This Oakland News Now post is based on a Facebook entry by famed Oakland Hip-Hop Journalist Davey D. What follows is his text, then the embed of the multimedia content. Davey D note on the featured photo: The gentlemen in the front is from Brooklyn.. He says he grew up in the projects.. His kids … Read more
OUSD and “Friends of the Oakland Public School Libraries” Create Digital Library for All Oakland Students Oakland – United For Success Academy 8th grader, Brenda C., uses Sora, an app for accessing the District’s new Digital Library, which has transformed her ability to read whenever she wants. “What I like about Sora is that you … Read more
Oakland Public Education Fund and OUSD Provide Millions in Cash Assistance, Food, and Computers to Oakland Families; Team Embarks on Additional Fundraising Effort for Families in Need Oakland – Thanks to more than 2,000 individual donors, the COVID-19 Relief Fund for Oakland students and schools has raised more than $2.5 million. The COVID-19 Relief Fund … Read more
The letter below was originally presented in “Rebecca Kaplan Calling On Oakland Police to Stop Criminalizing Oakland Youth” here at Oakland News Now. It was digitized for presentation here. December 18, 2020 Dear Oakland City Councilmember Kaplan, We are writing on behalf of a consortium of youth development and community-based organizations including Black Organizing Project … Read more
OUSD Distributes Technology To Teachers and District Site Staff to Help them get Through Pandemic; Distribution Event Happens Friday, Today Oakland – As distance learning will continue in Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) for some untold amount of time, even when students start to return to campus, the District is making sure that teachers and … Read more
Westlake Middle School Students Set to Officially Become Published Authors at Thursday Evening Book Release Celebration with Help of Chapter 510 and the Dept. of Make Believe Oakland — Thursday, December 3rd 2020 will be a special evening for students at Westlake Middle School, and especially so for two specific students. They are the guests … Read more
Dear Oakland Community, Today I am writing to let you know that we have finalized our COVID-19 Health and Safety Reopening Plan and Program (Reopening Plan) for reopening our schools to in-person learning and instruction. The plan includes the components required by the Alameda County Office of Education (ACOE) regarding reopening for in-person instruction and … Read more
#OaklandUndivided Reaches Major Milestone in Effort to Provide 25,000 Oakland Students with Free Computers and Internet Access; Media is Invited to Laptop Distribution Event on Thursday
The press release sent from The Oakland Unified School District to Zennie62Media is below:
Oakland, CA — Eric Yanez (below), a 4th-grader at Hoover Elementary School, had problems with distance learning. But many of those challenges have evaporated as Eric now has a computer and internet access through the #OaklandUndivided campaign. “My son got a Chromebook from #OaklandandUndivided and it has helped tremendously,” said Guadalupe Canchola, Eric’s mother. “We both are so grateful as it has helped to ease the new way of school with distance learning. Initially, he would use my phone for the zoom class and a borrowed tablet for the actual school work and it was just so different and a little frustrating a lot of the time.”
Eric Yanez
Those challenges are exactly what the #OaklandUndivided campaign is designed to address for all Oakland public school students in need. The campaign, which is a joint venture of Tech Exchange, Oakland Promise, Oakland Public Education Fund, the City of Oakland and Mayor Libby Schaaf, and OUSD, began about five months ago with one goal: to ensure every public school student in need has access to a computer, internet, and tech support. While the work is far from over, this is an important update for the community on some key milestones coming out of last week’s National Digital Inclusion Week, during which the campaign handed out devices at 25 schools across Oakland and highlighted the impact these devices and resources have had on families and teachers.
Oakland OUSD Student
Most importantly, this week, the campaign expects to reach the halfway mark and hand out the 12,500th computer of the original 25,000 units. These devices are for students to keep at home and to provide consistent access for families.
On Thursday, October 15 the campaign will host a computer distribution event with Mayor Schaaf and OUSD School Board District 7 Director, James Harris at Castlemont High School.
The focus for the #OaklandUndivided team after that will be to get the rest of the 25,000 computers into the hands of Oakland students in need.
“Everyday we get closer to closing the digital divide in Oakland,” Mayor Libby Schaaf said. “This week marks a critical milestone, but it is only progress achieved — not mission accomplished. We’ll continue to work with our amazing community partners until the digital divide is closed for good, and every child and family in Oakland has a device and the consistent internet access they need to reach their full educational potential.”
Until they receive the #OaklandUndivided computers, Oakland students in district-run and charter schools who have needs for technology at home, still have one of the more than 23,000 computers and 7,000 hotspots that were loaned out by schools since the shelter in place took effect last March. “We are pleased that the #OaklandUndivided campaign has made such important progress,” said OUSD Superintendent Kyla Johnson-Trammell. “It’s obvious that in this time of distance learning, we have prepared our students for success by ensuring that they have the tools they need at home to fully access their education. I thank the #OaklandUndivided team for all their hard work. It has indeed paid off!”
Oakland OUSD Students Get Computers
Almost all students have either a loaner or an #OaklandUndivided device. But the campaign knows there are some students who remain disconnected. If you are a family in Oakland public schools, make sure to fill out the Tech Check survey to receive your device(s) to ensure your student has access to a computer and the internet. If you know of a student or family in need who does not currently have access to technology resources, including a computer to participate in remote learning, please complete the OUSD Technology Intake Form. OUSD will ensure that the students identified there receive a computer within 48 hours.
One of the most important aspects of this effort has been the tech support supplied by the campaign. OUSD students can be confident that any issues they encounter with their device or internet access will be addressed quickly. So far, there have been a few problems, which the team quickly resolved. If families are having any issues with #OaklandUndivided devices such as mic issues, error messages, etc., they can contact Tech Exchange for support by texting or calling 510-866-2260.
Parents are clearly pleased with the results. “His interaction in class has been awesome and his weekly grades have been 100%,” said Guadalupe Canchola, mother of Hoover Elementary student, Eric Yanez. “Thank you all again for providing and donating such an important tool for our kids to continue learning despite anything new being thrown their way.”
WHAT: #OaklandUndivided High School Device Distribution Event
WHEN: 2:30 p.m., Thursday, October 15
WHERE: Castlemont High School, 8601 MacArthur Blvd
About the Oakland Unified School District
In California’s most diverse city, Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) is dedicated to creating a learning environment where “Every Student Thrives!” More than half of our students speak a non-English language at home. And each of our 81 schools is staffed with talented individuals uniting around a common set of values: Students First, Equity, Excellence, Integrity, Cultural Responsiveness and Joy. We are committed to preparing all students for college, career and community success.
ONN – Oakland School District OUSD Reports Grab And Go Food Boxes Contained Unexpected Letter From Trump
Oakland School District OUSD Reports Grab And Go Food Boxes Contained Unexpected Letter From Trump
This was in a press release from the Oakland Unified School District:
Hello Oakland Unified Community,
Under the CARES act, we have been distributing produce and dairy boxes to our community through our grab and go meal service. Last Thursday, those boxes contained a letter from President Donald Trump, which was distributed nationwide. It has been criticized because it arrived just weeks before the presidential election.
The CARES Act, which had to pass Congress before being signed into law by the president, had the support of all of our local representatives including Oakland Congresswoman Barbara Lee, U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, and U.S. Senator and Vice Presidential candidate Kamala Harris.
Our nutrition services team has distributed the produce and dairy boxes from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and other philanthropic partners during much of the pandemic. We will continue to distribute these food boxes, which come to us through the Alameda County Community Food Bank (ACCFB), as they supplement the meals we provide for students during distance learning. It is possible future boxes will contain the same or a similar letter from the president.
As a reminder to our community, OUSD is a sanctuary district, inside a sanctuary city, inside a sanctuary state, which means we support ALL of our students, families and staff no matter where they came from or how they got here. We provide food every Monday and Thursday at 22 sites across the city, and will do so with or without a message from the government.
For more information about our grab and go program, visit our website www.ousd.org/nutrition. And please remember to wear a mask or other face covering anytime you go outside.
In community,
Preston Thomas
Chief Systems and Services Officer
Stay tuned.
Note from Zennie62Media and Oakland News Now: this video-blog post demonstrates the full and live operation of the latest updated version of an experimental Zennie62Media , Inc. mobile media video-blogging system network that was launched June 2018. This is a major part of Zennie62Media , Inc.’s new and innovative approach to the production of news media. What we call “The Third Wave of Media”. The uploaded video is from a vlogger with the Zennie62 on YouTube Partner Channel, then uploaded to and formatted automatically at the Oakland News Now site and Zennie62-created and owned social media pages. The overall objective is smartphone-enabled, real-time, on the scene reporting of news, interviews, observations, and happenings anywhere in the World and within seconds and not hours. Now, news is reported with a smartphone: no heavy and expensive cameras or even a laptop are necessary. The secondary objective is faster, and very inexpensive media content news production and distribution. We have found there is a disconnect between post length and time to product and revenue generated. With this, the problem is far less, though by no means solved. Zennie62Media is constantly working to improve the system network coding and seeks interested content and media technology partners.
Oakland Walks 4 Schools Virtual Walkathon, Aims to Take 30 Million Steps to Raise Funds for OUSD Schools This October
The Oakland Public Education Fund (https://www.oaklandedfund.org/) is launching its inaugural Oakland Walks 4 Schools Walkathon this October. #OaklandWalks will inspire students, parents, school staff, and community members to get safe and healthy exercise during the pandemic while raising money for some of Oakland’s most underserved public schools.
Oakland Walks 4 Schools is expecting:
● 3,000 students, parents, and community members to participate
● A total of 30 million steps to be taken
● Thousands of dollars to be raised for Oakland public schools
Participants will track as many safe and socially-distant steps as possible during the month of October; this includes laps around the block, weekend hikes, and even steps inside the home. And for every step a donation will be made to an Oakland school to purchase art supplies, books, technology, and other educationally engaging materials.
“Despite the fact that we are in distance learning, our students and schools still need supplies,” says OUSD Superintendent Kyla Johnson-Trammell. “We are grateful that the Ed Fund is engaging our community with this fundraiser that’s fun for the whole family and fosters physical fitness. Especially given the challenges that the pandemic is presenting all of us, it’s critical that children and adults exercise regularly to stay healthy and better manage our stress. I thank in advance everyone who takes some of the 30 million steps on behalf of the students of Oakland.”
Alexandria Medina, Executive Director of the Oakland Public Education Fund adds, “The Oakland Public Education Fund is committed to creating safe and healthy environments where all students can thrive. Physical fitness and mental health go hand in hand and the Oakland Walks 4 Schools fundraiser is a chance to help raise money for underserved schools while encouraging wellness for all. We see this as a win-win for all Oakland public school kids, their families, and the greater Oakland community.”
Community members, businesses, and philanthropic organizations are encouraged to learn more and get involved at: www.oaklandwalks4schools.com
About the Oakland Public Education Fund:
The Oakland Public Education Fund (“the Ed Fund”) leads the development and management of community resources in Oakland public schools so that all students can learn, grow, and thrive. Learn more at www.oaklandedfund.org
About the Oakland Unified School District
In California’s most diverse city, Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) is dedicated to creating a learning environment where “Every Student Thrives!” We are committed to preparing all students for college, career and community success. www.ousd.org
This post based on a press release from the Oakland Public Education Fund to Zennie62Media, Inc.
Oakland – An effort by the U.S. Department of Education to take public education dollars away from Oakland Unified School District and countless other Districts and give it to private schools in Oakland and elsewhere has failed, and leadership from OUSD had a role in defeating it.
OUSD StudentsOUSD StudentsOUSD Students
U.S. Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, had created a rule that directed districts to give private schools a larger share of federal coronavirus aid – money that would otherwise have gone to public schools such as here in OUSD. If the rule had gone forward, OUSD would have been forced to distribute $1.8 million to local private schools through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act Private School Program. That would have been more than 10% of the $14 million in federal funding sent to OUSD. All told, it was DeVos’ plan to send $2 billion in federal education dollars to private schools.
According to the Washington Post, “Lawmakers from both parties said that most of the Cares Act’s K-12 education funding was intended to be distributed to public and private elementary and secondary schools using a long-employed formula based on how many poor children they serve. But DeVos said she wanted money sent to private schools based on the total number of students in the school, not how many students from low-income families attended. That would have sent hundreds of millions of dollars more to private schools than Congress had intended.”
California and other states sued the federal government to reverse the rule, and OUSD was a party to the lawsuit. Johanna Hoffmann, the District’s Middle School and Private School specialist in Strategic Resource Planning, submitted a declaration in support of the lawsuit. Included in the declaration was this powerful argument that OUSD deserved as much money as possible to support its students. “The transition to distance learning has been particularly challenging for OUSD’s lower income students and, because of the high percentage of low-income students within our district, OUSD is significantly impacted by these challenges. Low-income students lack technology access, which prevents them from accessing remote learning materials. OUSD serves a large number of students that lack access to devices and high-speed internet at home, leaving the students unable to learn remotely. From what we have seen, private school students are more likely to live in homes with good internet access and computers.”
After receiving a collection of information, a federal judge ruled that the move by DeVos violated the law, relying in part on the information included in Hoffman’s declaration. DeVos then dropped the rule. That means OUSD gets to keep most of the $1.8 million for District students, plus the rest of the $14 million.
“What a relief it is that the federal judge saw the DeVos rule for what it was, a way to take money from public school students who need it, and give it to schools that serve primarily students of great privilege,” said Superintendent Kyla Johnson-Trammell. “When it comes to food insecurity, the need for technology in the home, and many other metrics, our students deserve all the support they can get from the federal government. I thank the State of California for leading the legal fight and I applaud Johanna Hoffmann in Strategic Resource Planning for the outstanding work she put in to help convince the court to rule on the side of our nation’s public school students.”
About the Oakland Unified School District
In California’s most diverse city, Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) is dedicated to creating a learning environment where “Every Student Thrives!” More than half of our students speak a non-English language at home. And each of our 81 schools is staffed with talented individuals uniting around a common set of values: Students First, Equity, Excellence, Integrity, Cultural Responsiveness and Joy. We are committed to preparing all students for college, career and community success.
To learn more about OUSD’s Full Service Community District focused on academic achievement while serving the whole child in safe schools, please visit OUSD.org and follow us @OUSDnews.
This post based on a press release from the Oakland OUSD to Zennie62Media.
Note from Zennie62Media and Oakland News Now: this video-blog post demonstrates the full and live operation of the latest updated version of an experimental Zennie62Media , Inc. mobile media video-blogging system network that was launched June 2018. This is a major part of Zennie62Media , Inc.’s new and innovative approach to the production of news media. What we call “The Third Wave of Media”. The uploaded video is from a vlogger with the Zennie62 on YouTube Partner Channel, then uploaded to and formatted automatically at the Oakland News Now site and Zennie62-created and owned social media pages. The overall objective is smartphone-enabled, real-time, on the scene reporting of news, interviews, observations, and happenings anywhere in the World and within seconds and not hours. Now, news is reported with a smartphone: no heavy and expensive cameras or even a laptop are necessary. The secondary objective is faster, and very inexpensive media content news production and distribution. We have found there is a disconnect between post length and time to product and revenue generated. With this, the problem is far less, though by no means solved. Zennie62Media is constantly working to improve the system network coding and seeks interested content and media technology partners.
First-Ever Mental Health Tips Guide for Students by Students
Self-Care and Remote Learning are top concerns for young people in “The New State of Mind” featuring nearly 75,000 crowdsourced responses
Oakland – Blue Shield of California’s BlueSky Initiative, in partnership with DoSomething.org – the largest organization for young people and social change – launched a first-of-its-kind digital mental-health guide for youth, created for students by students. The guide provides young people with peer-to-peer tips on self-care, managing stress from digital learning, and supporting the mental health of fellow classmates.
With COVID-19 disrupting schooling for more than 55 million students across the United States, DoSomething.org, and the BlueSky Initiative called on their members to submit advice to help students during these difficult times. This campaign, entitled “The New State of Mind,” ran from April through June of this year and generated just under 75,000 tips.
“When we initially launched this campaign with DoSomething, we had no idea how turbulent this school year would be for millions of students, as well as their teachers and parents,” says Bryce Williams, vice president of Mind Body Medicine at Blue Shield of California. “What ‘The New State of Mind’ proves is that young people were not just anxious about the new reality of distance learning and everyday stressors, they were also committed to finding an outlet to talk about their troubles and offer solutions that would not just help them, but help others too.”
The BlueSky Initiative is a multi-year commitment by Blue Shield of California to help put more services into schools to support teens and address youth mental health issues. The release of the guide comes as year two of the program gets underway – following a successful inaugural campaign that saw more than 450 students receive counseling and over 800 teachers trained in mental health awareness.
In addition to publishing the digital mental-health guide for youth, DoSomething and BlueSky created a data-driven report for parents and teachers that highlights students’ mental health concerns and trends since shelter-in-place orders became widespread in March. Through the thousands of submissions, three themes remained consistent across New State of Mind: self-care, remote learning and helping loved ones. Sample tips from across these three core topics include:
Find a creative outlet (from stress baking and planting, to coloring and podcasting)
Get moving and get outside (a walk around the block, a run, or jumping rope)
Expressing emotions (whether it is space to cry, or listening to music to calm down)
Reach out when you need help (face-timing with friends or joining online support groups to meet new ones)
Put aside time for you, but also make time for others (creating a schedule that builds in work and play, to journaling, and being more mindful of others’ unique needs)
As one17-year-old DoSomething member named Alexander notes in the guide, “My plan is to keep in touch with my friends and really pay attention so if I notice if they act differently or become depressed, I can be sure they get help before something tragic happens. The signs are usually there if someone is looking and it’s more important than ever now.”
“This guide comes at a time where young people really needed it most. They are stressed, they are scared, and they are sad,” says Sahara Lake, senior manager of community impact with DoSomething.org. “But what we also found is that there is also a lot of hope among young people. They share great advice on how to grapple with stress, and how to continue to move forward, and that’s a good thing.”
“For anyone dealing with stress or any type of mental health issue, I would like them to know that you are not alone. We can work together as a community to overcome these hardships,” says Colleen, an 18-year-old DoSomething member. “This campaign helped me to reflect on positive energy and thoughts instead of all the negatives, and I’m sure it will do the same for those who pick it up and read it today.”
To access student mental health resources including the complete “The New State of Mind” guide, click on the BlueSky webpage at blueshieldca.com/bluesky.
About Blue Shield of California
Blue Shield of California strives to create a healthcare system worthy of our family and friends that is sustainably affordable. Blue Shield of California is a tax paying, nonprofit, independent member of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association with over 4 million members, 6,800 employees and more than $20 billion in annual revenue. Founded in 1939 in San Francisco and now headquartered in Oakland, Blue Shield of California and its affiliates provide health, dental, vision, Medicaid and Medicare healthcare service plans in California. The company has contributed more than $500 million to Blue Shield of California Foundation since 2002 to have an impact on California communities.
For more news about Blue Shield of California, please visit https://news.blueshieldca.com/
Oakland – Just one week after handing out a major round of new #OaklandUndivided Chromebooks that students get to keep, Oakland Unified School District is updating the entire community on the overall effort to get 25,000 computers into the hands of Oakland’s public school students.
We have enough computers in our schools to ensure students have them for immediate use to engage in distance learning. To address the need for devices after schools went into distance learning in the spring, OUSD distributed nearly 23,000 Chromebooks and 7,000 wireless hotspot devices to students on loan from the schools. Most of our students have these loaners, if they haven’t already received their own computer. If your student has yet to receive even a loaner, please contact your school principal. Also, if you have yet to do so, please fill out the Tech Check Survey. Once the #OaklandUndivided campaign began, it became clear that the loaners were only a temporary fix that would soon no longer be needed.
OUSD Devices Delivered
The #OaklandUndivided partnership has purchased 25,000 computers that will replace the loaner devices, and 15,000 hotspots, to ensure every student in need in District-run and charter schools has the computer, internet, and tech support they need and deserve to be successful. In total, the #OaklandUndivided team has already given to students almost 6,000 of the permanent laptops that they can keep, including roughly 4,000 over the past week, plus 2,800 hotspots. These devices have gone out to students weeks earlier than expected, because the supply lines were not quite as backed up as expected.
OUSD Devices Delivered
As more of these new devices arrive, they are first being sent to school sites with high completion rates of the Tech Check Survey to be distributed to students. By the end of September, our goal is that all students in need of a computer and internet – who have completed the survey – will receive their own Chromebooks and hotspots (that they get to keep).
As devices come in for students, the individual school communities will determine when it is safest and least disruptive for their community to distribute the #OaklandUndivided Chromebooks out to students and families. While we await the arrival of touchscreen devices – which are expected to be delivered in the fall – students in TK to first grade and identified students receiving Special Education services will continue to have computers and internet access through their OUSD loaner device.
If you or a student you know needs a device now for remote learning, help spread the word to get everyone connected:
To get a loaner device immediately, contact your school site and let them know your needs.
To receive your permanent laptop and internet device, complete the Tech Check Survey online or with support from school site staff in order to receive a computer and internet access. As of August 24, the families of more than 24,800 students have completed the survey.
OUSD Devices Delivered
Even if you have a device on loan, you should still complete the Tech Check Survey to determine eligibility so you can receive your own, permanent computer and consistent internet access. Families can visit undivided.techexchange.org directly to register online, or connect with their school site for details about receiving their device.
OUSD students with their #OaklandUndivided devices
We thank members of the community who told us they were interested in an update on the progress we have made with the #OaklandUndivided campaign. We could not have gotten this far without the support from our community, and all the amazing people and organizations who have provided financial assistance to this effort. Provided your student qualifies for a device to keep, the school will contact you via email or text with details of how and when to pick it up.
We reached our first goal shortly after we started the campaign, but there are still goals that lie ahead, as we plan to provide computers and internet access to all Oakland students who need them every year moving forward. If you’re interested in joining our #OaklandUndivided movement – here is how you can get involved:
To learn more about #OaklandUndivided, please visit www.oaklandedfund.org/digitaldivide.
To make a donation or discuss a potential financial contribution, contact:
● David Silver, Mayor’s Office of Education at [email protected]
● Jonathan Osler, Oakland Public Education Fund at [email protected]
● Curtiss Sarikey, Oakland Unified School District at [email protected]
About the Oakland Unified School District
In California’s most diverse city, Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) is dedicated to creating a learning environment where “Every Student Thrives!” More than half of our students speak a non-English language at home. And each of our 81 schools is staffed with talented individuals uniting around a common set of values: Students First, Equity, Excellence, Integrity, Cultural Responsiveness and Joy. We are committed to preparing all students for college, career and community success.
To learn more about OUSD’s Full Service Community District focused on academic achievement while serving the whole child in safe schools, please visit OUSD.org and follow us @OUSDnews.
Post based on press release from OUSD to Zennie62Media, Inc.
OUSD and Oakland Education Association Issue Joint Statement Announcing that OEA Members Have Voted to Ratify the Agreement on Distance Learning
Oakland – On Sunday evening, August 23, 2020, Oakland Unified School District and the Oakland Education Association (OEA) are releasing the joint statement below announcing that the members of OEA voted to ratify the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) regarding distance learning. Included in this communication are the statement, this link to an online version of it, and this link to the MOU.
August 23, 2020
Dear Staff, Parents, Students, Partners and School Community:
Congratulations on completing the first couple of weeks of school during this most unique, challenging and unprecedented time. We are pleased to announce that the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) and Oakland Education Association (OEA) have reached an Agreement that prioritizes health and safety as well as a rigorous learning experience despite the unprecedented challenges we are facing during the COVID-19 pandemic. The agreement has now been ratified by OEA members and will be implemented starting Monday, August 24, 2020.
As you know, Oakland Unified launched the school year in distance learning. OUSD and OEA were in negotiations about the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and Governor Gavin Newsom’s planned response to it in support of more than 2,000 teachers, nurses, counselors and other OEA members that support our students.
While we do not always agree on the details, both OEA and OUSD are passionate about serving Oakland’s students and families. After working diligently to reach an agreement to shape distance learning for all students and OEA members, we are prepared to improve distance learning in order to provide the quality instruction that Oakland’s students need and deserve.
In California’s most diverse city, Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) is dedicated to creating a learning environment where “Every Student Thrives!” More than half of our students speak a non-English language at home. And each of our 81 schools is staffed with talented individuals uniting around a common set of values: Students First, Equity, Excellence, Integrity, Cultural Responsiveness and Joy. We are committed to preparing all students for college, career and community success.
To learn more about OUSD’s Full Service Community District focused on academic achievement while serving the whole child in safe schools, please visit OUSD.org and follow us @OUSDnews.
Oakland, CA – On August 12, 2020, the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) and the Oakland Education Association (OEA) reached a tentative bargaining agreement on distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic this fall. Our common goal is to provide the best possible education for Oakland students.
This agreement is subject to ratification by OEA members which is now scheduled to occur by the end of day on Friday, August 21, 2020. We look forward to providing additional details and guidance to all students, staff and families in the coming days.
Thank you for your patience as we ramp up the rigorous instruction our students need and deserve.
About the Oakland Unified School District
In California’s most diverse city, Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) is dedicated to creating a learning environment where “Every Student Thrives!” More than half of our students speak a non-English language at home. And each of our 81 schools is staffed with talented individuals uniting around a common set of values: Students First, Equity, Excellence, Integrity, Cultural Responsiveness and Joy. We are committed to preparing all students for college, career and community success.
To learn more about OUSD’s Full Service Community District focused on academic achievement while serving the whole child in safe schools, please visit OUSD.org and follow us @OUSDnews.
About the Oakland Unified School District
In California’s most diverse city, Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) is dedicated to creating a learning environment where “Every Student Thrives!” More than half of our students speak a non-English language at home. And each of our 81 schools is staffed with talented individuals uniting around a common set of values: Students First, Equity, Excellence, Integrity, Cultural Responsiveness and Joy. We are committed to preparing all students for college, career and community success.
To learn more about OUSD’s Full Service Community District focused on academic achievement while serving the whole child in safe schools, please visit OUSD.org and follow us @OUSDnews.
Oakland Schools News: OUSD And OEA Reach Tentative Distance Learning Oriented Labor Agreement ONN – Oakland Schools News: OUSD And OEA Reach Tentative Distance Learning Oriented Labor Agreement From OUSD: Oakland – After working for more than a month to reach a deal, Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) and the Oakland Education Association (OEA), the … Read more
Welcome Back To School 2020 From Dr. Kyla Johnson-Trammell OUSD Superintendent Dear Oakland Unified School District Community, I am happy to say that the 2020-21 school year begins today, Monday, August 10! I want to welcome all students, staff and families back to teaching and learning in Oakland Unified School District Community, or “OUSD”. Although … Read more
Oakland Educators and Parents Stand Together! From YouTube Channel: August 8, 2020 at 10:02PM ONN – SCHOOL STARTS MONDAY and OUSD still has not reached an agreement with Oakland Educators, who say our schools need resources in order to provide small group instruction and improve Crisis Distance Learning for our students! Listen to parents and … Read more
Oakland – While the 2020-21 school year begins on Monday, August 10, three weeks from today, with OUSD students studying from home through distance learning, the District and the Oakland Athletic League (OAL) announced today that interscholastic sports will not begin until December, at the earliest. The four month long delay comes mandated by the … Read more
The Future of Education, Alice Waters, Finding Love During COVID-19 ONN – The Future Of Education, Alice Waters, Finding Love During COVID-19 The Future of Education Gov. Gavin Newsom announced all children in 3rd grade and up must wear a mask to school — the first order of its kind in the nation. Also, schools … Read more
Exactly One Month From First Day of 2020-21 School Year, OUSD Announces Plans for Start of School Which Will Include Students Returning to Class in Phases, Starting with a Period of Distance Learning for all Students Text Of Friday July 10th 2020 OUSD Press Conference At End Of This Post Oakland – As Oakland and … Read more
Oakland Schools: OUSD’s Young Adult Program Celebrates Graduation in the Time of COVID-19 as part of the Class of 2020 Oakland, CA — As graduations from all District-run schools have now concluded, OUSD wants to recognize some special students who also celebrated commencement. They are the students of the Young Adult Program (YAP) which serves … Read more
Oakland, CA – Oakland City Council President Rebecca Kaplan, who serves as Oakland’s Council Member At-Large, calls for publicly accessible WiFi for Oakland’s communities. Kaplan has been working to expand access to internet and related technologies, especially for Oakland’s under-served communities. The COVID-19 emergency has pushed many more to rely on the internet for work, … Read more
OUSD Teachers – Distance Learning, March-May 2020 ONN – Oakland YouTube Video Shows OUSD Teachers Doing Distance Learning, March-May 2020 This YouTube video by Kelleth Chinn shows how teachers in the Oakland Unified School District teach using distance learning because of the Pandemic. Mr. Chinn reports: On March 16, 2020, the Oakland Unified School … Read more
Second Annual OUSD Middle Eastern Student Honor Roll Celebration Set for Friday Afternoon, May 22 for Hundreds of Students Oakland, CA — Oakland is coming together to celebrate nearly 300 high achieving Middle Eastern 6th-12th grade students on Friday afternoon, May 22. Like other similar gatherings, this celebration is happening entirely online, but the organizers … Read more
City of Oakland And OUSD Have Plan To Close Digital Divide – Press Conference ONN – City of Oakland And OUSD Have Plan To Close Digital Divide – Press Conference Leading the virtual press conference were: Libby Schaaf, Mayor of Oakland Kyla Johnson-Trammell, Superintendent of OUSD Jessica Ramos, 11th Grade Student, Skyline High School Ali … Read more
Press Conference Scheduled: OUSD and City of Oakland Announce Plan to CLOSE the Digital Divide; Bold $12.5 Million Plan Launches on Thursday! Oakland, CA – “It’s time to close the digital divide once and for all,” is the rallying cry of the leaders of a new effort to support students and families in Oakland. The … Read more
