OUSD Says So Long to More than 60 Employees Who Retired at End of June 2020, Plus Two District Leaders Who Moved on to New Opportunities
Oakland – Now that we are in July, we have passed the end of the 2019-20 fiscal year. The end of the year is when we always see employees retire or otherwise move on from the District. This year is no different, and we want to make sure you know we are saying so long to many very valued members of the OUSD family.
We will include a list of all of this year’s retirees, but we want to mention one in particular, and also talk about two other leaders who have moved on to tackle new challenges.
RAD Retiree, Jean Wing.
Jean Wing retired as the Executive Director of OUSD’s Research Assessment and Data (RAD) department, a position she held since 2011, moving from her prior role as Coordinator of Research in the same department. Before that, she served as Coordinator of Research and Best Practices for OUSD’s New School Development Group incubator from 2004 to 2007. In that role, she supported 26 community-based design teams to open new small district schools in some of Oakland’s most underserved communities.
Jean was born in Oakland and has spent much of her working life in the field of urban education, with a focus on racial equity. She earned her teaching credential and worked at Educational Testing Service for nearly a decade in the field of performance-based assessments. She also served as a graduate student researcher and parent on the Berkeley High School Diversity Project from 1996-2002. Prior to joining OUSD, she conducted the first external evaluation of the District’s New Small Autonomous Schools district policy passed by the Board of Education in 2000. She received her doctorate from the Graduate School of Education at the University of California, Berkeley, and earned a B.A. with a major in Asian American Studies from the City College of New York. Along with Pedro Noguera, she was co-editor of the book, Unfinished Business: Closing the Racial Achievement Gap in Our Schools.
New RAD Executive Director, Juan Du.
Juan Du (Juan is pronounced Ju-an) is now the new Executive Director for the Department of Research, Assessment and Data (RAD) after working in RAD for fourteen years. Previously, she was the Director of Analytics for seven years, overseeing student data reporting and analysis work. She also served as the main data coordinator and facilitator for many cross-departmental data initiatives and partnerships.
Juan was born and raised in Shanghai, China and received her B.A. in Comparative Literature there. She earned her master’s degrees in Sociology and Applied Statistics at Syracuse University and was a doctoral student in the Graduate School of Education at the University of California, Berkeley before she joined RAD in 2006. She lives in Orinda with her husband and two daughters, ages 5 and 7. Juan has a passion for both numbers and literature. She is an avid reader of history books and mystery fiction, but also enjoys Sudoku and other number puzzles and games.
Fmr. MS Network Supe., Mark Triplett with Superintendent Kyla Johnson-Trammell & Westlake MS Principal Maya Taylor.
One person who is moving on from OUSD is Middle School Network Superintendent, Mark Triplett. Here is what he had to say about his move and about leaving OUSD behind:
“It is with great emotion that I write this email to inform you that I have been selected to be the new Superintendent of Newark Unified School District. The last thirteen years in OUSD have been an incredible journey. I began my career here as assistant principal at Urban Promise Academy, and then had the honor to serve as principal for five years. Six years ago, I transitioned to the central office, where I served in the high school and middle school networks, first as deputy, and then as network superintendent.
“While OUSD is never short of challenges, it is also a place full of incredibly dedicated and talented people determined to achieve equitable outcomes for our young people. While my departure is bittersweet, I leave knowing that the District is on the right path, with the right group of people leading the way. I am confident that you will continue to lead in this fight to dismantle systemic racism and white supremacy, and to do what is right for our youth. Please know that I am committed to continuing that work, too, and I look forward to ongoing collaborations with you in my new position. Take care and stay in touch!”
The District is currently working to fill the Middle School Network Superintendent position.
African American Male Achievement Founder and former Deputy Chief of Equity, Christopher Chatmon with young men of AAMA.
OUSD is also saying so long to Christopher Chatmon, the founder of the District’s African American Male Achievement initiative (AAMA). He is passionate about uplifting the African American community and has dedicated his career and life’s work to creating pathways of success within Oakland and beyond. Over his ten years with OUSD, Chatmon was a driving force behind the creation of the District initiatives similar to AAMA: African American Female Excellence (AAFE), Asian Pacific Islander Student Achievement (APISA), Latino/a Student Achievement (LSA), and the Office of Equity, for which he served as Deputy Chief. Over the last year, he was the District’s Senior Advisor of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.
During the time that “Baba Chris” – a nickname his colleagues and the students of AAMA lovingly call him – led this important work, he co-founded the Kingmakers of Oakland, which is a non-profit organization committed to improving life outcomes for Black boys. Chatmon was named a “Leader to Learn From” by Education Week magazine, and selected by the Campaign for Black Male Achievement as its “Social Innovation Accelerator” award winner for his commitment to improving life outcomes for all youth and especially African American males.
Baba Chris is leaving OUSD to grow Kingmakers of Oakland into a national force that changes the lives of Black and Brown children not just in Oakland, but in all 50 states. He lives in Oakland with his wife and their three sons, who are all products of OUSD schools.
Executive Director, Raquel Jimenez and Jerome Gourdine, Director of Targeted Strategies, will continue the work that Chatmon started in the Office of Equity.
Of course, many more people moved on from OUSD through retirement at the end of June. They served the District anywhere from four years to more than four decades and they are listed below.
“It is a profound honor to lead an organization that has these kinds of remarkably dedicated people who work in every aspect of what we do,” said Superintendent Kyla Johnson-Trammell. “From Christine Quan, who retires after four years with the District, to Sherri Houchins who moves on after an incredible 41 years in OUSD, and everyone in between, I could not be more proud of all our retirees. And I wish the best of luck to Mark Triplett and Chris Chatmon who are moving on and taking their leadership and brilliance to important new ventures. I know they’ll be outstanding in their new roles. I want to personally thank and congratulate every one of these amazing people.”
