Comments on: Is anybody in there? The OUSD central office exodus

By: Katy Murphy

Katy Murphy — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 00:44:16 +0000

That’s a good idea.

By: harlemmoon

harlemmoon — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 22:56:24 +0000

Hey Katy,
Are you planning another list like the one you did previously?
It was quite informative.

By: Katy Murphy

Katy Murphy — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 21:49:43 +0000

Carolyn: By administrators, do you mean principals? I compiled a list last summer of all of the former principals and their replacements, and I plan to do the same this year.

Although some people announce their retirements/resignations well into the summer, I’ll hopefully start the list within the next two weeks.

By: Carolyn Holloway

Carolyn Holloway — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 21:19:11 +0000

Dear Kathy,

I just learned of your Blog yesterday and would like for you to publish the list of administrators who will retire, reassignment, who is their replacement, resign, terminated from employment for 2008-2009 School Year. I understand that a lot of folks will be leaving but where they are going, if not up yonder, then where?

I speak for many parents of the community when I say that management seem to have selected very inexperienced principals to demonstrate positive role models for the schools they were hired to replace veteran principals and other administrators within the District. How soon will you be able to obtain the list and have published?

I await your reply.

By: Inside Bay Area > > Next week, special ed director follows her old boss's trail to D.C.

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 16:57:18 +0000

[...] Harris will soon join the growing list of departed administrators, she said she had nothing but good things to say about her experience in Oakland. “I learned [...]

By: ousd student

ousd student — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 20:26:48 +0000

im not suprised at the departures in OUSD. The essential people in charge are the one leaving which is very critical to the young people like me in ousd schools. but as fast as the key components are leaving so are the schools. OUSD is very quick to see theres a problem and the outcome fo that is the closures of school orin some cases they instead fire or lay-off some one else. OUSD never takes responsiblity for their faults and instead they pin the blame on some on else. but as far as Kimberely on her decison is very predictable for an outsider of this Oakland community to dictate the fate of our schools. she who may have never experienced public school does not operate them to good either. the impoverished community of Oakland is suffering educational and instead of improvement we get the community is blamed. for example East Oakland Community High School which was shut down after an false “investigation” was done. they shut down a school students marched and cared for and loved alot. but in Oakland thers no giult or sorrow when a school is shut down. instead they move on as though the youth are no one. which in Oakland is very evident in the school disrtict. and me being a product of the Oakland school district it is a disgrace to say not becasue the status or accomplishment if any, but because we theres no progress and we are slowly declining. lastly the people who “operate” and run our schools for our benefit are not awarding us with any thing. therefore the Oakland School District needs a new approach to getting the community voice involved,which is absent now. so from A OUSD student the condtions of our schools are extremely bad, but in Okalnd you have to survive.

By: Inside Bay Area > The Education Report > Add a few more to the "OUSD exodus" list

Fri, 06 Jul 2007 02:07:35 +0000

[...] other departures, district spokesman Alex Katz is leaving for another job. Kathryn Cahill, a project manager for [...]

By: Rhea

Rhea — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 07:13:39 +0000

Hi Katy

I commend you for starting this blog and I encourage you to continue to ask the essential questions. If you research further, you will discover that one of the major causes of the exodus of quality and stellar educators, both teachers and administrators, from school sites and central offices is the “Institutional Bullying” in the Oakland Unified School District. There is an insidious “bullying” culture that has plagued the Oakland Schools for years. What makes this culture so dangerous is these bullies are at all levels and hold every position in the District. They are board members, executive officers, custodians, teachers, parents, consultants, principals, assistant principals, campus security officers, attendance clerks, locker room attendants, superintendents, asst. superintendents, state administrators, counselors, legal staffers, and secretaries who are allowed to “bully” and “mob” members of the school organization. A few months ago, on KTVU Channel 2 News, I watched an OUSD school board member maliciously bump against a teacher at a school closing meeting as she exited the meeting. It was as if she was challenging him to fight. This same school board member has been identified as bullying other OUSD staff, parents, and community members, and causing their departure or dismissal from the District. I could comment for pages about factual accounts of the “bullies” in the OUSD, school sites and central offices, who are allowed to continuously abuse and even “mob” others. Many people will not tolerate this abuse, therefore they leave, and once again our young people suffer.

By: James Jones, Jr., 2007 SSC Chair Sherman Elementary

James Jones, Jr., 2007 SSC Chair Sherman Elementary — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 06:14:13 +0000

It sure would be great if someone did exit interviews with all those folks leaving.. (hint, hint)…

By: Charley Cowens

Charley Cowens — Sun, 24 Jun 2007 22:03:50 +0000

Here’s a recent Wall Street Journal column about Barak Ben-Gal and OUSD that I found:

“Another School Dropout” http://www.opinionjournal.com/taste/?id=110010241