Great Oakland Public Schools Leadership Center

State audit report at tonight's special OUSD board meeting

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 14:29:29 -0800

The OUSD board will hear from state auditors tonight regarding a 2011 Audit Report. The meeting starts at 6 p.m. at La Escuelita Education Center (1050 2nd Avenue).

Click here to download the 2011 State Audit Report.

According to a letter from the California State Controller's Office,

"The audit disclosed instances of noncompliance, including some that would affect the amount of State funding the District received during the year. Pursuant to Education Code section 41344, you have 60 days from receipt of this letter to appeal any significant audit findings to the Education Audit Appeals Panel."

The audit includes this statement:

"Based on our review of the District's fiscal condition, we have concluded that there continues to be substantial doubt about the District's ability to continue as a going concern."

The audit report also states:

"The audit also identified approximately $18.5 million in questioned costs that related to federal and state programs. These questioned costs consist of $7.6 million in federal and state program funding that could require the District's repayment and $10.9 million for a classroom teachers' salaries deficiency that could require the District to reallocate funds."

Know anyone else who should be updated on what the OUSD school board is working on? Have them sign up here to receive e-mail updates on every meeting!

Getting to know the Teacher Policy Fellows: Christi Carpenter

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 09:12:59 -0800

To get to know each of the fellows better, and understand where they came from, we assigned the fellows the task of profiling one another. We will be running 1-2 profiles per week over the next few months. Here, Oakland Unity High School teacher Damon Grant profiles United for Success Academy teacher Christi Carpenter.

Click here to read the previously published profiles.

On the surface, it may seem that small town, Mid-Westerner Christi Carpenter's background and that of her Oakland 7th graders could not be more different.

However, just like Ms. Carpenter strives to teach her budding readers in English class every day: you can't judge a book by its cover.

Christi was in the first generation in her family to attend college--an important aspect of her educational experience that puts her in the same company as many of her students, and helps her understand some of the academic and social challenges that they might be navigating as they make their way through school.

Christi found a love of books at an early age and discovered that reading transported her to places beyond the 400-person Michigan town where she grew up. It's the thread of that love and discovery that she weaves through her middle school English classes, and uses to create connections with her students through literacy.

While working in high schools in Detroit and Oakland, Christi found herself trying to teach concepts around the fact that many students did not have the literacy skills necessary to access the content. She noticed her most struggling students had never had the opportunity to create a meaningful relationship with books and reading at a young age.

Now teaching middle school at United for Success Academy, Christi sees one of her main tasks as building a genuine passion for reading and helping students discover which genres and topics most interest them. She uses her enthusiasm for reading and her own experiences with the opportunities that reading created for her as examples to her students.

Christi also utilizes her infectious energy and ebullience to create a classroom culture of fun and excitement through song, funny phrases, and zany contests and challenges designed to infuse her students with the notion that literacy is a fun ride to exciting places.

After graduating from University of Michigan, Christi was interested in entering politics or law, but after pursuing other avenues, she recognized that teaching would give her the hands-on experience that she desired.

By being in the classroom every day, Christi feels she is able to make an impact that is "deep rather than wide." The depth of her success can be seen in each child whom she has helped both to open up the pages a book and to open up to reading as a means to a new experience or discovery.

Want millions more in funding for our schools? Act now

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 17:08:19 -0800

We agree with Gov. Brown: "Equal treatment for children in unequal situations is not justice."

The Governor is supporting a Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) which will improve California's school finance system by increasing funding for students with greater needs and giving more control to local communities.

What does this mean for Oakland? Using OUSD's current enrollment, the LCFF projections show that:

In the 2013-14 school year, OUSD is projected to receive an additional $331 per pupil, for a $12 million increase in district funding.
In the 2020-21 school year, when LCFF is fully funded, OUSD is projected to receive an additional $1580 per pupil over what what the current system would have allocated. This means a $56.8 million increase in overall district funding.

Join us in supporting LCFF by visiting fairshare4kids.org and take action. Thank you for taking time to reach out and support Oakland and California's kids!

We support LCFF for a variety of reasons, including because it:

Acknowledges that some students, such as those who are learning English, or children raised in poverty, face greater challenges and need additional resource in order to have a fair opportunity. LCFF invests in these students so they are more likely to become our next doctors, scientists, and teachers.
Increases local control, which improves transparency, reduces red tape, and makes it easier for all to understand and engage in the process.
Involves parents in decision-making at their schools by requiring the accountability plan be presented to parent groups, and builds in avenues for community input.

As it nears passage, it is critically important that the LCFF retains its accountability features. These will help ensure that the additional LCFF money is used on behalf of our most vulnerable students. At GO, we are committed to ensuring that happens here in Oakland.

Join us in supporting Local Control Funding Formula by visiting fairshare4kids.org and taking action. Thank you for taking the time to reach out and support Oakland and California's children.

Join us to demand the board prioritize resources for new Teacher Growth and Development System

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 10:24:37 -0800

This Wednesday, the OUSD Board has a hearing to learn about and discuss a proposed Teacher Growth and Development System. Designed to provide individualized feedback and support for teachers, this system could deeply improve how we support and retain our teachers.

Join us Wednesday, June 12, to demand that the board prioritize the resources and support necessary for the new Teacher Growth and Development System to be successful.

We, along with five other members of the Effective Teaching Coalition, sent a letter with our feedback on the proposed system. We support the pilot and its goals, but shared a couple of concerns: (1) that an effective teaching framework is on a clear timeline and path for adoption; (2) the pilot is based on best in field practices; and (3) adequate resources are allocated to support this work.

Click here for a full copy of the Coalition's feedback. Click here for an abridged version.

Click here to see the District's presentation for the hearing.

We hope to see you Wednesday night.

Below is a brief summary of the coalition's feedback:

1. Adopting a Framework for Effective Teaching: A detailed framework for effective teaching will be a strong step in the right direction toward better supports for Oakland teachers. This framework--and related supports--will help ensure that teachers, parents, and administrators develop and use a common understanding in terms of expectations and practice.

2. Substance of the New System: We applaud the district in planning to pilot the new system prior to widespread adoption. The work is too important and too complex to rush implementation. We hope that the district and its partners will work through the pilot year jointly and take away key lessons in supporting teachers and administrators.

Relatedly, it is of the utmost importance that the focus of this new system remains on the support and development of teachers. This should not be a punitive system, but rather one that is focused on helping teachers identify strengths and weakness and getting the support they need to improve their practice on behalf of students.

3. Technology Platform to Support the System: The district needs to be able to collect system-wide data and use it to make decisions. This pilot provides an excellent opportunity to start remedying that situation by adopting an online system to make the information more accessible, and to start building out a system of teacher supports.

4. Budgeted for Success: A key factor for a successful Teacher Growth and Development System is to ensure that it is supported financially. Our Effective Teaching Coalition would oppose implementing a new system that was not properly supported and resourced, and that just became "another thing to do" for teachers and administrators.

5. Expansion and System-wide Implementation: We ask that the district establish clear criteria by which it will determine if the pilot is successful and worthy of pursing expansion.

June 5 OUSD board meeting preview: New District 4 director, effective teaching update

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 11:38:44 -0800

The Oakland Unified School District will hold a regularly scheduled meeting on Wednesday, June 12, 2013 at La Escuelita Education Center, located at 1050 2nd Avenue.

The board has a packed agenda with numerous items of interest - including: making a provisional appointment of the new District 4 director, hearing a Balanced Scorecard update on effective teaching goals, and adopting a work plan for the incoming Acting Superintendent, Dr. Gary Yee.

Click here to download the agenda.

Provisional Appointment - Board of Education - District 4 Trustee Vacancy - Term Ending January 5, 2015

The OUSD board will vote on a replacement for Dr. Yee, who begins work as Acting Superintendent July 1.

The board has nine candidates to consider for the position. Last week, most of the candidates attended a forum hosted by the Oakland Education Association, and each of the candidates were interviewed during a special OUSD board meeting.

At each forum, the candidates were asked for their views on a variety of Oakland education topics, including their thoughts about the district's strategic plan, a replacement for outgoing Superintendent Tony Smith and critical issues they'd address on the board.

We attended both meetings and live-tweeted what the candidates said. Click here to read a collection of tweets from last week's OEA forum and OUSD board meeting.

Click here to read statements from each candidate.

Balanced Scorecard Accountability Report - Teaching Effectiveness

The board will hear an update on Teaching Effectiveness, the first measurable goal for "operational excellence" in the Balanced Scorecard initiative.

The board will focus on five study session questions and hear from members of the Effective Teaching Task Force, which is made up of teachers, principals, parents and students.

The study session questions are:

• What is the status of the development of an Oakland Effective Teaching Framework?

• What is the status of the development of a Teacher Learning Survey?

• What is the status of the development of a teacher evaluation system that

• incorporates the use of multiple student performance and achievement measures?

• What is the status of the development of a teacher performance evaluation

• tracking tool?

• What is the status of the development of a human capital data system to track

• teacher retention?

Click here to read feedback from the Effective Teaching Coalition (a group of community organizations, including GO Public Schools Leadership Center) on the district's proposed Teacher Growth and Development System.

Please join us us at this meeting to demand that the board prioritize resources for the new teacher professional growth and development system.

Click here to download a PDF of the study session on effective teaching.

Oakland Unity Middle School - Petition and Proposed Charter School (Grades 6-7)

School and teacher leaders of Oakland Unity High School, a charter school in East Oakland operating since 2003, are seeking to open an middle school for grades 6-8.

According to the school's proposal, it would begin with 80 6th and 7th grade students and grow to a school with a total of 225 students in the next five years. OUMS would open in 2014 at the site of OUHS (6038 Brann Street), which is moving to a new campus.

Click here to download the school's proposal.

2013-2014 Work Plan - Gary Yee - Acting Superintendent

The board will discuss and vote on a proposed work plan for incoming Acting Superintendent Gary Yee.

Yee's plan has six goals, each with assessment indicators and deadlines:

Goal 1: Demonstrate progress in each assessment indicator of the Board's Balanced Scorecard Goals for Student Achievement.
Goal 2: Produce the following deliverables associated with the Board's Balanced Scorecard Goals for Operational Excellence:
-Establish a working framework for a comprehensive teacher training, collaboration, and evaluation system that effectively informs and enhances teaching practice; informs and enhances District support to schools and classrooms; and contributes to the increased retention and professional growth of teachers.
-Establish an implementation plan of the Board Policy on Quality School Development.
-Establish a modernized Results-Based Budgeting system, which includes the implementation of the Local Control Funding Formula, and the Board policies on School Governance and on Quality School Development.
Goal 3: Implement a Program Quality Improvement Plan for Special Education.
Goal 4: Implement the Board Policy on Asset Management.
Goal 5: Implement corrective actions identified by Independent Audit reports for FY 2010-2011, FY 2011-2012, and FY 2012-2013.
Goal 6: Implement the Board/Superintendent Communication protocols established through the planning process facilitated by the Panasonic Foundation.

Click here to download the proposed work plan.

ETC letter to OUSD on supporting teachers

Sun, 09 Jun 2013 10:52:26 -0800

Last Friday, members of the Effective Teaching Coalition offered feedback on the district's proposed Teacher Growth and Development System. Below is an abridged version. Click here for the entire letter and full feedback.

On June 12^th, the district will update the Board on their progress meeting the effective teaching goals outlined on the Board's adopted Balanced Scorecard. As the hearing approaches, we ask that, in your role as Board members, you take the actions necessary to ensure that:

The Oakland Effective Teaching Framework is on a clear timeline and path for adoption;
The Teacher Growth and Development System is based on best in field practices (see attached); and
Adequate resources are allocated to support this work for the 2013-14 school year, including specific budgets for years one, two, and three.

We've organized our substantive feedback into five key areas:

Adopting a Framework for Effective Teaching;
Substance of the New System;
Technology Platform to Support the System;
Budgeted for Success; and
Expansion and System-wide Implementation.

1. Adopting a Framework for Effective Teaching: Adopting a detailed framework for effective teaching will be a strong step in the right direction toward better supports for Oakland teachers. This framework--and related supports--will help ensure that teachers, parents, and administrators develop and use a common understanding in terms of expectations and practice.

Based on Best Practices: It would be a disservice to OUSD to develop a system from scratch and forgo the hard-earned (and expensive) knowledge gained by other districts that have already adopted frameworks.
Four Performance Levels: We ask that the new framework include at least four performance levels. These levels would help define a teacher's current level of achievement.

2. Substance of the New System: We applaud the district in planning to pilot the new system prior to widespread adoption. The work is too important and too complex to rush implementation. We hope that the district and its partners will work through the pilot year jointly and take away key lessons in supporting teachers and administrators.

Multiple Observations: We ask that the system utilize multiple observations. This is important because to allow for a greater sampling of a teacher's practice. It helps alleviate concerns that any one observation happened at a particularly bad point.
Multiple Observers: We ask that this pilot provide for multiple observers such as administrators and others (i.e., instructional coaches, teacher leaders, or district evaluators).
Aligned Supports: We ask that the pilot specify the types of supports that an observed teacher will receive and that these supports are tailored to his or her specific needs and strengths.
Observer Calibration: We ask that all observers be trained and calibrated - and ideally certified - prior to providing observations. This means that observers receive intensive training so that they can provide the fair, accurate, and actionable feedback that teachers deserve.
Multiple Measures of Student Outcomes: We ask that the new system include multiple measures of student outcomes. This is important because what is happening for students in the classroom is ultimately the most important issue. These assessments can include: benchmark assessments; artifacts of student work; examples of typical assignments; and evidence of student mastery of the curriculum from quizzes, tests and exams.
Student Input: We ask that the new system include input from students by way of research-based surveys that provide feedback that is helpful to teachers.
Parent Input: We ask that the new system explore various ways to include parent voices in the process.

3. Technology Platform to Support the System: An issue whose impact was demonstrated throughout the NCTQ study was that the district could not collect system-wide data and use it to make decisions. This pilot provides an excellent opportunity to start remedying that situation by adopting an online system to make the information more accessible, and to start building out a system of teacher supports.

Based on best in field: We ask that the technology supports for this pilot be based on best practices in the field such that it allows OUSD to build upon previous learning and investment.

4. Budgeted for Success: A key factor for successfully implementing the pilot--and one that is in the direct purview of school board members--is to ensure the new professional growth and development system is supported financially. In fact, our Effective Teaching Coalition would oppose implementing a new system that was not properly supported and resourced, and that just became "another thing to do" for teachers and administrators.

Technology Platform: We ask that the budget account for the necessary technology needs for the pilot whether that is support for student surveys, or electronic record keeping and maintenance.
Admin and Leadership Support: We ask that the budget provide for the supports necessary for a site administrator (and other observers) to successfully implement the system.
For District Support: We ask that the budget include support for the district to help coordinate the pilot and support school site implementation.

5. Expansion and System-wide Implementation: We ask that the district establish clear criteria by which it will determine whether the pilot is successful and worthy of pursing expansion.

Plan for expansion and improving: We ask that the district crate a plan to learn from the implementation phase, measure success, improve the pilot, and expand to the pilot additional schools if warranted.

Take action next week in support of teachers

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 15:18:55 -0800

Next week we have an opportunity to have our voices heard by the OUSD school board, and shape the way teachers are supported in our school district.

Join us in the gymnasium of La Escuelita Elementary School (1050 2nd Avenue) at 6pm on June 12 for the OUSD board meeting. District staff is scheduled to give an update on projects to increase supports for teachers.

Across the city, teachers and principals have expressed frustration with the current teacher evaluation system. Hundreds of parents have attended community meetings and workshops to understand how the district can better support effective teaching.

OUSD is on the verge of adopting a framework for effective teaching that lays out clear expectations across our schools, and a pilot system for helping teachers learn more about their practice and ways to improve, from multiple perspectives, observers, and sources of information.

The proposed system was created over the past year through the work of the Effective Teaching Taskforce, which included teachers, principals, parents, and students.

It is critical that this program is not just an "add-on" for people who already have too much on their plate. If the proposed, new system is not supported with people and resources, it will not help improve students' classroom experiences.

Please join us June 12 to demand that the board prioritize resources for the new teacher professional growth and development system in 2013-2014.

We believe in the power of community and the importance of our teachers and leaders in ensuring that all of our children have an equal chance at leading happy, successful lives.

Mark your calendar to show support.

June 5 OUSD board meeting: District 4 School Board Seat candidates to be interviewed

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 13:30:56 -0800

The Oakland Unified School District Board of Education will hold a special meeting tonight at 5 pm at La Escuelita Education Center, located at 1050 2nd Avenue.

Click here to download the agenda.

The board is scheduled to interview applicants for the District 4 director position tonight. Next week, they will vote to name a director in a provisional appointment, and that person will serve in the position until the 2014 election.

Last week, the board voted unanimously to interview each of the 10 preliminarily eligible candidates, while also determining the format for the interviews and some "base level questions." Board members discussed questions and topics they would ask and discuss with the candidates this week, and will ask the candidates three questions today.

Click here to watch a video of the board discussing the interview process.

Click here to read bios on each of the candidates from our sister site, GO Public Schools.

Tonight, the board will interview each of the 10 candidates. The format is as follows:

• A 3 minute opening statement

• 10 minutes for standardized questions from board members

• A 1 hour panel discussion among the candidates, moderated by a third party

• A 2 minute closing statement

Last night, nine of the candidates participated in a forum hosted by the Oakland Education Association. We attended the meeting and Tweeted the candidates answers.

Read it at http://twitter.com/GOPublicSchools.

Know anyone else who should be updated on what the OUSD school board is working on? Have them sign up here to receive e-mail updates on every meeting!

Getting to know the Teacher Policy Fellows: Damon Grant

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 11:51:21 -0800

To get to know each of the fellows better, and understand where they came from, we assigned the fellows the task of profiling one another. We will be running 1-2 profiles per week over the next few months. Here, United for Success Academy teacher Christi Carpenter profiles Oakland Unity High School teacher Damon Grant
.

Click here to read the previously published profiles.

It's clear from the first words out of her mouth that Damon Grant is a teacher who takes her job seriously.

"I want kids to understand the purpose of what we're doing in the classroom. We're there to prepare for college, and it's my job to make sure they're ready."

Damon teaches at Unity High School, a charter school with approximately 230 students. "I always have a sense of urgency when I'm teaching. Our school has a college preparatory focus, and I know our students need every minute to get adequately prepared."

Damon knows from where she speaks: she works with both incoming freshmen and graduating seniors.

"The difference between the freshmen and seniors is vast. With freshmen, it's all about establishing expectations and getting them bought in to our systems. By the time they're seniors, it's nice to see the fruits of everyone's labor. They're motivated to work hard for college."

She recalls how special it was in 2011 to watch a class, which she had worked with since they were in ninth grade, graduate.

Damon was first inspired to teach after reading "Savage Inequalities" (Kozol, 1992) in college. After learning the devastating conditions of some schools in U.S. cities, she felt compelled to do something to make a positive change. She became a teacher and sought to teach in an urban school.

She says happy accidents brought her to Unity High School, and that she loves being a part of a small, supportive school. Relationships with students are paramount to Damon, which is why she loves working with kids in daily advisory and why she coaches the girls basketball and volleyball teams.

As a teacher-leader, Damon's passion is giving classroom teachers opportunities to grow. She shares, "They need to have a chance to be mentored, and then ultimately be mentors. Experienced teachers have so much to offer."

As a GO Teacher Policy Fellow, Damon hopes to work on an initiative that would allow veteran teachers to continue working in the classroom, while working with administration to exert influence on a larger scale.

Getting to know the Teacher Policy Fellows: Tamara Henry

Tue, 28 May 2013 10:09:20 -0800

To get to know each of the fellows better, and understand where they came from, we assigned the fellows the task of profiling one another. We will be running 1-2 profiles per week over the next few months. Here, Oakland International High teacher Julio Chow-Gamboa profiles Learning Without Limits teacher Tamara Henry.

Click here to read the previously published profiles.

Tamara Henry's involvement in education in the Bay Area began early.

Growing up on the border of Berkeley and Oakland, she attended Berkeley public schools through high school. Living there meant she spent a lot of time in Oakland, and she was made personally aware of the educational inequity students in Oakland faced through a close friendship of hers.

This awareness motivated her to try to find a solution, and gave her a connection to communities in Oakland. This personal experience, along with the inclination towards social justice, inspired her to find a way to make the world a better place.

Tamara took a brief hiatus from the Bay to attend UCLA, where she studied history and Italian. She also studied abroad in both Ghana and Italy.

She was drawn to the multidisciplinary approach of her major, enjoyed the big school feel, and wanted to able to carve out a niche for herself on campus. Ultimately, she found this niche with the Social Justice Alliance.

With the Social Justice Alliance, Tamara worked on projects related to creating change on campus that impacted communities around the world. These projects included getting on-campus coffee houses to purchase fair trade coffee, and encouraging the University to divest from Burma. Once a week, she cooked food for the homeless through a Food not Bombs campaign. She notes that LA seemed antagonistic towards the homeless.

One of the group's most successful initiatives was the "Boot the Bell" campaign. Responding to evidence of tomato pickers living in slave-like conditions in Florida, Tamara worked to put pressure on Taco Bell to require its farmers to change their practices. During this time, she learned to be tenacious about thinking through issues and topics in a way that is still respectful.

After college, Tamara lived in Hollywood while she tutored in Watts and Beverly Hills. This further developed her experience with stark contrasts, an experience she first gained in the Bay Area, and that was heightened during her time living abroad. She gained a strong sense of justice, and a heightened awareness of inequity.

When Tamara moved back to Berkeley to earn her Master's and become a teacher, she continued to witness stark regional inequalities. While a student teacher, she worked at an open court school as well as in Moraga. She saw different models of how teaching could be, and did her thesis on cultural perspective taking among younger children. A highlight of this experience was using an experiential approach to teach 1st graders about different countries in Asia.

Her first year teaching was at an Oakland charter school. Seeking more opportunities to develop as an educator, she left to join Learning without Limits, where she became involved in a variety of different policy challenges.

The year before last, 16 out of 17 teachers at her school were pinked slipped. The following year their principal wasn't sure if their school would get consolidated with the other school on their campus, and was concerned they might lose autonomy over calendar, curriculum, staffing and budget. Her school staff voted to become a charter, but not without hesitation or worry about the effect this would have on the district and the community they served. In the end, their school became a partnership school.

Amongst her strengths as a teacher, Tamara has seen and understands many different perspectives in education and within OUSD. She has tried a lot of different leadership roles, and is purposeful in thinking about issues that Oakland faces as a whole.

Getting to know the Teacher Policy Fellows: Jacob Rukin

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:13:32 -0800

To get to know each of the fellows better, and understand where they came from, we assigned the fellows the task of profiling one another. We will be running 1-2 profiles per week over the next few months. Here, Encompass Academy teacher Francisco Nieto
profiles Bret Harte teacher Jacob Rukin.

Click here to read the previously published profiles.

This week, I had a chance to chat with fellow GO Teacher Fellow, Jacob Rukin, an English and humanities teacher out of Oakland's Bret Harte Middle School. Right away he struck me as sharp, observant person, not afraid to stick his fork into the gristle of today's education debates.

A Teach for America grad, Rukin wastes no time in calling into question the program's strong emphasis on standardized test practice as a means of achieving results in the classroom. "The way they trained us to teach was to take a standardized question and figure out what the kids need to do to answer it," he said. "Then we taught it."

"I realized early on how detrimental to students that preparation could be," he said, looking back on his first weeks as a third grade teacher, eager to apply his fresh new skills on the kids at Sequoia Elementary in Oakland's Dimond neighborhood. To his surprise after just a couple of weeks practicing test questions, the students appeared ready for the next unit.

"We're done with Number Sense," he told a colleague, happy with his progress.

She quickly shot him down: "No you're not!"

"But I have this exit slip assessment data that shows the kids can do it," he maintained.

She then handed him a set of 100s boards and put him to work on a lesson that relied on a more conceptual understanding of number sense. The results were disappointing. He had overlooked an important part of what it means to learn something.

"It was clear that I needed to put more thought into what would be valuable for my students to learn," he said.

Rukin admits that he's heard things are different now, but when he was being trained, Teach For America as an organization put too much emphasis on test prep as a measure of success.

"There was a belief in the organization that mastery of test questions was the key to teaching." He acknowledges his approach to teaching and learning has definitely changed from those early days.

Now as a middle school English teacher in charge of the student newspaper, The Bret Harte Pioneer, his focus is to develop students' lifelong love of reading, ability to write essays, well-argued paragraphs, and evaluation of arguments.

So, is he pleased with the results?

"The overall quality of writing has gotten better," he said. "My students are able to read Animal Farm, Lord of the Flies. It's Inquiry-based. I lead the discussion, but they come up with the questions. They write down their questions and ideas"

It's hard to say whether the ability to thoughtfully discuss and question literature can ever be measured with standardized tests, but one thing is sure: when students take ownership of their own learning and learn to think for themselves, academic success has already been achieved.

May 22 OUSD board meeting: Vote on Aspire charter petition

Wed, 22 May 2013 10:37:30 -0800

The Oakland Unified School District Board of Education will host a regularly scheduled meeting today at the La Escuelita Education Complex, located at 1040 2nd Avenue. Open session starts at 6 pm.

Click here to download the agenda.

Decision - Aspire College Academy - Petition and Proposed Charter School (Grades K-5)

Superintendent Tony Smith, and Silke Bradford, Ed.D., the coordinator of OUSD's Office of Charter Schools, are recommending the board approve a petition and establish a charter for Aspire College Academy, located at 8030 Atherton St.

The school opened in the fall of 2011 as an Alameda County Office of Education approved charter school. The county recommended Aspire pursue a charter with OUSD. According to the school's proposal, when the school was "pursuing the renewal of the countywide charter for 2013-2018, it became clear that the school serves predominately Oakland students and not students throughout the county."

The OUSD Office of Charter Schools is recommending the board authorize Aspire's charter for three reasons:

The school currently operates within the boundaries of OUSD
93% of the students at the school are Oakland residents
Due diligence conducted to ensure that the establishment of the charter is consistent with sound educational practices

Click here to download the recommendation.

Balanced Scorecard Accountability Report - High School Graduation

For the second meeting in a row, the board will hear a presentation on high school graduation, as part of its Balanced Scorecard initiative, which sets measurable goals for "student achievement" and "operational excellence."

The May 8 board meeting focused on "college and career pathways." At this meeting, the study session will look at graduation rates, with a presentation from OUSD Executive Officer of High Schools, Allison McDonald, and Deputy Superintendent Maria Santos.

The agenda for the study session includes a section on cohort graduation rates, graduates on track to complete A-G requirements, and how many 11th graders took the Early Assessment Program this year.

Click here to download the report.

Creation, Repeal, Update and Revision, or Reclassification of Positions - Central Office Organization

The OUSD Central Office Departments are undergoing a reorganizing. According to a report from Superintendent Tony Smith, the reorganization is part of a "continuous effort to ensure every position has an approved job description and to address the long-term project to analyze the coherence of OUSD's job classification structure."

Click here to download the report.

Reclassification of Certain Classified Represented Positions

As part of the reorganizing effort, the OUSD Human Resources Department has begun the process of analyzing credentialed, administrative positions to determine if they are required to be certificated. In cases where positions are identified where the person does not supervise and evaluate certificated staff, OUSD is seeking to reclassify them as classified administrative positions.

Click here to download the report.

Elimination and Layoff of a Classified Management Position for the Fiscal Year 2013-2014

According to a report from Superintendent Tony Smith, "based on the projected staffing needs through the Budget Development process of sites and departments commensurate with projected revenue for Fiscal Year 2013-2014, it is necessary to reduce and/or eliminate certain classified positions due to lack of funds or lack of work."

Click here to download the report.

Know anyone else who should be updated on what the OUSD school board is working on? Have them sign up here to receive e-mail updates on every meeting!

Getting to know the Teacher Policy Fellows: Julio Chow-Gamboa

Wed, 22 May 2013 02:00:00 -0800

To get to know each of the fellows better, and understand where they came from, we assigned the fellows the task of profiling one another. We will be running 1-2 profiles per week over the next few months. Here, Learning Without Limits teacher Tamara Henry
profiles Oakland International High teacher Julio Chow-Gamboa.

Click here to read the previously published profiles.

Growing up, Julio Chow-Gamboa didn't want to be a teacher.

Both of his parents were teachers--both taught high school foreign languages--and teaching just seemed too familiar. He wanted to do something different, outside of the culture he'd grown up around.

So he went off to college and after spending a summer in Berlin, he decided to major in German. He studied a variety of subjects, focusing on media studies and aesthetics, all through a German lens.

Then graduation approached, and with it, the question of what to do with his life.

Julio wasn't sure immediately what path he wanted to take, but he knew he wanted to have an impact and to work with people. He also was very averse to just sitting around, spinning his wheels. Becoming a teacher through Teach for America would satisfy all of those goals.

He could quickly move into a role in which he'd have an impact, work daily with lots of people, and he could get started right away. And he knew that while the profession was a familiar one, it was one that he respected greatly nonetheless.

This is how Julio came to be a high school teacher, like his parents, at Oakland International High.

He entered into a familiar job, but with all of the inherent challenges of teaching, it certainly wasn't too comfortable. Furthermore, Julio took on added challenges from the beginning.

Or before the beginning, for it was the spring before he even began teaching that he spoke to his principal about how he'd been looking for a good pickup game of basketball since he'd moved to Oakland.

His principal seized upon this and mentioned that there was a group of young men entering 11th grade who were interested in forming a basketball team. She wondered if Julio might be interested in coaching them. Thus Julio became the coach of the first basketball team at Oakland International High.

The team started out small--literally and figuratively. At their first game, they noticed everyone on the other team was at least six inches taller. Expectations were similarly not too high. But then they won that first game, as well as the five games after it.

With a 14-6 record, they entered the playoffs.

All of the students on the team also happened to be in his 11th grade English class. Julio saw their confidence and camaraderie carry over into class, with some of them taking on more leadership roles. It was such a success that the team continued the following year, and after they graduated a new team of 11h graders started up.

As Julio inspired his students to become leaders, he was taking on more leadership roles himself. He is now in his second year on the leadership team at his school, serving as the 11th grade team lead.

He has seen his school grow significantly since he first started teaching there, when it was in its third year of existence. He enjoys planning and thinking strategically with his coworkers about how to make it grow even further in the coming years.

Also this year Julio joined the Parents and Families committee at his school, which is helping to develop the Full Service Community Schools Initiative for OUSD. As a result of this initiative, there are now more outside groups and offerings on campus, including ESL classes for parents.

There are always more challenges to take on, and as a teacher, a school leader, and a GO Public Schools Teacher Policy Fellow, Julio embraces them. He enjoys problem solving, working with people from different backgrounds and motivating others.

As it turns out, teaching offers endless opportunities for something different.

May 8 OUSD board meeting: What are College and Career Pathways?

Tue, 21 May 2013 11:21:00 -0800

The Oakland Unified School District held a regularly scheduled meeting on Wednesday, May 8.

Click here to download the agenda.

At the meeting, the board voted to approve a contract for Acting Superintendent Gary Yee, and heard an update on high school graduation, as part of the board's Balanced Scorecard initiative.

Balanced Scorecard Accountability Report - High School Graduation

The board heard a report on OUSD high school graduation, as a part of an update on the Balanced Scorecard initiative, which sets measurable goals for "student achievement" and "operational excellence." The first goal for student achievement is: "Every 9th grader graduates high school prepared to succeed in college and career."

Click here to read more about the Balanced Scorecard initiative.

The report at the May 8 meeting focused on "college and career pathways" - also called "linked learning" are courses designed to lead to post-secondary options for students.

In order to meet the graduation goal, OUSD has set a goal that 80 percent of its students enroll in pathway programs. Currently, 42 percent of OUSD students participate.

Gretchen Livesey, the director of OUSD's College and Career Readiness Office, took the board through the presentation, touching on what "college and career pathways" are, taking a look at some of the best programs in the district, and how the program will move forward.

Click here to download a PDF of the presentation.

Click here to watch a video of Gretchen Livesey defining "college and career pathways" to the board.

The board also heard from two OUSD teachers who work in pathways academies.

Click here to watch video of Skyline High teacher Tracy Ostrom discussing the Green Energy Academy.

Click here to learn more about Skyline's Green Energy Academy.

Click here to watch video of Castlemont High teacher Timothy Bremner discussing the Sustainable Urban Design Academy.

Click here to learn more about Castlemont's Urban Design Academy.

Employment Agreement for Services of District Acting Superintendent - Gary Yee, Ed.D. - Oakland Unified School District

The board voted unanimously to approve a contract for incoming Acting Superintendent Gary Yee.

According to language in the contract, from Jacqueline Minor, General Counsel for OUSD, Dr. Yee will serve on a .5 FTE ("half-time employee") basis from May 9 until June 30, and then full time as Acting Superintendent from July 1 until June 30, 2014.

During the initial period, Dr. Yee will work with the board and district staff on the transition for outgoing Superintendent Tony Smith. The contract is for a total of $250,000.

Click here to download the contract.

The next board meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, May 22 at the La Escuelita Education Center, located at 1050 2nd Avenue. Open session starts at 6 pm.

Know anyone else who should be updated on what the OUSD school board is working on? Have them sign up here to receive e-mail updates on every meeting!

We're hiring: Jobs at GO Public Schools Leadership Center

Thu, 16 May 2013 09:00:40 -0800

We are hoping you can help us find talented people to join the staff at GO Public Schools Leadership Center.

Today we announced three new full-time positions on our team - if you, or someone you know, is a good fit for one of the roles, we hope you'll let us know.

The three roles are described briefly below and you can click through to see the full job descriptions and application instructions. You can also visit http://www.goleadershipcenter.org/about/jobs/ for more information.These positions are available immediately.

Director of Community Engagement - this person will be a high-level leader on our team and will manage a team of GO staff to lead efforts to strengthen the movement of parents, educators, and civic leaders working for quality public schools for each and every Oakland student.

Director of Special Projects - this person will also be a high-level leader on our team. They will provide leadership and project management to key strategic initiatives, including our Oakland Achieves project, in support of quality public schools for each and every Oakland student.

Manager of Finance & Administration - this person will ensure that our organization is operating with best practices within our financial systems, human resources systems, and administrative management.

Please be in touch if you have anyone in your network that might be a good fit to join our work to support a coalition of Oakland families, educators, community, and civic leaders united around a positive, student-oriented vision for public education in our city. We envision an Oakland where all children receive the schooling and support they need to live successful, fulfilling lives, and we need fantastic team members to help us reach this vision.

Getting to know the Teacher Policy Fellows: Francisco Nieto Salazar

Mon, 13 May 2013 12:30:27 -0800

To get to know each of the fellows better, and understand where they came from, we assigned the fellows the task of profiling one another. We will be running 1-2 profiles per week over the next few months. Here, Bret Harte teacher Jacob Rukin profiles Encompass Academy teacher Francisco Nieto Salazar.

Click here to read the previously published profiles.

Francisco Nieto teaches technology at Ascend in Oakland. He teaches grades 4 through 8, helping the younger kids learn keyboarding, while the middle school grades work on presentations.

He is also teaching his students how to make websites, and, time permitting, how to make iPhone applications.

However, Francisco does a lot of work on education outside the classroom as well. He is the one of the creators of readwithmeapp.com, a website devoted to making fluency tests easier for teachers to administer.

His work with educational technology does not end there. Worried that the work of creating common core curriculum would be left to large textbook companies and not teachers, he recently created an application for Apple's app store. It is called "Geopop," a geography game for students. In addition, he helped start a company this past September that is working developing educational applications for web and iPad.

Currently, Francisco is working on an application for English language learners. The game involves two kids having adventures with academic lessons mixed in. He thinks that designing games for the iPad will make lessons and material more engaging.

In the future, Francisco would like to use technology to improve assessments. He thinks that teachers spend too much time on assessments, and they are not used to inform instruction. He would like to move assessments away from teaching and embed them in games. This would reduce time teachers spend on assessments, as well as the assessments inform teachers of their students' progress.

Getting to know the Teacher Policy Fellows: Reina Cabezas

Thu, 09 May 2013 12:00:00 -0800

To get to know each of the fellows better, and understand where they came from, we assigned the fellows the task of profiling one another. We will be running 1-2 profiles per week over the next few months. Here, Fremont teacher Ashanti Branch profiles Lazear Charter Academy teacher Reina Cabezas.

Click here to read the previously published profiles.

50-degrees outside, I walk into Peete's coffee, Reina Cabezas looks up from her laptop and smiles. Reina informs me that she has a date later that evening with her son and Khan Academy.

Here's Reina in her own words:

On her family name: My parents are from Nicaragua. In Spanish, Cabezas means many heads. The ongoing joke with the students at my school Lazear Charter Academy is something like:

Question: Why is Ms. Cabezas so smart?

Answer: Because she has more than one head.

I grew up in Alameda and later moved to Hayward when my parents became first-time homeowners. I am the oldest of three children.

On her high school days: I went to Moreau Catholic High School in Hayward, California with my brother and sisters, which was a college prep school. My father is really religious and I am not sure how he and my mom could afford to send all of us to private school. They must have worked their hands to the bone to make it happen. At one point I had both of my boys in Catholic school. It was very hard.

Moreau had a college-going culture. I did not feel that my counselors guided me, however, my dad always had a lot of knowledge to give. As the oldest in my family, college was expected. It was a clear expectation from my parents. They would tell me, "You are Latina, you are a woman, and you are poor, so college is the only equalizer."

On becoming a teacher: I fell into this career accidentally ... on purpose. My first job was at Shafer Park Elementary teaching kindergarten as a long-term sub with an emergency credential.

At that time, I was working in real estate with my dad. My friend, who was the principal at Shafer Park Elementary, needed a long-term sub. After she saw me teach a lesson, she said, "You should be doing this!"

I told her this is only temporary, because I am not going to be a teacher.

My second job was at Tyrell Elementary teaching bilingual kindergarten. That year those kids put a spell on me and made me fall in love with them. It was then that I started the credential program at Cal State East Bay, because I realized I was an "educator snob." I started to feel that I was the only one who could do it right and I believe that if you are going to be in education you have to have high standards for yourself.

On her teaching assignment this year: This year, my sixth grader is in my technology class. I was very nervous about being his teacher for many reasons, but it has turned out to be a great experience. He is showing me how to be a better teacher; he gives me honest advice about my lessons and how I handled certain situations with students. I use his opinion as the opinion of the class on my teaching. It has been very powerful for our relationship.

On the next stage of professional development: Right now I do not want to be an administrator. I want to be a teacher leader. I want to be in the nitty-gritty, in the classroom. That gives me the opportunity to reflect on my own classroom experiences and apply it to my work.

On motivating students outside of the curriculum: I say to my kids, please PAY ATTENTION! I mean Really PAY ATTENTION and don't expect me to make all those connections for you. I expect some connections to be made by the teacher in those areas where the student can't do alone, but I want them to also make some connections to their life that I cannot make for them.

I teach students technology, not to learn how to enter data. After they know some of the basics, I want them to use technology as a catalyst to change the world. I want them to be revolutionaries!

It took me until after I left college to find my voice, so I love to be able to help students find their voice.

One day left

Thu, 09 May 2013 09:04:01 -0800

You know the teacher. Maybe you were their student. Maybe they are your friend, family member, or neighbor. The point is, you know they're awesome. And Teacher Appreciation Week is as good a time as any to let them know how much you appreciate them.

Here's a good way: write down a reason why you appreciate that special teacher, and snap a photo of you (or maybe your kid or partner) holding the sign. Then send it to ryan@gopublicschools.org and we'll post on our Facebook page. Every entry is then placed in a drawing for some great prizes.

Click here for some examples:

Please send your submission by tomorrow (Friday, May 10).

We all know great teachers transform lives. Take a brief moment to honor them this week - trust me, you will be glad you did.

There are many ways to celebrate teachers this week. Check out our Top 10 list to appreciate Oakland teachers, and maybe we can even get Dave Letterman to celebrate our Top 10 List this week.

Getting to know the Teacher Policy Fellows: Ashanti Branch

Tue, 07 May 2013 16:00:43 -0800

To get to know each of the fellows better, and understand where they came from, we assigned the fellows the task of profiling one another. We will be running 1-2 profiles per week over the next few months. Here, Lazear Charter Academy teacher Reina Cabezas profiles Fremont teacher Ashanti Branch.

Click here to read the previously published profiles.

Many spend a lifetime chasing a way to be the man of the house. Ashanti Branch found his formula at 11 years old, and today he mentors others through their journey.

Ashanti was born and raised in Oakland, where he learned to draw inspiration from life's challenges. Engineering to solve problems began at the side of his mother--a 3rd grade teacher--burning the midnight oil cleaning, cooking, babysitting his younger siblings, and helping her grade student's math homework.

Those cozy nights, though, grew colder through middle school, as he was caught between being an adolescent and playing a leading role as a protector to younger siblings.

His grades began to slip until an 8th grade teacher, Ms. BP, called him a "big baby." In detention that day she told him, "life doesn't give you what you want, it gives you what you get, and it's made out of what you make of it."

From that day forward, though she didn't understand he was far from a baby, he saw through his own anger and confusion that education was the vehicle to get out.

In high school, the MESA program (Math, Engineering, and Science Achievement) at Fremont helped Ashanti find the drive and the mentors to sustain this need to get out. He set up his academic career path by doubling up on courses--taking Geometry and Algebra 2 simultaneously in order to make it to Calculus by his senior year.

After becoming a civil engineer, Ashanti's inner teacher would not stop tapping his shoulder, so he took on a math tutor position. His first student's "Ah-ha!" moment came after he taught him to use the diamond method to factor binomials (which I ran home to teach my 8th grader). Well, the student wasn't the only one with the "Ah-ha!" moment.

At first, Ashanti thought he would have the tutoring gig on the side, and that would satisfy his inner teacher. But soon, that voice wanted more. Soon, he was ready to figuratively build bridges in the lives of students.

After beginning his work inside the classroom, his reach soon extended further into students' experiences with the founding of the Ever Forward Club. The Ever Forward Club provided students a safe space that nurtured Latino and African American youth collaboration by simply sharing positive experiences, like field trips.

Today, after 20 years of away, Ashanti has returned to help other youth engineer their own pathways at Fremont High School in Oakland. This year he has stepped away from the classroom into a counselor role for ASAP, the Academic Excellence, Social Responsibility, Accountability and Proactiveness Program. Like the Ever Forward Club, ASAP strives to give students of color the cultural capital necessary to move ever forward, as soon as possible.

Top 10 Ways to Appreciate an Oakland Teacher

Tue, 07 May 2013 09:36:42 -0800

Our staff at Great Oakland Public Schools Leadership Center is very excited it's Teacher Appreciation Week. We hella love our Oakland teachers who work hard to transform the lives of youth every day.

We wanted to come up with a way to show our appreciation, but couldn't settle on just one way to tell this special group how much they to our city and our students. So we came up with a Top 10 list instead.

TOP TEN WAYS TO APPRECIATE AN OAKLAND TEACHER

1. Send us a photo sharing why you appreciate a teacher

In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week 2013, we want to know why you appreciate a teacher - a teacher you learned from, a friend who teaches, someone who teaches your children, any teacher! Snap a photo of you holding a sign with your reasons why you appreciate a teacher (check out some examples here), and send to ryan@gopublicschools.org by Friday, May 10. All entries will be entered into a raffle for some great prizes (for you AND the teacher(s) you appreciate!).

2. Nominate them for our 2013-2014 Teacher Policy Fellowship

GO's Teacher Policy Fellowship is a yearlong, stipended opportunity for a small cohort of current Oakland teachers to Learn, Think, and Lead about the future of education. From a wide range of applicants last year, we selected 14 excellent teachers - men and women from a range of backgrounds and experience who teach at both district and charter schools, for this year's cohort. We're beginning the application process soon for our 2013-2014 fellows, and are accepting nominations now. Click here to nominate a teacher.

3. Order a free "I Hella Love Oakland Teachers" sticker

Perfect for your bumper, water bottle, notebook, or laptop, and free! Click here to order your free sticker today.

4. Volunteer in an Oakland School

The OUSD Family and Community Office is always looking for volunteers. Click here to find out more information on how to volunteer.

5. Tell their principal how much you appreciate them

Let their boss know you appreciate all their hard work in the classroom.

6. Drop them a note throughout the school year

A nice note at a random time will let a teacher know you're thinking about them.

7. Help make Oakland the most teacher-friendly city in the country

If you own a small business, offer giveaways and deals to teachers - let's make this the most teacher-friendly city in the country. For example, Chipotle has a buy-one-get-one-free offer for teachers this week.

8. Make a donation to their classroom through DonorsChoose

This week, anyone who makes a donation this week and enters the match code TREAT during check-out will have their donation doubled! Go here to make a contribution to an Oakland classroom.

9. Buy them tickets to an A's or Warrior's game

Our sports teams are having great years (despite a heartbreaking overtime game last night for the Warriors). Help a teacher enjoy the fun by gifting them a ticket to the A's or Warriors.

10. Invite them to share their perspective

If you're a city leader or community organizer, invite a teacher to share their perspective during a meeting. Teachers have a crucial voice to add to policy discussions.

Thank you for your time, and for your support of our teachers all year.