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Get Schooled Oakland

Parent Panel

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Tonight’s AGENDA

Group Norms
Some Context
Parent Panel
Q & A
Next Steps and Resources

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norms

Put questions in the chat (we will moderate) and save for Q and A

Acknowledge your specific background and experience, and how you are going to show up in a school community.

Be thoughtful and empathic.

Prepare for imperfection.

--Sarah

–Chat, stay on topic - we’re here to learn about these schools

-Always, and particularly at this moment, it’s stressful to be a parent and to work in schools. We assume that everyone here is doing their best, and we might make mistakes. Talking about our kids is personal, so we respect our speakers for their vulnerability and trust in us, and want to be thoughtful in how we communicate with and them and each other tonight.

-–Also, an important part of our philosophy is that there are lots of ways to for school to be “good,” and that ALL schools have their gifts and challenges. We’re not selling anything here, so we expect that we will also hear about things that are imperfect, or that might actually be wonderful, but not fit into the definition of a good school that some of us have been taught to believe in. Something we can all get from tonight, I believe, is actually seeing how complex and different schools are, to help shift our narratives of what a school has to provide for our kids in order to be worthy.

-We also want to acknowledge that race and class are always in the forefront when we’re talking about schools, and be mindful that our experiences coming to this conversation may be very different.

-We also want to be clear that, though we are trying to shed light on the many great school communities in Oakland that can accommodate more students, as opposed to those that have hundreds of kids on the waitlist, recruiting new families, especially those from White and/or privileged backgrounds, to schools that have historically served Black and Brown communities is incredibly complicated.

–If you find yourself in this position, we really urge you to start thinking about how you will serve this community rather than changing it to serve you. A great place to start is with the organization Integrated Schools - you can join the Oakland chapter, listening to the great podcast, or read the blog (on our website and below).

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Last Time…

Get Schooled Oakland Intro Event

See getschooledoakland.com/events for slides

DO	DON’T
Look at the data that actually matters	Rely on snapshot test scores

Get first-hand info	Judge a school based on rumors

Remember there is no one ‘best’ school	Overvalue buzzwords and popularity

Consider your community	Make your choice in a vacuum

Recap of our Do’s and Don’ts when looking for an Oakland school

This is our second event
For those who were not able to join us last time, please feel free to check out website if you haven’t already where we also have the slides from our first event which goes inot our approach in more details
As a reminder, we are looking to help families navigate their elementary school choice decision in a way that doesn’t perpetuate “perception gaps” that arise between schools based on a variety reasons, from incomplete or misleading data; stereotypes based on student demographics; or third-hand information sources.
When looking for schools, we recommend a series of Do’s and Don’t.

We encourage the use of data that schools have control over like growth scores; teacher experience, and not snapshot, end-of-year test scores that often tell you more about factors outside the school than what’s happening inside.
When you don’t have the data, avoid judging a school by consulting convenient sources like listservs or school rating sites. Listen to parents who have enrolled at the school, go on tours, and realize that most families’ experiences are different than your own
We often think of “the best” as the highest test scores, the most enrichment activities, the newest, cleanest spaces; those don’t always translate to a positive experience for your individual kids and their are positive aspects of schools that are sometimes more intangible
Think about how your choice impacts your community. Unfortunately, Oakland schools are racially segregated and that racial segregation, according to various research, drives inequitable opportunities. Desegregation doesn’t automatically fix things at schools but participating in diverse, public schools brings benefits for all students.

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featured elementary schools

MLK, Jr. Elementary

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Parent Speakers

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Kristen Rasmussen - Laurel
Jenny Hoots - Hoover
Jessica Jung - Bridges (Teacher)
Stefanie Parrott - Prescott
Lindsay Fox - Burckhalter

Parent Speakers

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Q and A

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what now?

Apply to OUSD by Feb 4
Join our mailing list for occasional updates
Explore OUSD and Get Schooled Oakland resources
Take our feedback survey (thanks!)

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Resources

Learn more about OUSD, the dangers of school rankings, and benefits of integrated schools our Resource Page
Find up-to-date school testimonials and school climate data on the Oakland Schools Finder
Guide to OUSD schools from 510 Families
Integrated Schools blog and podcast (first episode and very relevant episode)