As the Oakland school board begins to regain its powers and prepares to hire a new superintendent, the elections on June 3 arguably matter more than those in the recent past.

If you want to find out what the nine candidates for Districts 1, 3, 5, and 7 think about small schools, charter schools, autonomy (vs. centralization), and enrollment policy, stop by a school board candidates forum organized by Oakland Community Organizations tonight at the Havenscourt Auditorium, 1390 66th Ave., at International Blvd. It starts at 6 p.m.

Heard of any more upcoming candidate forums? Please let me know, and I’ll post them with more advance notice.