Monthly Archives: October 2012

Events, Local, Youth Media

Video: The Oakland Youth Friendly Business Awards

On September 13, 2012 The Oakland Youth Friendly Business Awards(OYFBA) recognized and honored businesses that have gotten involved in helping our young people find jobs and internships in Oakland.
KQED, Oakland’s America’s Promise Alliance, Inner City Advisors, the Jonas Family Fund, Oakland Youth Commission, All About the Biz, a youth business program which is an active partner that is managing the event logistics and development and other community stakeholders hosted Oakland’s first Youth Friendly Business Awards event.

Watch here: Oakland Youth Friendly Business Awards

 

Uncategorized

The Education Report: In Oakland, tumult in special education leads teachers to organize

October 8, 2012
By Katy Murphy

A series of decisions about the costs, staffing and structure of Oakland Unified’s special education department caused parents to mobilize in June against last-minute reductions to the program.

Months later, the 11th-hour reassignment of dozens of special education teachers appears to have had a similar effect on teachers. (District staff have since reported that many, but not all, of those changes have been rescinded.)

Within the teacher’s union, a new group has emerged: The OEA Special Education Caucus website features a blog, a statement of purpose, and possible solutions for improved communication and logistics, including something as simple as a roster with department staff names and contact information.

Emily Sacks, one of the organizers, said the upheaval brought teachers together. The thinking?  ”We can get really specific about things that are not rocket science, but that could impact the situation dramatically.”

At Wednesday night’s board meeting, as new special education director Karen Mates gives a presentation about plans for the department (and community involvement in the making of those plans), there could be a large special education contingent.

Uncategorized

Jose Corona: CEO of Inner City Advisors

October 9, 2012
By Lisa Hewitt

“If we can expose more young people to the business sector, we can inspire more people to be entrepreneurs.”-Jose Corona

Jose Corona, the CEO of Inner City Advisors (ICA), a non-profit serving the entire Bay Area, strives to create locally-based jobs. From an early age Jose had a passion for entrepreneurship. His father, a strawberry grower in Watsonville, CA, demonstrated the importance of community-based businesses as a tool to aid the local economy.  Before venturing into non-profit work, Jose worked in the corporate world for several years, learning operation and management skills. Marrying practical business skills and a passion for community development, Jose joined Inner City Advisors in 2004.

By providing entrepreneurship education, management consulting and advisory services, and capital investment into socially responsible entrepreneurs, ICA seeks to aid companies in their efforts to employ populations with higher barriers to employment. Jose explains, “by higher barriers to employment, we mean, lower educational attainment levels, English as a second language learners, formally incarcerated and aged-out foster youth. We try to connect them to the right workforce partners.” ICA’s mission mandates that they take on companies that are in the position to create a substantial number of jobs. Jose adds, “they have to have a social responsibility component to their business model. So it can either be environmental or it could be through supporting education. It has to be a core value or their business model. It can’t be something that all the sudden they instituted a recycling program and all the sudden they’re green and responsible. It has to be core, as part of their core model. So it has to be from deep down in their values.”

ICA works primarily with companies, but over the past couple of years, they’ve found that they need to be more intentional with their companies, specifically connecting them to the workforce. “Companies are coming back to us and asking, ‘Well we want to hire, from the populations you care about. Can you help us get to those populations?” Jose sees where ICA has grown in the last few years and where it would like to extend its reach in the future. “We’ve started to think about how ICA can be more thoughtful and really create some strategic alliances with some existing work force development partners. So we don’t have to create another workforce development program, but work with ones that are working out there; connecting their populations and their clients with the jobs that are being created through our companies.”

Jose sees the importance in engaging and working with young people, specifically those living in moderate to low-income households and emancipated youth. “I think for me personally, and as an organization, I think it’s critical that we engage youth in the work force. The whole discussion right now around job creation, there’s a lot of rhetoric about it, and it typically focuses on the adult that are unemployed and don’t have jobs. Too often, I think especially now, the youths are often overlooked as part of that unemployment figure. They focus on the adults that don’t have jobs or they lost jobs, but what about the youth that are up-in-coming and are going to be that next generation of work force with the jobs that we’re creating? For us it has become a critical population. How do we work with not only our companies, but with ICA ourselves to provide these job opportunities for the youth…from high school, undergrad, to grad school students to become engaged in projects or internships with ICA, and engage our companies to actually invest in the youth?” One means is through strong community outreach.

Jose believes the missions of ICA and KQED are the same, “KQED is hugely inline with our mission. [KQED adds] value to communities through information, [and by] educating communities. We try to do the same thing. We try to educate our companies on how to be better, more active and committed community members.”  KQED caters to an audience that might not know about ICA, but cares about solving the same issues they do.

If you’re interested in getting involved with ICA please visit: http://innercityadvisors.org/

Jose attending the Oakland Youth Friendly Business Awards.

Local

The Education Report: Oakland, Alameda teachers named Alameda County Teacher of the Year

October 5, 2012
By Katy Murphy

Congratulations to the two Alameda County teachers of the year: I’Asha Warfield, from Oakland’s Frick Middle School, and Chris Hansen, from Alameda’s Lincoln Middle School.

They learned of the distinction last night, at an awards night organized by the Alameda County Office of Education. Now, they go on to compete for California Teacher of the Year.

In this video of Warfield, she talks about the conversations and debates that take place in her classroom. “I really, really believe in my students,” she said. “Their intellectual capacity is so great.”

Stephen Davis, a kindergarten teacher at Global Family Elementary School, was Oakland Unified’s other nominee for 2012-13. At a school board meeting last week, he said he had three rules for his students: 1) Be kind. 2) Be kind. 3) Be kind.

To read more.

Local

I-SEEED Guest Youth Blogger: Prevailing by Pelesani Sua

October 6, 2012
By Pelesani Sua, youth representative of the Institute for Sustainable Economic, Educational and Environmental Design (I-SEEED)

It only took one person to stop me from believing that I could go to college.

When your teacher passes you up for a school funded college tour because she says she knows you’re not going to make it to college, let alone graduate high school it falls right into the category of oppression. Although this would be a great learning opportunity you won’t even have the chance to experience it because your teacher has already decided your future. Or when your teacher doesn’t believe that you could’ve gotten everything correct on a test and accuses you of cheating, because of your race.   I’ve been in situations like this one many times.

I now know that some people don’t believe in encouraging others that don’t belong in the same racial background as them. So from that day on I told myself that I wasn’t going to diminish someone else’s education just because I wasn’t good enough myself. I would just pick myself up and keep trying to prove that I could be the best. It didn’t matter to me whether or not that teacher believed in me because the years afterwards I met better teachers who believed in and encouraged me to become the intelligent young lady I am today.  In a way I would like to thank that one teacher, because the racism and institutionalized oppression she showed to me in middle school actually gave a me an extra push to do better as I got older.  But not every student responds the way that I did, and they shouldn’t have to.

It’s a dream of mine to see a world of equality not only in education but in government and the communities around me. People need to not just know how to unite with their own, but with all people. I would love to wake up to a world where people know their neighbors, school officials, and people in office. When a person knows when the next election is, not the next football game. Where people don’t settle for satisfactory, but they push the limit.  When people get together not only to support themselves, but also the elderly and disabled. It would be wonderful to be able to walk around my neighborhood and know I’m safe and think “which park will I go to?” and not “which fast food restaurant is the closest?”. These are the issues close to my heart and I hope I will be one of the many people to unite to fight against these detrimental issues at hand.

I would like to end by saying that it starts here with me. I will someday lead an army of people who believe in the same issues as me and want to unite against it all to protect our future generations from falling to the hands that the government has given us.

Local, National

KQED News: Oakland School District and Feds Agree on Changes to School Discipline

October 1, 2012
By Barbara Grady

The Oakland Unified School District board agreed Thursday night to take  specific steps to eradicate racial bias in school discipline, voting unanimously to enter a voluntary resolution with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights.

The resolution focuses on replacing suspensions – which historically OUSD meted out to African American boys with much greater frequency than to other students – with restorative justice and positive behavior intervention practices and requiring training for all OUSD staff in these practices as well as in classroom management. The resolution includes about a dozen other specific actions the school district must take, many of which it has already begun.

At a packed school board meeting Thursday night, OUSD Superintendent Tony Smith called the agreement “an exciting opportunity to continue work,” along a path that OUSD started with its strategic plan of creating Full Service Community Schools in the district and launching the African American Male Achievement Initiative. But he and others acknowledged the resolution means accelerating those efforts.

“We will further work that is already underway” Smith said. What have been pilot projects in restorative justice will need to be expanded and brought to every school, starting with 38 the DOE cited for disproportionate use of suspensions as discipline of African American boys.

To read more.

Uncategorized

Oakland Tribune: School closures an issue in Oakland school board race

October 4, 2012
By Katy Murphy

Until now, Thearse Pecot’s decades-long involvement in Oakland’s public education system has focused mainly on the schools her children and grandchildren have attended. But the latest round of school closures — which included Santa Fe, her grandchildren’s school — prompted her to challenge Jody London for the District 1 seat on the Oakland school board.

“We’ve got to stop tearing down our communities by closing neighborhood schools,” Pecot said.

Pecot sued the district in April to block the closures, alleging that it was discriminating against poor and minority families. While the case has yet to make it to court, she said it demands the reopening of Santa Fe Elementary. Pecot said that if she succeeds in unseating London, she will fight to prevent additional school closures. None are being considered at the moment, though if statewide tax measures fail and education funding “trigger cuts” proceed, schools throughout California will face some painful choices.

The other priorities Pecot listed — from improving safety on school campuses to lowering the dropout and truancy rates — were broad and ambitious, though she offered few specifics of how her approaches would compare to the district’s current policies and initiatives. She said she would advocate giving children more enriching activities to keep them interested in school.

To read more.

Local

KQED News: Future Looks Bright for Lacrosse at Oakland Public Schools

September 26, 2012
By Juan Antonio Martinez

Despite having a reputation of being a rich white sport, this fall, hundreds of students at Oakland public schools will be introduced to the game of lacrosse.

The Oakland Lacrosse Club – which is a newly created, but not yet completed 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation – intends to work with several Oakland schools to introduce lacrosse to students that the sport has not traditionally served.

“I want every kid in Oakland to have access to play lacrosse,” Kevin Kelley, the boys game director for the Oakland Lacrosse Club, said. “My goal is to expose the sport to 500 middle schoolers and then in the spring create two under 13 teams; one boys and one girls.”

To read more.

Local

Lendri Purcell: Program Director of the At-Risk Youth & Families Program of the Barbara & Donald Jonas Family Fund

October 3, 2012
By Lisa Hewitt

Coming to Oakland in 2000, Lendri Purcell has spent over a decade teaching, advocating for under-resourced educational systems, community organizing and working to implement programs that aid at-risk students. As the Program Director of the At-Risk Youth & Families Program of the Barbara & Donald Jonas Family Fund, Lendri has a deep commitment to under-served communities. She began her career with Oakland youth as part of Teach For America.  Becoming a teacher just out of college, Lendri taught Special Education at Lowell Middle School. She explains,“It’s a big responsibility but there was a lot of support. At the same time the needs were daunting. It was kind of shocking; there were things at the school that blew me away. We have televisions in the classroom, but we don’t have books. I got to see a lot of great things and a lot of sad things.” Lendri’s time in Oakland and teaching experience made her realize there are many positive things about the community, but a lot of work to be done.

It is estimated that only 40 percent of existing students will graduate high school in Oakland and it’s essential that teachers, parents, and community members work to curb this trend. The Jonas Center is one organization doing just that.  For the last five years they have made grants to school programs, after school programs and summer programs that serve middle and high school age students all in an effort to keep students in the educational system and on a strong career path.

In order to gain funding from the Jonas Center, the programs must incorporate education into their mission, while also integrating one of the following components: mentorship, mental health treatment and/or a school to career focus.  Lendri explains, “Education is kind of tied into all these programs, just in different ways, whether it’s life skills for transitioning foster youth, or trying to bring entrepreneurs to the classroom”.  Students play a large and important role in the grant making process. From serving on the board of the Jonas Center’s At-Risk Youth & Families Program to reviewing grant proposals from local organizations, they offer a unique and valuable perspective. Lendri says, “When I was living in Oakland and I had a lot of contact with young people, they would just straight out tell me, ‘This program is really helping me.’ Or ‘This program’s great, but we don’t have a counselor.’”  From the inception of the Jonas Center’s initiative, youths’ voices have a played an essential role; they offer relevant and first hand experience to aid in the grant making process.

Whether through a stipend, a paycheck or a chance to build their resume, young people need to know what they’re doing has meaning, “They often say, ‘I want a job. I need money, I need money for clothes. I don’t have money for school lunches.’ So I think another thing that is really important is access to a job, an internship, a mentorship. Something where there’s a stipend, so the young person gets, if possible, some sort of monetary gain. Or training or something they can put on their resume. And that’s a great way to have that link between school and career.” Lendri stresses it’s important for the organization or business to make the work they’re doing relevant to the student.

Lendri recognizes that the students can’t do it alone; having a strong adult in their life is vital. Mentors often can show the connection between education and a profession; encouraging young people to stay in school longer. “It’s important to have some kind of mentor in your life. I know even for me, growing up in a very well resourced community, that connection wasn’t made very clear. That what you do in school will dramatically impact what kind of salary you have later. How easy or hard your life might be, your choices. It’s important to make what’s happening in school very relevant to the world of work outside of school.” She stresses it’s essential that each student has an adult in the community who cares, is accessible and who has time to spend with them, in order to keep young people interested in school, their job, or an internship.

If you’re interested in getting involved with a business partner that works with young people, please visit: www.oyfba.org, which provides a youth friendly business directory.

Lendri Purcell and her grandparents, Barbara and Donald Jonas.

Local, National

Los Angeles Times: Oakland schools to let feds monitor discipline of black students

By Stephen Ceasar
October 1, 2012

The Oakland Unified School District and the U.S. Department of Education reached an agreement last week that would allow federal officials to monitor the district’s efforts to curb the number of out-of-school suspensions of its African American students.

The resolution, which the Oakland school board passed unanimously, closes an investigation by the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights into whether African American students were disciplined more frequently and harshly than their white classmates. The agreement was reached Thursday.

Last school year, African American students made up about 39% of the district’s total enrollment but accounted for 63% of students with at least one suspension and 61% of those who were expelled, said Russlynn Ali, the department’s assistant secretary for civil rights.

To read more.