Comments on: Will the wrong schools be targeted for closure?

By: A new Oakland schools coalition: Will you join? - The Education Report - Reporter Katy Murphy’s blog on Oakland schools

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 05:24:46 +0000

[...] a former OUSD principal and high-level administrator who later helped found GO Public Schools amid the threat of small school closures last year — in response to the declaration. It was posted on the Oakland public school [...]

By: Katy Murphy

Katy Murphy — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 22:30:44 +0000

You’re not alone, Polly.

By: Polly

Polly — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 22:27:44 +0000

If school closures was not on the agenda, why was it the topic of this meeting? If Kirsten Vital and Kerry Hammill didn’t know it was not on the table… I just don’t get it.

By: A happy, anti-climatic ending for small schools - The Education Report - Katy Murphy covers what’s going on in the Oakland schools

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 05:51:08 +0000

[...] Will the wrong schools be targeted for closure? [...]

By: School closure meeting moves to bigger venue - The Education Report - Katy Murphy covers what’s going on in the Oakland schools

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 17:12:48 +0000

[...] Will the wrong schools be targeted for closure? [...]

By: political corrector

political corrector — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 00:58:16 +0000

To all,

I think I understand the small schools approach and support it if it is fiscally feasible.

But I think the problem lies more in the spending structure of these small schools than the revenues.

How many uncessary staff work at the school site, and compare to other small or charter schools. I am not trying to pit anyone aganist each other, I simply think that if one system works, why not promote simply for that.

A few hundred years ago the majority of the population also believed that the world was flat; a believed that was supported for an epic number of years, until the theory was proved wrong and the world view changed.

Simply because something has been done the same way for a long time does not mean it works.

That is all.

By: Small schools advocate

Small schools advocate — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 19:14:30 +0000

I want to respond to Political Corrector’s comment about the new schools opened over the past 7 years in Oakland. All those new schools opened to address either severe overcrowding (over 900 students in an elementary school) or chronically failing schools. Linda Darling-Hammond (education advisor to Barak Obama) just evaluated the new small schools reform in Oakland and found the reform to be working for kids. AND, many would be slated for closure as they are under 300 (many were intentionally designed small and put in facilities for 250 students!!). This is not a time to pit charters against in-district, newer versus older small schools. This is a time for us to be unified in our opposition to a plan that does not start with central cuts, does not authentically engage the community, does not look at the long-term costs of closing effective schools (families flee the district), and does not prioritize children’s learning. We need to be fiscally responsible, but we need to look at ALL the options and not just jump to closing schools that may be working for kids.

By: Jill

Jill — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 03:14:22 +0000

We just got the announcement of these meetings in the mail today, postmarked September 29th. Guess OUSD didn’t want everyone to participate. Probably lots of us left out of the process….

By: political corrector

political corrector — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 02:35:13 +0000

Sorry for my messy typing,I flunked that class, I guess my slant towards education blogs were born there.

I meant to say that many of the schools funded through the Gates Foundations are NOW going through school closure.

By: political corrector

political corrector — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 02:32:43 +0000

Art-

Thanks for the counter point, and like I said , I am by no means a education style defender. I agree that as an employee of a non profit, all of our focus tends to be on dollars chasing. Charters, I would agree are no different.

That said,so is OUSD. I read that Bill and Melinda Gates gave millions of dollars a few years ago so that the district could create small schools. How many of those were succesful? People I talked to say not too many, but worse yet, they are not going through school closure.

Every grant tha my org goes for is countered by the OUSD grants office, and guess what? They get every grant put out that I have seen, while our recored site at a realistic 40%. I, have argued that we need to hire theri grants staff, but thats another story.

But in palying devils advocate, how many charters have went bankrupt or belly up due to lack of dollars?