What I do not subscribe to is the same size classes for all schools for all students. Same is not equal. What I subscribe to is that there is differentiation of curriculum in every classroom as is in the AGREED contract between OUSD and OEA members. What I do subscribe to is learning why families choose charters, parochial and private schools so that we may learn HOW to meet the needs of more students. And finally, what I subscribe to is the belief that every child in our district is given the classroom opportunities to learn the ENTIRE state curriculum with our tax dollars without excuses.

We simply cannot do all of these things in six periods per day. Teachers need to understand and take responsibility for differentiating the curriculum for all learners, not just those on the bottom and the middle beginning in kindergarten. Principals who do not insure that differentiation is happening in every classroom every day should be coached, counseled and let go if they cannot make the change happen. Teachers who are unwilling or unable to differentiate every day in every classroom should be trained, coached, counseled and let go if they refuse.

OEA and the OUSD should be mindful of salaries, benefits and the needs of the teachers and the students and Oakland families should support both. At the end of the day, all students should have the opportunity to learn at the highest levels at which each individual student is capable and the very minimum standards of learning should be the minimum State of California standards.

Tiresome but true!

I would love to see 7 period days as well. I would love for us to have the small class sizes seen in the private schools you mention, but I don’t understand why this particular thread is being used to discuss OUSD vs private schools. The only thing that connects the discussion is that the poster thinks teachers should not be compensated at the rate of all other Alameda County teachers because they have decided to place their child in private school. Tiresome!

In addition, many of these schools districts mentioned offer an A period (After school) or a B period (Before School) when they have classes in which they cannot meet the needs of the students.

I was in no way suggesting a class of 12 students. Quite honestly, the range of students at Archway is incredibly narrow and would not serve the vast majority of Oakland children and teens. Class sizes that small limit the number and range of experiences, ideas, and abilities. And in creating such small classes, the expertise that is offered is smaller. I mentioned Archway, because it is an excellent school for students who have difficulty in working in a larger setting, playing with students who are three or four years older or younger or for students who need additional resources to meet their learning needs.

The highest percentage of students in Oakland classrooms do not meet these criteria. However, I do believe that OUSD should have some of these smaller class sizes to meet the needs of the students who need them – however, as mentioned in 82 the OEA would say it is not equitable.

I believe OEA believes “Equitable” = “Same” – nearly everyone on this blog, with the exception of OEA leadership understands that Equitable DOES NOT EQUAL Same.

Students have different needs. There are students who need small class sizes and longer school days to learn one year’s curriculum – curriculum as defined by the State of California. There are students who could learn that same curriculum in four or five months and have time remaining to think more deeply, use the information across the disciplines, look more closely at details, looking for patterns or looking at trends over time. My sons do not need a class of 12 to 15 students. It would not serve them well. They enjoy larger classes of diverse students. Both sons feel comfortable with flexible groupings for different subjects that include students who are excellent in math, other students that may be at the same level or a different level in writing.

With such a small class size it is difficult to have diversity in groups because those students who are brilliant in math also look to be ahead in other subjects. The groups become stagnant rather than flexible because there are so few students. So the fight you describe for these small class sizes of 12 to 15 students is wasted on our family – it is simple too small to provide the diversity for the needs of my sons. You could save it however for the students who need it because they are working below grade level – oh, wait, that would not be equitable, equal or the same? Would it?

We would love to have class sizes as small as you mention in #79. As a matter of fact, we are united in our fight to keep class sizes small. Unfortunately, the new imposed contract will result in an increase across the board in class sizes, a huge loss for OUSD students.

There are many things Oakland teachers would like to see improve in our schools – both in terms of the students’ learning conditions and our working conditions. That is why we are taking a stand: with over 90% of us not working on April 29, and why over 75% of our members who voted on May 3 agreed to give our OEA leaders the go-ahead in terms of future actions.

At Montera, the current principal, who has done fine things in many respects – reduced the number of hallway incidents involving horseplay, use of subtle bullying by reducing the space in which some students give others to walk, and by making sure that there is finally a shop teacher. However, there are other things that are really frustrating such as an attitude toward parents who advocate for their children and their children’s needs.

Parents should not have to have five or six parent-teacher conferences per year to be able to have their students learn in the classroom. If students are respectful, complete their homework, participate in class and in after school activities, parents and teachers should be able to work together a couple of times a year to keep education plans on track.

I know and expect that there are private schools with similar issues. I think the big difference is that there are many kinds of private schools, Archway – for example is a small learning community of 12 – 15 students per class – Bentley has larger classes but caters to students who are intellectually and scholastically ready for very rigorous coursework. The vast majority of students do not need classrooms with 12 students, nor could the vast majority of students handle both Latin and Mandarin in elementary school. My point is that OUSD has not taken into account these two examples of schools that meet the needs of specific groups of students.

As for the school districts that still have seven periods a day: Lafayette, Walnut Creek, Piedmont, Albany and Berkeley – these are just a few of the school districts around us who have seven periods. The advantage of seven periods a day of course is that more state standards are met in middle school and high school. Nearly every private middle and high school also has seven periods a day.

We have many, many positive aspects of our school district. Students are making progress in learning. And, teachers make a huge difference – the vast majority in a positive way, about 10% in a negative way. Jody London and every other Board member seems to ask the same question, why do students choose private schools and charter schools – my experience is that charter schools are chosen, not because parents think students will learn more, but because most have discipline policies which make parents feel safer. Fighting at the school happens less often and the fights that do happen are less violent. Often, there is a strictly enforced dress code. Students must have homework done.

Parents choose private schools because they feel students will be held to higher standards of learning. There are often foreign languages, music, geography and other coursework that is done in similar proportions as language arts and math. In public schools, particularly those trying to raise test scores, the time spent on language arts is 50% – 60% of the school day with math another 25% – 30% of the school day. As we know, transition – moving bodies, books, papers, etc. takes 5% – 10% of the school day, and that leaves very little time for social studies, science, music and art.

We need to find a way in our schools to make every teacher and administrator accountable for bringing up the level of all who have student contact. Often peer pressure is needed. We also need to recognize that many, many students want to work and learn across the disciplines and we must find a way to weave in all subjects or we will lose our students to private schools, charter schools, other districts (through legitimate and illegitimate inter-district transfers), and through general drop out (by not showing up in middle school and officially dropping out of high school). We are seeing it now and we need to be mindful that parents do have choices and the parents who do see their choices will make them – and the vast majority of the choices will not benefit our school district.

We also must begin to look at the seven period middle and high school as an option. It seems to be the only way to me to be able to meet the minimum state standards in ALL areas of the grade level curriculum.

What do you think of a paid OUSD Consultant using District contact numbers to promote his personal consulting business?

http://www.aaronsokol.com/index_files/Page546.htm

There are others too…