vision to be realized, and so do our children.

How can you get involved?

If you are a teacher or parent who would like to get involved in our Effective Teaching Campaign, email Marc Tafolla to learn more.
Order a free "I Hella Love Oakland Teachers" sticker for your water bottle, notebook, car, or laptop to show your support. Then tell your friends to order one too!
If you know an Oakland teacher, "Share" this picture on their Facebook wall or through email and tell them how much you appreciate them.

Just minutes ago, the school board voted...

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 17:37:01 -0800

The All Kids coalition has been organizing since October for a policy that increases local school decision-making.

Just a few minutes ago, it passed at the school board by a vote of 7 to 0!

It did not happen by accident. Over the last several months, more than 2,500 Oaklanders signed petitions, hundreds came to organizing and school board meetings, dozens testified, and many organizations and leaders worked to support them. Information on the campaign can be found here: 1) the new policy, 2) implementation resolution, and 3) "All Kids" coalition values.

Superintendent Smith will now create a specific plan to implement the policy (including negotiating aligned agreements with labor unions) and give school communities a greater say in how to educate their children in the areas of Budget, Curriculum, Staffing, and Schedule. In addition, implementation of the new policy will allow school staff more freedom to innovate while advancing OUSD's Thriving Students vision of full service community schools.

Thanks for all that you did to make this happen. Today is a day to celebrate.

Board Watch Preview: School-Site Management, Lazear's Charter & More

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 17:49:59 -0800

There are two major issues to be voted upon at this week's OUSD Board of Education meeting on Wednesday, April 25th.

1) Board Policy on School Governance
After a thorough study session on this issue last week, the Board will vote on a policy that would increase school-site decision making opportunities. Upon the approval of this policy, the Superintendent will be responsible for creating a plan that reflects the framework outlined in this Board policy. Follow these links to read the 1-page proposed policy or a summary of implementation questions.

2) Decision on the proposed conversion of Lazear Charter School
The Lazear Charter application also includes a request to maintain the Lazear families, to continue the usage of the current Lazear school site, and to become a partnership school with Oakland Unified. OUSD Partner Schools, which include ASCEND and Learning Without Limits, are managed by an independent charter management organization, however, they contract many school services, such as nutrition and custodial support, through Oakland Unified.

Here are a few other key pieces of business:

A presentation from Vernon Hal, Deputy Superintendent for Business and Operations, on the successful sale of the District's Bonds.
A vote on three Prop 39 charter school site determinations.
A recognition ceremony for Oakland's two teachers of the year - Mr. Stephen David and Ms. I'asha Warfield.
A vote to approve OUSD's 2012-2013 Calendar.

Deadline for CA Education Ballot Initiatives

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 14:48:45 -0800

There is only one week left to sign petitions for the two California ballot initiatives which would raise funds for public schools. All signatures must be submitted to the campaigns by Thursday, April 26th. We've spoken to leaders in both campaigns and below is information about how to help.

The Schools and Local Public Safety Protection Act of 2012
This is the measure supported by Governor Brown, the California Democratic Party, and the California Teachers Association. Petitions are available to print online, and we've spoken to Oakland Education Association President Betty Olsen-Jones who shared that petitions are available for pick up at their office. Call (510) 763-4020 (the OEA office) for more information.

Our Children, Our Future
This ballot initiative is supported by the California PTA and Molly Munger, a prominent civil rights attorney from Los Angeles. Petitions can be picked up from PTA organizer Patricia Mock in Berkeley. She can be reached at 510-730-6871 or patriciaLmock@gmail.com.

Click here to read GO's comparison between the two initiatives and here for our "Something Needs To Be Done" blog post about the need for additional resources to support California public schools.

School-Site Decision Making on the Agenda at Board Study Session

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 17:16:48 -0800

This Wednesday, the Board will hold a study session to review a policy on school-site decision making, which was approved within the Special Committee on School-Based Management & Budgeting on April 9. The Board will vote on whether or not to adopt the policy at the April 25th regular Board meeting.

Here are a few key components of the policy:

A rationale for school-site decision making:
"The Board of Education believes that those closest to students at a school - employees, parents, students, community partners - are generally in the best position to know the specific academic, social, and emotional needs of their students, and how best to address those needs."
The creation of school site governance teams:
Each school site will have a committee which will be responsible for "(1) engaging the school community, (2) establishing the school's strategy for attendance, academic achievement, and wellness, and (3) aligning and managing resources."
A framework for distributing funding:
"Allocate funding to schools in a manner that equitably distributes financial resources based on the different need and life circumstances of students and maximizes the percentage of all OUSD revenues to be distributed to schools."

Click here to read the 1 page policy.

It's Spring Break but the School Board is in Session

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 17:28:05 -0800

Committee on School-Based Management and Budgeting
Tonight's meeting has 2 components. This committee consists of David Kakishiba, Chris Dobbins, and Alice Spearman.

They will be discussing the District's community engagement outcomes regarding this potential policy.
The board will review and vote upon the School-Based Management and Budgeting. Click here to read that policy. If the policy is approved in this committee, it will be brought into a study session with the full board on Wednesday, April 18th and then to the full board at the regularly scheduled meeting on April 25th.

Quick update from last week's special Board meeting - Wednesday, April 4th

COVA - Renewal Approved
The Board unanimously approved the charter renewal of the Conservatory of Vocal Arts (COVA) with the conditions recommended by the OUSD Office of Charter Schools, regarding improved governance, more inclusive admissions policies, and enhanced Measurable Pupil Outcomes.

American Indian Charter Public School II - Renewal Approved
This school was up for its charter renewal. The OUSD Office of Charter Schools has recommended that the Board deny this charter renewal on the grounds of poor governance practices, lack of fiscal responsibility, and multiple violations of charter and school management law. This recommendation partially stemmed from a FCMAT investigation on the school's founder and former leader, Ben Chavis. The charter management organization's Director of Finance and the Board Chair both rejected the allegations of financial and governance violations. This FCMAT report will not be finalized until the end of April. The board engaged in over three and a half hours of debate over whether the allegations were just "concerns" or "proven faults." Click here to read Katy Murphy's live blog of the AICPS Renewal Vote. In the end, the board voted 4 votes to 3 to approve the charter renewal American Indian Charter School for two years with some conditions.

The April 4th meeting included 3 important reports. Click below to see the videos:

Update from OUSD Staff on Secondary Literacy Program

Update from OUSD Staff on Adult Education

Recognition Ceremony for three OUSD Police Officers who served as first responders in the Oikos University attack on April 2nd.

Last Week's School Board Meeting & Preview of Tonight's Meeting

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 12:38:16 -0800

Here's a recap from last week's Board meeting
Wednesday, March 28 and Thursday, March 29th, 2012

This regularly scheduled Board Meeting was divided over two days, due to a protest lead by BAMN organizers that caused the meeting to go into recess until the following afternoon. For a more detailed breakdown of why the meeting was recessed, please see this article by Oakland North.

The BAMN protest was largely related to the school closures and the charter petition submitted by the Lazear Elementary families and Education for Change. The Lazear Charter Academy's petition to become an independent charter school was supposed to be voted upon during this meeting, however, due to a very in-depth debate about whether Lazear should participate as an OUSD Partner School (like Ascend and Learning Without Limits elementary schools) the Board unanimously voted to table the decision until a later date. Click here for the original charter petition.

Brigitte Marshall, Associate Superintendent of Human Capital, gave a quick synopsis of her department's School Showcase, which teachers from the closing schools attended in order to explore their options for new placements. She explained the showcase here.

New Business (Thursday, March 29th)

The Board voted unanimously to approve Prop 39 facilities agreement for Arise High School to be relocated to the former Edward Shands Adult School.
The Board voted to lease the Santa Fe Elementary Site to Emery Unified for three years while they build a new high school in Emeryville. Click here to view the explanation from Tony Smith and Board discussion.

Public Hearing

The LPS Oakland R&D Charter School presented on the plans for its new charter school, which is intended to replace the existing LPS College Park high school that currently exists on the Castlemont campus. LPS R&D infuses more technology and blended-learning models, such as the College Launch Pilot, which allows high school students to take online college courses. The CEO of Leadership Public Schools also noted that the new location of the school, near the Port of Oakland, would assist in the school's mission in providing "Linked Learning" career development opportunities. Since LPS College Park is acting under its existing charter and Title 1 grant funding, LPS R&D would serve only freshman in its initial year and eventually grow to phase out the LPS College Park High School. Click here to watch the presentation.

What's up at this week's meeting?

Financial and Human Resources Matters

There will be an update on Measure B funds for school facilities.
The board will hear a report on Tier 3 Flexibility Outcomes for the Fiscal Year 2012-2013.

Teaching and Learning Matters

The Board will discuss policy and administrative regulations regarding academic grades and evaluations of student achievement.
The Board will hear a School Portfolio Management report from district staff regarding Kaiser and Burckhalter Elementary Schools.

New Business

Decision on the charter renewal of American Indian Charter School II

Click here to read American Indian's charter petition.
The OUSD Office of Charter Schools has recommended that the Board deny this charter renewal on the grounds of poor governance practices, lack of fiscal responsibility, and multiple violations of charter and school management law. You can read their recommendation here. These and other allegations were recently noted in The Education Report (Katy Murphy's blog).

Decision on the charter renewal of Conservatory of Vocal Arts (COVA)

Click here to read COVA's charter petition.
The OUSD Office of Charter Schools has recommended conditional approval of COVA's Charter Renewal, citing the need for creating Measurable Pupil Outcomes, developing their Board governance, as well as changing their application process to be more inclusive. Read the full recommendation here.

Video of Tony Smith on Hot Topics

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 19:31:46 -0800

By: Jonathan Klein

Last night nearly 200 Oaklanders braved the pouring rain for the opportunity to hear from and pose questions to Superintendent Tony Smith. Here are the videos, pictures, and other artifacts from the meeting, as well as an article in Oakland North in case you missed it. It was a great opportunity for our GO network to engage with the Superintendent and we'd appreciate your feedback.

Tomorrow, the Oakland Tribune is hosting another forum featuring Superintendent Smith and OEA President Betty Olson-Jones from 3:45-5:15pm at the 81st Library. This is an opportunity to show support and contribute to constructive dialogue on the issues that matter to students.

I wanted to share a quick reflection from last night both about (1) the progress we have made and (2) our collective responsibility as a community in this work.

Our Progress
Student achievement district wide has continued to improve and OUSD is now the most improved large urban school district in the state over the last 7 years. Despite our progress, none of us are satisfied - and all of us should be outraged - with our 50 percent high school graduation rate for students of color.

But we have reasons to be hopeful.

We have an increasingly financially stable school district in a time of terrible budget cuts.

Improved Budget: Our school board and superintendent have worked to eliminate the structural deficit. Unlike before, we are on track to spend the same amount of money as we receive.
No Statutory Layoffs Notices: Oakland Unified was one of only a few large urban school districts in the state not to issue statutory layoff notices this month to teachers.
Stopping School Closures: OUSD announced this month that we should not expect additional school closures this fall.

School communities, community partners, and district service organizations are working to implement the Thriving Students vision of high quality, full service community schools in every neighborhood.

Support for Teachers: Teachers at two Oakland middle schools are piloting a new evaluation system that focuses on meaningful feedback and professional growth.
15 School-Based Clinics: Oakland Unified and partners now operate 15 school-based health centers at our middle and high schools.
West Oakland STEM: OUSD is developing a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) corridor among its West Oakland schools.
African American Male Achievement Initiative: The AAMAI team is working in school communities to develop and share effective and relevant practices to serve this highest need group of students.
Partner Schools: District and charter leaders are collaborating to create the OUSD Partner Schools in collaboration with the Ascend and Learning Without Limits school communities.
Acceleration TSAs: District leaders have moved boldly to ensure high school students at Castlemont, Fremont, and McClymonds have access to strong teacher teams with the "Acceleration TSAs" initiative.
School Quality Reviews: 15 school communities are participating in pilot school quality review processes to assess their programs against OUSD's new school quality standards.

Collective Responsibility
Beyond being reminded of our school system's progress and ongoing challenge, what stands out to us most is our collective responsibility to chart a new course in how we work together.

As Superintendent Smith reiterated last night "the way we've been doing things has produced the outcomes we have." His call for innovation and continued hard work reminds us of our shared responsibility to envision and create an Oakland where the entire community is working together constructively and with urgency on behalf of our students.

Oakland Unified's relationship with Oakland Education Association leadership continues to be contentious. All of us have an interest - parents, teachers, and community - in supporting OUSD and the OEA to overcome this history and to work together in the best interests of children.

Taking collective responsibility for the health of our public schools and the quality of education we provide our students is not easy.

We need to be intentional about developing relationships, skills, and trust to interrupt the patterns of how we adults work together. When we get off track, each of us needs to be open to feedback and redirection that the focus needs to be on what is best for students.

We have many opportunities to volunteer and get involved in GO's work. Send me an email if you want to talk more about how to help.

If you're on this list (and you've read this far!), we know you care deeply about our public schools. Thanks for continuing to act and lead on behalf of our students.

Let's stay in this together.

Recap - Hot Topics in Oakland Education with Superintendent Tony Smith

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 05:35:25 -0800

View the story "Hot Topics in Oakland Education with Superintendent Tony Smith" on Storify

Preview: March 28th School Board Meeting

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 17:17:35 -0800

Here is brief synopsis of the key topics for this week's regular School Board meeting on Wednesday, March 28th at 5pm.

Special Presentation:  

The Board will hold a recognition ceremony for the Skyline High School Baseball Program in honor of their new stadium.

Unfinished Business:

The Board will vote on whether or not to approve the Lazear Charter Academy's petition to become an independent charter school. Click here to read the recommendation Lazear's charter petition from OUSD's Office of Charter Schools.

New Business

Financial and Human Resources Matters:

The board will hear a report on the outcomes of the Tier 3 Flexibility Funds for the Fiscal Year 2012-2013. Click here for the presentation.

Teaching and Learning Matters:

The Board will discuss policy and administrative regulations regarding academic grading and evaluation of student achievement. Here are links to OUSD's existing policy and regulation.
The Board will hear a School Portfolio Management report from district staff regarding Kaiser and Burckhalter Elementary Schools. Click here to read the memo regarding plans for both schools.

Facilities Matters:

The Board will vote on facilities agreements for five charter schools and on an agreement to lease the Santa Fe Elementary Site to Emery Unified for three years.

Intergovernmental Relations:

OUSD will get an update from their lobbying firm regarding pending legislation in the California State legislature. This presentation may lead to opportunities for the School Board to approve recommendations on certain pieces of legislation that impact OUSD. Click here to read the report from K Street Consultants.

Public Hearing:

The Board will hold a public hearing for the LPS Oakland R & D Charter School (Note, this is a new charter intended to replace the existing LPS College Park high school.) Click here to read the presentation from Leadership Public Schools.

We'll post the notes and key video clips from this meeting later this week.

Announcing Summer Fellowship Applications

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 17:20:11 -0800

Click here for a printable version of this posting.

About GO Public Schools
Great Oakland Public Schools supports a coalition of Oakland families, students, teachers, principals, community, and civic leaders united around a positive, student‐oriented vision for public education in our city. Our mission is to provide leadership, advocacy and information to ensure that all Oakland students have access to excellent public schools in their neighborhood and throughout the city.

About the Fellowship
GO Public Schools offers education advocates the opportunity to make an impact on public education in the City of Oakland through a variety of fellowship opportunities. We are seeking fellows to focus one or more of the following projects: (1) community outreach, (2) teaching policy, (3) and our Garden Party fundraiser.

This is a part-time, unpaid fellowship, may involve some travel around Oakland. The fellowship commitment is from mid-June through mid-August at approximately 20 hours per week. See below for details on how to apply.

Projects Available
Community Outreach (Apply to Jessica at jessica@gopublicschools.org)
Help increase the number of Oaklanders who are part of the GO network by strategically reaching out and inviting Oaklanders to get connected to Great Oakland Public Schools.

Teaching Policy (Apply to Marc at marc@gopublicschools.org)
Provide in-depth policy research and analysis on OUSD policies that impact teachers.

3rd Annual Garden Party (Apply to Casey at casey@gopublicschools.org)
Help lead our strategy to run our third annual Garden Party fundraiser in August - help drive details including volunteer, childcare, décor, printed materials, signage, marketing, and other logistical details.

Benefits

Opportunity to impact public education policy in Oakland
Be part of a dynamic team of educators and education advocates
Gain practical research, writing, and advocacy skills
Opportunity to meet measurable goals and build marketable skills

Qualifications Required

Self-starter with strong project management and communication skills.
Understanding of and/or willingness to learn about Oakland and Oakland Unified School District stakeholders
Strong and strategic written and verbal communication skills, with a willingness to engage in public speaking

How to Apply
All applicants should submit a cover letter and resume the GO staff member listed with the specific fellowship. Please limit your cover letter to 300 words and be sure to include the following: why you are interested in and qualified for this particular fellowship, your background in urban education, your connection to Oakland, and the skills you will offer the GO Public Schools team. Please include the reference "Summer Fellowship" in the subject line.

Deadline: Friday, April 13th

Something Must be Done - California Funding for Public Education

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 14:32:10 -0800

By: Jonathan Klein

In an email last November, we introduced three key ideas that would guide GO's approach to the 2012 statewide opportunity to bring additional resources to our public schools:

1) Something needs to be done. Statewide policies and lack of funding are holding back the work to provide quality education for all Oakland students. We need both resources and reform.

2) No bill or initiative will satisfy all parties. It's important that we come together on some set of policies that will be better for students rather than continue to support the status quo.

3) Oaklanders want and need to participate. GO's role is to give our network opportunities to get involved.

This spring, we will no doubt continue our local debates about how to best support Oakland students and public schools. But we cannot miss the opportunity to come together as one powerful Oakland voice to ask California voters to make a significant investment in our children and public schools.

Following are opportunities to take action and additional information about the current statewide proposals and debate.

Action Opportunities

1) Share this one-pager about the different proposals with your PTA or SSC to engage your community about the initiatives that voters will be asked to make a decision about in November.

To see a full-size PDF of this chart, please click here.

2) Share this blog post with other Oakland lists. We all need to be informed about these issues so that we are prepared to act powerfully in November.

3) Support the "This Budget Blows" campaign being organized by Educate our State - calling for resources and reform to support California students. Click here to send a letter to your local representatives in Sacramento.

4) Sign the petition to put "Our Children, Our Future Act" supported by the Advancement Project, Los Angeles attorney Molly Munger, and the CA State PTA on the November 2012 ballot.

We continue to support the 2012 Kids Plan framework developed by Children Now. Combining resources with reforms will make our investment even more high impact for kids.

In addition, our friends at Youth Together are supporting AB 18 - Julia Brownley's bill to make school budgets more transparent and accessible and to streamline the state's convoluted categorical funding system.

Please be in touch if you have additional ideas and suggestions to support this work.

Board Agenda Watch Notes & Video - Wednesday, March 14th

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 14:17:48 -0800

Below is a recap of Wednesday's board meeting.

Important updates from Superintendent Smith:

First, in light of the infamous "March 15^th pink slip date," Superintendent Smith formally announced that there will be zero anticipatory layoff notices given this year. You can see his presentation here or below.

Second, there was a presentation by Principal Rosette Costello from Peralta Elementary School about the successes that they have seen at their site. Click here or below for the presentation, which includes a student-created digital arts project about the geological formation of Yosemite.

Third, there was an update from OUSD's Transition Coordinator, Denise Saddler, and three of the principals who will be accepting students after the closing of Lazear Elementary School this summer.

New Business

The Board unanimously approved a continuation of the PARS program that offers an early retirement incentive to classified and certificated staff. Superintendent Smith explained that this had been requested as an option by some OUSD teachers, particularly ones in schools that are closing this year.
Vernon Hal gave a long update during the Second Interim Financial Report on that status of OUSD's financial health. Alice Spearman led discussions on increasing the reserve funds to 4% (from the current 3%), which was Mr. Hal state was not feasible since the State of California was deferring funds to OUSD (as has been customary in recent years). This does not imply that there are financial challenges, but that OUSD's cash flow is altered at times due to the deferral of funds from the state. The Board and Tony Smith also discussed the impact that potential 2012 ballot initiatives would have on the District's revenue. Click here to watch that conversation.

General Consent Report

Specific point of interest: This item was a contract approval of up to $50,000 to provide implementation support for the opening and operation of the 100 Black Men of the Bay Area Community School. This is a school that tried to negotiate being an in-district charter school, however, these agreements were never reached and thus the organization submitted an independent charter application and was approved unanimously the current OUSD Board. The funds for this contract will come from OUSD, which Director Kakishiba called a "strategic investment" to support the success for what all Board members recognized as a disadvantaged population of students. The Board and the District have concentrated their efforts to support African American males through the creation of The Department of African American Male Achievement and an emphasis on ensuring the success of this population in the district's strategic plan, Thriving Students. This item was approved through the supporting votes from Directors Gallo, Spearman, Kakishiba, and Hinton Hodge.

Next Board Meeting: Wednesday, March 28^th - Regular Meeting

Hot Topics in Oakland Education with Superintendent Tony Smith

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 12:21:56 -0800

It's been quite a year in Oakland education - school closures in the fall, news that no more school closures are happening next year, Acceleration TSA positions at Castlemont, Fremont, and McClymonds, no teacher layoffs, a new type of partnership charter school, a STEM Corridor in West Oakland, a special school board committee working on school-based decision-making, an active African-American Male Achievement department, and more.

We asked Superintendent Tony Smith to join us on Tuesday, March 27th to share updates about these important issues, and to take questions from our network. We're meeting at 5:30pm at Edna Brewer Middle School, and we hope you'll join us.

We'll have dinner, translation, and childcare available - RSVP here to let us know you'll join us. Please also join the Facebook event.

Landmark Decision: OUSD Partner Schools

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 10:41:40 -0800

Click to view this statement in English, Spanish, and Chinese.

Last Wednesday night's 6-0 school board vote to create two OUSD "Partner Schools" (Ascend and Learning Without Limits) was a landmark milestone in Oakland's work to provide a quality education to all students. These Partner Schools will be charter schools, but will retain very close ties to OUSD.

The parents and teachers of these school have worked tirelessly to ensure their kids have the best possible education. In taking a stand for their students last October and working to find solutions that support the whole system, they have exemplified the highest ideals of public education in our country. This level of civic participation and ownership by parents reinforces the important role of community in holding the system accountable to meet the needs of students.

Great Oakland Public Schools commends these two school communities, Superintendent Smith, district leadership, and our school board for their creativity and commitment to finding a solution that's good for students at these two schools and throughout the city. Last fall, these school communities' desire to leave OUSD and convert to charter public schools seemed likely to lead to further fragmentation and distrust within our Oakland education community.

Instead, leaders within the district, at the schools, and within Education for Change (the Oakland-based nonprofit charter school organization with whom the schools have partnered) kept talking and listening to each other over many months - and ultimately developed an innovative partnership that could serve as a pathway to support other schools.

Oakland parents and educators across our city have long sought policies that give them local authority over curriculum, scheduling, financial, and staffing decisions. As OUSD Partner Schools, Ascend and Learning Without Limits:

attained the local authority over staffing, budget, curriculum, and schedule decisions they need to act in the best interests of their students,
maintained their relationship to the broader Oakland education community and the district's vision of high quality, full-service community schools in every neighborhood,
continue to contribute to the fiscal health of OUSD,
can offer their teachers access to OUSD's professional development resources, and
remain accessible to families from across the city through continued participation in OUSD's School Options Process.

Creating the OUSD Partner Schools is a strong step toward manifesting the school board's recently adopted theory of action to "maximize school site-based decision-making regarding staffing, finances, calendars, and programs" and "to partner with diverse providers to ensure high quality options in every neighborhood."

See below to learn more about the context and process for developing this important partnership.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

Join us on March 27 for our next GO Network Meeting featuring remarks and Q&A from OUSD Superintendent Tony Smith (RSVP here).

"We hope that approval of our Partnership Schools Charter and Memorandum of Understanding changes the conversation about education in Oakland, focusing us as adults more on the needs of kids and pushes to significantly change our broken system, leads to a greater level of autonomy and accountability for all schools in our great city, and most importantly, produces dramatically better outcomes for children."
- Larissa Adam, Ascend principal and 19-year OUSD veteran educator

Key Documents

Staff recommendation on the Ascend Partner School Charter Conversion Petition.

Staff recommendation on the Learning Without Limits Partner School Charter Conversion Petition.

Memorandum of Understanding between OUSD, Ascend, Learning Without Limits, and Education For Change articulating the terms of the partnership.

Summary of fiscal implications of OUSD Partner Schools agreement.

Video Highlights from the March 7, 2012 Board Meeting

Principals Leo Fuchs and Larissa Adam on their hopes for the OUSD Partner Schools

Ascend teachers on OUSD Partner Schools

Learning Without Limits teachers and parents on OUSD Partner Schools

OUSD Chief Financial Officer Vernon Hal on fiscal implications of OUSD Partner Schools

Superintendent Smith and General Counsel Jackie Minor overview of partnership agreement

President Jody London comments on OUSD Partner Schools

Vice President Jumoke Hinton-Hodge comments on OUSD Partner Schools

Media Coverage

March 8, 2012 - Two Oakland elementary schools will become charters, bringing the total to 38, Oakland Tribune

March 8, 2012 - Two OUSD schools will convert to charters after board vote, Oakland North

March 7, 2012 - OUSD board considers charter school conversions tonight, Oakland Tribune

March 6, 2012 - OUSD exploring "partnership" model in attempt to keep two schools close to the district, Oakland North

February 23, 2012 - Oakland considers a different kind of charter school, Oakland Tribune

January 23, 2012 - An old news recap: charter school decisions, mutual matching, blue ribbon nomination, Oakland Tribune

January 12, 2012 - OUSD board approves new charter school, denies two schools from leaving district, Oakland North

December 8, 2011 - Can OUSD put the brakes on schools wishing to secede from district?, Oakland Local

November 18, 2011 - Oakland teachers push for changes beyond charter school conversion, Oakland Tribune

November 17, 2011 - Reacting to closures, 3 Oakland public schools ask to become charters, Oakland North

November 10, 2011 - In Oakland: A charter school for black boys, charter conversions and other proposals, Oakland Tribune

November 4, 2011 - The School District Is Dead, Long Live the Schools, Reason.com

October 24, 2011 - Two Oakland schools to split from OUSD, Oakland Tribune

Click to view this statement in English, Spanish, and Chinese.

Teachers' Union Elections in Oakland

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 12:24:42 -0800

Below is information about the upcoming Oakland Education Association (OEA) elections for leadership positions. Please share with any OUSD teachers you know!

Teachers who are interested in running can fill out the form below and turn it in by 6 pm, Monday, April 2nd, 2012 at the Rep Council Meeting at Oakland International High School at 4pm. Any dues-paying member is eligible to run for one of these spots.

The positions that are available are:

President (see page 9 of OEA bylaws for job description)
1st VP (see page 10 of OEA bylaws for job description)
Executive Board Seats 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 (see page 12 of OEA bylaws for job description)
Executive Board Seat 11 (speech therapists counselors, psychologists, librarians, nurses, or social workers)
Executive Board Seat 12 (substitutes)
2 alternate seats for CTA State Council
15 seats for Alameda Labor Council are up for election.

All positions except for the State Council positions are two year terms which will run from July 1, 2012 until June 30, 2014. State Council Alternates' terms are July 1, 2012 until June 30, 2015.

All OEA members can vote for these positions during the general election from April 30-May 4, 2012.

Candidates will be allowed to speak to the April 2nd Rep Council for 2 minutes during the time allotted for the Election Committee report.

Candidate Nomination Form:

Name as you want printed on the ballot______________________
Position/seat #__________________________________________
Address_______________________________________________
Telephone number_______________________________________
Email address__________________________________________

You may submit a statement regarding your candidacy of no more than 50 words. All words beyond 50 will not be printed. Ethnic identification will not be counted toward 50 words. If no statement is written here, none will be included with election material.
________________________________________________
________________________________________________

There is not additional information on the OEA website about these elections as of this blog post, but stay tuned here for more information.
_______________________________________________________________

Board Watch: OUSD Approves Partner School Agreement

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 16:15:58 -0800

On Wednesday night, the OUSD School Board approved an agreement to create OUSD Partner Schools -- approving charter conversion petitions for Learning Without Limits K-5 and ASCEND K-8 and partnering with the charter management organization, Education for Change. Click here to see video of the presentation from Principals Leo Fuchs and Larissa Adam.

The schools will operate under Education for Change, which already manages 3 charter schools Oakland (Cox, World, and Achieve Academies). Learning Without Limits and Ascend will contract with OUSD for many services, including custodial, facilities, nutrition, and new teachers support. These schools will also continue to pay for the debt incurred before State Administration and lease their facilities from OUSD at a rate higher than required under charter law. The schools were granted a five year charter, however, OUSD has requested that the schools consider returning to OUSD after two years if the district has been able to improve the local decision-making conditions for staffing, budget, curriculum, and schedule.

For more details - please refer to the following videos:

Vernon Hal explained the financial implications of this agreement
Superintendent Tony Smith and OUSD's General Counsel, Jackie Minor, reviewed the details of the agreement
Director David Kakishiba inquired about the 2-year timeframe with the Education For Change leadership

The vote to support this partnership was unanimously approved. Click to view video of comments by President Jody London and Vice-President Jumoke Hinton Hodge.

Preview - Special School Board Meeting on Partner Charter Schools

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 10:55:08 -0800

Tomorrow, the Oakland School Board will review revised charter school petitions from the Ascend K-8 and Learning Without Limits Elementary school communities.

Under the revised petitions, these schools will become district "Partner Schools." This new concept will provide the schools certain autonomies sought in their original charter petitions, however, the schools will remain in a close relationship with the district (i.e., continue to use and pay for many OUSD services such as custodial, nutrition, technology, and maintenance). Should these agreements be approved by the Board, LWL and Ascend will contribute their students' share to the District's State Emergency Loan payment.

Click here to read the charters and detailed agenda. Below is a video where principals Larissa Adam and Leo Fuchs present their revised petitions to the board on February 22nd.

The Board will also review a facilities and operations agreement between OUSD and the 100 Black Men of the Bay Area Community School.

We will post notes and video from this meeting later this week