Some Pre-K through second graders were back on OUSD campuses Tuesday, for the first time in over a year.

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.
How has the pandemic changed the way educators teach?
Most teachers are thrilled to say goodbye to distance learning, but some say they picked up surprising new ideas along the way.
Oakland school board says yes to reparations for Black students, no to banning school closures
Disagreement over whether Oakland should close schools nearly derailed a sweeping plan to address the achievement gap and declining Black student enrollment.
East Oakland students challenge the city to clean up trucking pollution
Metal factories and big rigs on I-880 are local issues young environmentalists are learning about—and campaigning against.
How Oakland Unified could spend millions in COVID relief funds
Oakland Unified has a limited amount of time to spend nearly $300 million from COVID legislation.
Mills College will stop granting degrees and become ‘Mills Institute’
The president of the 169-year-old school attributed the change to the pandemic, decreasing enrollment, and financial problems.
Oakland Unified and teachers’ union reach tentative deal to reopen schools
Pre-K through second graders would be back in classrooms by the end of the month. Older students will return in April.
Most OUSD elementary school families want the option of returning to in-person learning, according to reopening survey
A survey for families with older students will go out in the next few weeks.
Police-free schools: OUSD security officers are taking on a new role
With the elimination of the police department, the officers’ responsibilities will focus less on security and more on campus climate.
Missing students, mental health, classroom fears: Cutting through the noise on school reopening in Oakland
As Oakland teachers get their shots and calls for public schools to reopen this spring get louder, we’re taking a close look at what’s at stake.
Families worried about merging Sankofa and Kaiser. How did the school community make it work?
Even during the pandemic, parents and staff from two very different Oakland schools have made time to find common ground.
OUSD ahora entrega comidas gratis a los hogares de los estudiantes
Los estudiantes del distrito y sus familias también pueden recibir cajas con verduras dos veces al mes.
Have questions about vaccine safety and reopening Oakland schools? Doctors have answers
OUSD is hosting five virtual discussions about the safety of the vaccine, how coronavirus spreads, and how to lessen the risk of getting the virus.
Summer school in Oakland will include in-person classes
The Oakland Unified School District is planning in-person instruction that will help students catch up after a year of distance learning challenges.
Oakland Unified is now delivering meals to students’ homes for free
OUSD students and their families can also get boxes of fresh produce delivered twice a month.
Is there space in Oakland for this charter school?
Aspire ERES Academy has been located in a tiny former church for 12 years, and school leaders haven’t been able to find a suitable permanent spot.
Oakland schools are observing Black History Month virtually this year
February is full of online programming for OUSD students, staff, and parents to celebrate African American history and culture.
Oakland teachers will be eligible for COVID-19 vaccine next week
While state and federal officials say teacher vaccinations shouldn’t be required to reopen schools, some educators feel it is one part of larger mitigation efforts against coronavirus.
Will OUSD schools reopen this spring? Here’s what we know.
The district hasn’t set a date for reopening. But with COVID-19 cases tapering off in Alameda County and vaccines for teachers on the horizon, it could happen soon.
Mural honoring women in the Black Panther Party to be unveiled this month
The artwork, which will be installed on the side of a house in West Oakland, will join other memorials to Huey Newton, a founder of the party.