History

In September 2008, the leadership of the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) presented a plan suggesting that OUSD close 10-17 small schools and consider dismantling Results-Based Budgeting (RBB) to promote fiscal sustainability.

Community and school leaders organized parents, teachers, students, and principals to talk to school board members about the positive impact the small schools reform and RBB were having on increasing student achievement in Oakland schools.

In response to this organizing, the board decided to continue strengthening RBB and not to close small schools based on size, and, instead, to organize citywide community engagement about the future of at-risk school communities.

From these experiences, five things became clear:

1) As it returns to full governing authority, the Oakland Board of Education is responsive to organized and thoughtful constituent feedback.

2) An engaged community with a shared, proactive vision for our public schools - collaborating with and monitoring the school board and district leadership - is critical to improving student achievement.

3) Parents, teachers, and public school stakeholders from across the city - from East, West, and North Oakland, from district and charter public schools, from traditional and new, small-by-design schools, from the hills and the heartlands - have similar aspirations for our students and public schools.

4) Our efforts to improve public education in Oakland would move farther, faster if community stakeholders had access to better information about schools and district decision-making.

5) Community members who want to continue and advance the successful reforms in OUSD need to organize to ensure their voices impact decision-making.