Comments on: Oakland’s Eastside high redesign (#2)

By: Lisa Shafer

Lisa Shafer — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 03:11:58 +0000

I teach Media Studies to sophomores at Media College Preparatory High School, one of the schools being considered for elimination/consolidation by the district.

Coincidentally, I am working with students on conducting surveys in preparation for their work on our campus newspaper and to also help with get ready for the exit exam.

Our first student-generated survey came after reading this blog entry in class.

Here are two questions and the results they calculated:

1. Would you transfer from Fremont if the district shut down Media Academy? 60 percent of 32 students answered “Yes.” (32 students is about 10% of our school, so a decent sample size.)

2. Do you think academics would improve if Fremont were to become one school?
84 percent of the students answered no. (They had done an earlier story in which they reported that our school’s API had risen 176 points since it broke off from Fremont High in 2003. I think that may have influenced their answers here. And, I think, they are right!)

By: Alice Spearman

Alice Spearman — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 23:26:44 +0000

Excuse me, keyboard stuck, again, if we do not know there is a problem then we cannot address it. I will broach the question at next board meeting.

By: Alice Spearman

Alice Spearman — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 23:24:58 +0000

There is a policy. You all must not only complain to the school pwill be forincipal, but to superintendent, board memby ers, etc. No policy works if it is not instituted. (Hint) SINCE STATE ADMINISTRATION, FOLKS DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THEY HAVE TO FOLLOW POLICY AND SOMETIMES ARE NOT EVEN AWARE THERE IS A POLICY.

By: Hills Parent

Hills Parent — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 18:10:15 +0000

I don’t have a middle schooler yet, but that type of behavior in class is one of the reasons why I don’t want to send my kids to public middle school in Oakland. I hope that the schools and/or district institute a policy that cracks down on e-interruptions. That’s so disrespectful and distracting. There should be a zero tolerance for using cell phones in class for any reason. How do other nearby districts handle electronic devices?

By: Works at high school

Works at high school — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 08:30:18 +0000

I work at Skyline and notice at least three or four phones in use on a daily basis in one of the classrooms I go to. Students are pretty good at sneaking them behind the desk and it is hard for a teacher to see. I sometimes wonder if the teacher notices and has just given up in one class or if she doesn’t see what I do. It is really blatant. I had middle school kids who actually refused to give up their phones when asked to by me when I was their teacher. Their parents didn’t see a problem with their kids using a phone in class. I agree with Catherine that there has to be a district-wide policy and that everyone must enforce it. They have to stop letting the parent dictate what behavior is allowed in the classes. These parents usually don’t behave any better than their children.

By: Catherine

Catherine — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 06:27:59 +0000

Every middle school in Oakland suffers with this issue. First off, if I took every device away and kept them for parents to pick up I would be taking a minimum of 10 devices per class period.

I have parents screaming that since I didn’t buy it, I can’t touch it. I have been threatened. I have been told that the middle school students are responsible for younger siblings and senior citizens. And, the texting during the day is often done by parents to make arrangements with their own children because they do not talk in person in the morning – the students themselves get up, ready and off to school by themselves. I have been at school as late as 6 pm with threatening parents because I have taken away the only way they communicate with their own children.

What we need is a district-wide policy that every teacher and every administrator are willing to enforce regardless of parental consequence. Then we need contracts signed by both students and parents/guardians acknowledging the rules that electronic devices must be turned off and stored during class times. Then there must be clear instructions and a clear set of consequences and EVERYONE in the district must enforce them.

I know that several people on this list would be horrified to find that their child’s or grandchild’s cellphone or iPod was taken away for a week or a month, much less until June.

Alice Spearman – would you like to weigh in on this subject as both a board member and a grandmother of students?

By: Yastrzemski

Yastrzemski — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 03:17:46 +0000

@ Catherine

May I ask why you don’t take them away from the students? It is your classroom. I’ve heard of some clever solutions by different administrators. One has a “June Box”, and anything that is confiscated from the students goes in there until June. A parent may come and get it, but if it shows up again, then there is no other option. Others have the phones dropped off in the office each morning, and the secretary keeps them until the end of the day. The schools have phones, children do not need them in the class. Where are you where this is allowed?

By: Catherine

Catherine — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 02:29:25 +0000

How are middle schools going to hold students accountable for behavior? I would love to be able to take away any electronic device that buzzes, sings, clicks, vibrates, plays music, rings or otherwise is on during any class period and have it handed over to administration for the parent and the student to pick up together after school.

Every class period I have a minimum of five electronic interruptions and that does not include the texting I cannot see every minute.

By: Alice Spearman

Alice Spearman — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 12:10:41 +0000

Let’s Get Real and Ms. J,
Thanks for caring about the education of our students. Yes, a couple of my colleagues do read the blog, there are a couple of us who will do some research on the topics covered on our agendas, but too many times board members rely on staff reccomendations without doing their research. That is how the district got into financial trouble which led to the state takeover, then “The Great Experiment” took over. There are still members on the board to this day still support the concept. I believe our Superintendent is trying his best to change that culture of thinking in the district, it is not an easy task, however seeing the changes he is making, leads me to believe there is still hope. So I will hang in there atleast to ensure the students I am elected to represent recieves the best education has to offer. Never forget I have granddaughters attending these schools and they are not going to be sacrificed for the sake of a theory! They are going to recieve a decent education which will start them on solid ground entering their adulthood. With them so will other students.

By: Ms. J.

Ms. J. — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 05:54:59 +0000

I think others have said it, but I will say it too–I think it’s great that you are reading and responding here, Ms. Spearman. I wonder if your colleagues ever discuss the blog with you and if they could be moved to share their views too? At all events, thank you for taking the time to learn what some of the community think about the schools, and for sharing your opinions and knowledge.