Wednesday’s meeting was the first under new leadership, with chief academic officer Sondra Aguilera stepping in while Superintendent Kyla Johnson-Trammell is on leave.
Author Archives: Ashley McBride
Ashley McBride reports on education equity for The Oaklandside. She covered the 2019 Oakland Unified School District teachers’ strike as a breaking news reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle. More recently, she was an education reporter for the San Antonio Express-News where she covered several local school districts, charter schools, and the community college system. McBride earned her master’s degree in journalism from Syracuse University, has held positions at the Palm Beach Post and the Poynter Institute, and is a recent Hearst Journalism Fellow.
Posted inEducation Equity
Transitional kindergarten gets a boost in Oakland Unified
A growing early childhood program for 4-year-olds who aren’t eligible for kindergarten shows promise and could lead to better academic outcomes later.
Posted inEducation Equity
VanCedric Williams wants the OUSD school board to be smarter with its budget
The veteran teacher and D3 director believes school closures aren’t the answer.
Posted inEducation Equity
Election 2022: Who’s running for the OUSD school board?
Nine candidates are vying for three seats on the Oakland Unified school board in districts 2, 4, and 6.
Posted inEducation Equity
Vice President Kamala Harris, Mayor Libby Schaaf celebrate $50 million college fund for Oakland students
The Oakland Generation Fund will support 30,000 Oakland youth from low-income families to pursue a college education or trade certificate.
Posted inEducation Equity
Oakland’s newest school board director Kyra Mungia on putting students first
After teaching at Horace Mann Elementary for three years, Mungia wanted to create bigger change in schools.
Posted inEducation Equity
Parker elementary supporters call for investigation into clash with OUSD security
The organizers, who have been occupying the school since May, also said they intend to file a lawsuit against the school district and officials.
Posted inEducation Equity
The OUSD school board is back in session. Here’s what you should know
Oakland Unified has a new District 6 rep and a new student board member. Their first meeting of the new school year is Wednesday.
Posted inEducation Equity
Oakland youth fought for the vote in 2020, and won. Now they’re being told to wait
Voters approved Measure QQ in 2020, granting 16 and 17-year-olds the right to vote in school board races. The county registrar says that won’t be possible for this November’s election.
Posted inEducation Equity
Parker Community School supporters celebrate a summer of protest
While the occupation of the East Oakland school hasn’t ended, organizers are turning their sights to the upcoming school year, when five more OUSD schools will close.
Posted inEducation Equity
Oakland school board member Mike Hutchinson is just getting started: ‘There is real work that lies ahead’
OUSD’s District 5 school board director is now running his fourth campaign, for District 4, after the city redistricting process placed his home in a new zone.
Posted inEducation Equity
Looking for ways to get involved? Volunteer at an OUSD school
The Oakland Public Education Fund is currently recruiting volunteers to help beautify campuses before school begins on Aug. 8.
Posted inEducation Equity
‘The story doesn’t start with closing schools’: School board president Gary Yee on the evolution of OUSD
The District 4 director’s five decades of experience with Oakland schools gives him rare insight into the challenges and strengths of the district.
Posted inArts & Community
At Prescott Circus Theatre, kids learn self-expression by clowning around
For more than 35 years, the organization has been a creative outlet for Oakland youth, teaching them skills like juggling, tumbling, and unicycling.
Posted inHealth & Environment
A new guaranteed income program will support former foster youth in Alameda County
A program designed by former foster youth will give young adults a $1,000 monthly stipend for 2 years.
Posted inEducation Equity
Is Oakland’s school choice system fair? UC Berkeley researchers take a hard look
Can OUSD do a better job of helping families who don’t always have the time, resources, and knowledge to research schools?
Posted inEducation Equity
What Oakland school board member Sam Davis wishes more people knew about school finances
Starting with District 1, we’re talking to all seven OUSD directors about the issues facing the districts, their priorities, and what’s working in Oakland Unified.
Posted inEducation Equity
Oakland school board picks mayor’s staffer as new District 6 director
Kyra Mungia is a former OUSD teacher and will serve out the remainder of Shanthi Gonzales’ term.
Posted inEducation Equity
Effort to prevent Oakland school closures fails
At its last meeting this school year, the Oakland Unified School District board reaffirmed its decision to close, shrink, or merge 11 schools by 2024.
Posted inEducation Equity
D6, school closures, OUSD budget: Here’s what the board has to tackle before starting summer break
It’s been a volatile year for the board—one director quit altogether. Here’s where some remaining hot-button issues stand.