Category Archives: Events

Events, Local, Research

Teachers and Parents Talk About How To Overcome Communication Barriers

Alma Reyes, a parent of a middle school student at Unified for Success, talks about how she gets in touch with teachers during the Parent-Teacher Summit on Thursday evening at International Community School.

Oakland North
Posted on April 27, 2012
Written by Ryan Phillips

Teachers want parents to be more involved, and parents want to know teachers are doing their best to educate their children. While that may sound easy to accomplish, it becomes impossible when the two sides don’t communicate.

On Thursday evening, parents and teachers from schools around the Oakland Unified School District gathered in the gymnasium of the International Community School in the Fruitvale area to talk about how to overcome communication barriers and learn how parents and teachers can better work together.

Learn more about: “Parent-Teacher Summit: Parents and Teachers Working Together”

Local, Town Hall

Teacher Town Hall Panelist Dave Orphal on The Oakland Education Blog Part Two

Teacher evaluations — And Surveys of Students and Colleagues
Posted on April 25, 2012
Written by: Dave Orphal

In my last post, I offered an overview of a proposed teacher evaluation system that two Oakland schools are piloting. The proposed system would replace the six performance criteria outlined in the California Standards for the Teaching Profession in favor of five new, but remarkably similar, criteria. I also examined one major departure from the current system of teacher evaluation, specifically the use of student performance data.

In this post, we will look at another significant difference from the current and piloted systems: feedback from a teacher’s students and colleagues.

The proposed teacher evaluation system will add a component called 360-Degree Feedback. In essence, this is corporate jargon for using multiple perspectives and sources of information to inform an evaluation. Jargon aside, I applaud the effort to draw in more voices and viewpoints that just one administrator’s in the evaluation of a teacher.

Read more about the pilot evaluation system.

Events, Local, Research, Youth Media

Guest Youth Blogger: Night Before Presentation

Written by Sydnee Logan
Posted on April 14, 2012
Okay, so this has been a very exiting trip so far! My classmates and I have been stressed out, but still super exited about being in Canada, I personally cannot wait for us to get in Canada and see the communities of Vancouver. The early morning (3am!) trip to the airport was very new to us and we loved every bit of it. The wait on the plane was worth it. It was the first time flying for one of my classmates and I, and it was great to see that experiences firsthand. When we took off the plane ride was pretty bumpy and moving faster than I thought. When we got above the clouds it was smooth sailing from there. Soon everyone was falling asleep and even myself later from total fatigue.

I awoke to the loud voice of the flight attendant, my ears ringing and popping from the air pressure. I think that moment was the worst moment of the whole flight, but I also realized we were flying above Seattle. We finally landed in the airport and walked to the check in place then got us our vans and we tried our best to leave but the garage was like a maze with spiraling avant-garde art. We finally start driven and we finally came up to the border of Seattle and Canada. We get through, but the car full of my other class mates got pulled over in the border lines and they had to get out the car and give the information to the border patrol. We then are able to leave and we immediately headed to the AERA convention center, were Step would be presenting. I am looking forward to seeing my friend’s excel tomorrow. Working to be at our best we then practiced one more time and left to see the beautiful communities of Canada. We then got to our rented home in the north of Vancouver. The house looks really nice we ordered some pizza and everyone got back to work practicing their scripts, I know we will do great tomorrow. I will be recording the whole thing and posting it up on YouTube with my blog.

Here are the comments of my classmates about the first day.

“Hey I was pretty happy about the plane ride because I haven’t been on one for a while. The car ride was okay because I got to see the nice buildings of Canada then it was a pretty long ride. I am exited about presenting I literally cannot wait!” –(Nixon Callejas)

“I felt very nervous about the plane ride and I felt like it was too long. The car ride was even longer; we were sitting in those cars for hours I think my bottom fell asleep. I can’t wait to present tomorrow but I so nervous I don’t think I will be able to sleep tonight. I also thought that the buildings were very unique and something I didn’t expect from Canada over all this is an exiting experience.” –(Rebecca Pine)

Events, National, Research, Youth Media

Guest Youth Blogger: Build Your Own School (BYOS) Project Presentation

Written By Sydnee Logan

Currently, a few of my classmates and I from Step are preparing to attend and present at the American Educational Research Association Conference also known as AERA. This year the conference is being held in Vancouver, Canada on April 13th through the 17th. In our previous two years, my classmates presented at the AERA conference in New Orleans and Denver. AERA is a convention for teachers, researchers, and other people that are interested in learning about effective schooling, teaching and pedagogy.
The reason we are attending this conference is to present on our Build Your Own School (BYOS) project. The unit is about us literally trying to tell people about the resources we need as a community to improve Oakland Public Schools, and schools like it in America. For this project we conducted our own research and will share what we found. The reason we feel this is so important is because we attend an Oakland Public School and know how ineffective they can be, but also know effective schooling with our Step program. We believe that we should have the best opportunity to learn and experience school, like everybody else.
To prepare for this trip we have been working hard every day (weekends and on our spring break!!!) on our power-point to practice our presentation and put finishing touches on the short films we created. We look forward to sharing our research with people in Canada and around the world.
My classmates and I have a mixture of excitement and worry going into this trip. The School Structure research team consists of Rebecca Pina, Darrell Tingle, Charlie Va, D’Shari Frison, and Daryl McDaniel; and the Leadership research team consists of Nixon Callejas, Mohammed Taleb, Naja Herron, Javote Long, and Nick Ross.

Here are some of their initial reactions:

“I am stoked out about leaving the country, I am going to meet as many people as possible and I am buying so many souvenirs.”-Nick

“I am excited about leaving. I am excited about getting on the plane and happy about doing a presentation in another country. My main worry is that we have to come back to Oakland so soon.”-Nixon

“I am excited and can’t wait to meet new people and explore Canada. Well my biggest worries/fears is to get on a plane and to be away from my mother.”-D’Shari

“I am very excited about leaving to Canada and being in a new place because I am very nervous. Well I don’t have any worries because I have been on a plane before so I know what to expect.”-Rebecca

Events, Local, Research

KQED News: California Report Special Coverage Baby Steps California's Early Learning Challenge

KQED California Report Special Coverage
Written by Ana Tintocalis
Research shows that a quality early childhood education can improve a child’s readiness for school and help prepare them to succeed as adults. How will this prepare them for the rest of their school years? Follow this California Report Special Coverage of Early Learning Challenges in California

 

Events, Local, Research, Youth Media

Video: How Does Tutorpedia Fight The Drop Out Crisis?


Written By Emma Bundy
Tutorpedia fights the dropout crisis by providing critical academic support to students. Through personalized, one-on-one tutoring, students receive the individualized attention that is often difficult for over-extended teachers to provide in the classroom.

By collaborating with teachers and academic advisors at students’ schools, Tutorpedia tutors reinforce school curriculum and support lessons in dynamic ways outside of the classroom.  As Ms. Moyenda, a veteran SFUSD teacher explains, “It’s not just me saying to the tutor, ‘here give the kid this.’ It’s me getting the information back from the tutor that says, ‘here’s where your focus needs to be.’ I think every kid needs their own one-on-one tutor because now we can no longer give that one-on-one instruction.” Tutorpedia tutors develop relationships with their students to focus on specific academic needs while also addressing issues that impact learning within the classroom environment.

Tutorpedia tutors are experts in education who are passionate about student learning. Experienced tutors develop creative ways to help students understand in order to make education real, relevant, and rigorous. By connecting academic success to real-life, tutoring helps students engage with school and graduate. Since 2007, Tutorpedia has provided more than 6,000 hours of tutoring to low-income families through the Supplemental Educational Services program and through the generosity of private donors and grant-making institutions. Learn more about Tutorpedia and the Tutorpedia Foundation.

Events

Live Chat at 11am: Challenges Facing Students with Learning Differences

Did you know that students with learning differences are twice as likely as their peers to drop out of school? Our colleagues at PBS NewsHour recently explored the challenges facing those students in this report:

Watch Engaging Students With Learning Disabilities Early On on PBS. See more from PBS NewsHour.

At 11am NewsHour will host a live chat about learning differences with educators, education advocates and students who dropped out. You can follow the conversation and participate in the chat window below.