If You’re Black and Low-Income in Oakland, You Have to Fight for the Right to a Good School

Every family should have the right to a good school for their kids. But it turns out that if you’re Black and low-income in Oakland,…

Coffee Break: Oakland’s Lakisha Young Is Done Waiting for Superman and Ready for Parents to Take the Lead

Lakisha Young is executive director of The Oakland REACH. She has dedicated her career to promoting access to quality schools because she knows firsthand that…

VIDEO: In Oakland We Believe in the Greatness of Our Black Male Students

Imagine walking into a school every day and being taught by someone who looks like you. Imagine that person shares your upbringing, the music you listen to, or simply represents a living roadmap to the future—a walking embodiment of success.…

Chris Emdin’s SXSWedu Talk Just Might Have Converted Me From a Frenemy of Education to a Friend

I recently received a text from a friend: “Watch this. Worth every minute. Eager to hear your thoughts.” She had forwarded me Chris Emdin’s 2017…

Don’t Talk to Me About ‘Privatization,’ Because Your ‘Public’ School Is Hardly Public

In Oakland, one of the highest achieving schools in the city is Hillcrest Elementary. It’s a “public” school that is 5 percent free and reduced-price…

Guess What, Liberals Support Charter Schools Too

It’s not easy being a political progressive and a charter school supporter. In these polarized times, it’s easy to forget how many of us support…

Oakland’s Kids Will Continue to Benefit From the Legacy of Superintendent Antwan Wilson

Late last month, Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) Superintendent Antwan Wilson was nominated to become the new school chief of D.C. Public Schools. This has been a tumultuous…

Local Education Philanthropy: The Story No One is Talking About

Our understanding of philanthropy is faulty. Judging by news stories, commentaries, and blogs, one would assume the billion-dollar foundations of Bill Gates, Eli Broad, and…

Coffee Break: Oakland Supt. Antwan Wilson on Anticipating Tuesdays, Poverty Fueling Drive, and Putting Power in Students’ Hands

On July 1, 2014, Antwan Wilson became the superintendent of Oakland Unified School District—a district that was in state receivership from 2003-2010 and has been…

Coffee Break: Jonathan Klein on Oakland Schools, Jelly Jars and the Steph Effect

Everybody talks about how important quality public schools are to overall civic health, but not everybody takes the time to get involved in creating them,…