In recent weeks, safety concerns have forced OUSD schools to cancel instruction. Community members are pushing district officials to take action.
Author Archives: Ashley McBride
Ashley McBride writes about education equity for The Oaklandside. Her work covers Oakland’s public district and charter schools. Before joining The Oaklandside in 2020, Ashley was a reporter for the San Antonio Express-News and the San Francisco Chronicle as a Hearst Journalism Fellow, and has held positions at the Poynter Institute and the Palm Beach Post. Ashley earned her master’s degree in journalism from Syracuse University.
Posted inEducation Equity
Diversity groups in Oakland schools provide space for difficult conversations about race, power, and privilege
Backlash to a playdate for students of color at Chabot Elementary highlights the importance of equity initiatives at OUSD, parents said.
Posted inEducation Equity
Student homelessness in OUSD grew nearly 70% in 3 years
Oakland Unified counted 1,780 unhoused students in 2023. We break down several factors responsible for the increase.
Posted inEducation Equity
Want to help kids read? Apply to receive free books and money to start a literacy program
The Oakland Literacy Coalition is looking to support community groups serving preschool to high school-aged children.
Posted inEducation Equity
Stephen and Ayesha Curry’s foundation to raise $50 million for Oakland schools
Launched in 2019, the Eat.Learn.Play Foundation has refurbished half a dozen Oakland schoolyards this year.
Posted inEducation Equity
East Oakland school demands OUSD take steps to release state money for campus fixes
Teachers and students at Cox Academy, a public charter, have dealt with leaky classrooms, an aging play-structure, and flooded basement.
Posted inEducation Equity
Chabot Elementary evacuated, school canceled due to bomb threat
The Oakland school was deluged with harassment and racist threats after conservatives on social media criticized a “playdate social” event. Classes resumed on Wednesday.
Posted inEducation Equity
Oakland youth could vote in school board elections as early as 2024
Measure QQ, which lowers the voting age to 16 for OUSD board elections, has faced roadblocks since it was approved by voters in 2020.
Posted inEducation Equity
How can Oakland Unified be more efficient? Report lays out plan, including school closures
A majority of the school board is opposed to closures, but an agency recommended them to help the district improve services.
Posted inEducation Equity
Want to help Oakland schools? OUSD needs volunteers for several citizen committees
You can help to ensure that Oakland Unified is spending its tax dollars properly.
Posted inEducation Equity
OUSD special election candidates are back on the ballot
Sasha Ritzie-Hernandez and Jorge Lerma were told they didn’t qualify to run for the vacant District 5 seat due to confusion over district boundaries during the signature-gathering process.
Posted inEducation Equity
Major city error leaves no candidates in Oakland school board election
The District 5 special election is in disarray after the city gave candidates the wrong district boundaries to collect signatures.
Posted inEducation Equity
OUSD once had a school dedicated to the arts. Former students reunited to remember it
During the 1970s and 80s, the Renaissance School encouraged hundreds of Oakland middle and high-school students to pursue the creative arts.
Posted inEducation Equity
OUSD school board meetings are back. Here’s how to get involved
With a vacancy in District 5, the Oakland Unified School District board will have only six voting members until a special election in November. The first public meeting is Wednesday, Aug. 9.
Posted inEducation Equity
First day of school at OUSD brings optimism and jitters
With a teachers strike now behind them, OUSD leaders are shifting their focus to improving attendance and literacy rates in the upcoming year.
Posted inEducation Equity
Homies Empowerment is on track to open its Freedom School, despite burglary
The East Oakland organization has raised more than $13,000 to replace laptops, sound equipment, and other tools that were stolen from its campus last weekend. The new school opens on Sept. 11.
Posted inEducation Equity
Summer ends soon for 34,000 Oakland kids. Why does school start so early?
OUSD’s school year starts Monday, while school districts in Berkeley and San Francisco will still be on break.
Posted inEducation Equity
Holy Names University closure could deal another blow to the East Bay’s teacher pipeline
The 155-year-old school was graduating dozens of newly credentialed teachers every year. Its loss comes as OUSD and other school districts are struggling to find educators.
Posted inEducation Equity
New exhibit about OUSD’s first Black superintendent opening at AAMLO
Opening July 31, the exhibit will feature Foster’s graduation regalia, his original gravestone marker, photographs, and more.
Posted inEducation Equity
From activist to OUSD president, Mike Hutchinson is learning a new game
For years, Hutchinson has been a leading voice for progressives in Oakland education, some of whom are now his biggest critics. What’s changed?
