Comments on: The School Closure List

By: Katy Murphy

Katy Murphy — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 03:15:07 +0000

True, but I understand why long-time commenters would want to distinguish their comments and point-of-view from others who use the same name — for clarity’s sake.

By: Sue

Sue — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 23:47:56 +0000

I am just Sue.I still think private school numbers are huge and should also be discussed casue its large-thats all!

This is a blog for christs sake! Not an A A meeting.

By: Sue

Sue — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 19:49:45 +0000

Yes, there’s at least two Sue’s posting here. I’ve been posting for the last 4-5 years, since my now-college-sophomore (with autism) was a part of an article Katy wrote about one of his peers who was suing the district for discrimination due to the student’s autism spectrum disability.

By: Sue

Sue — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 06:07:12 +0000

Oakland Teacher

First of all there MUST be more than one Sue same as their is definetely more than one Oakland Teacher….right?

I am sorry that my questions have offended you so greatly. However, my intuition tells me that that is because you are an Oakland Teacher.

I am not criticizuind those that choose to send their kids to provate schools- if they can afford it…good for them.

My concern is for those that have no choice.

By the way……..over 22,000 OUSD students attend private schools!!!! That is an incredible number. Nealy four times that of charter schools right?
Illuminating!!

By: little john

little john — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 04:33:27 +0000

According to the lastest information the Oakland Tribune had posted an article pertaining to 5 schools tentatively being closed.
I have something to say of importance and that is “To be Fore-warned is to be Fore-armed!”
Has anyone thought that there is a very strong possibility of vandalism occurring to steal the copper pipes and copper wiring!
If you can please consider arrangements to be made for the proper authorities to protect the integrity of the tax payers properties.
In this day and time, the unexexpected can happen and will happen if the proper measures are not taken to protect the school properties.

Thank you for your time.

A past security officer…..

By: Stacey

Stacey — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 04:12:47 +0000

Hi Katy,
Thanks for the tip to check out the appendices. It brings up some concerns about the special education students at these schools and about what future decision-making will look like.
The strategic plan notes how significant the achievement gaps are for students with special needs. Yet I don’t see how these students and their achievement levels were considered as part of the equation in a formal way. It would be interesting to hear from the families of special education students at these schools. Do they feel as though they were involved in the decision-making process? How did they participate in the discussion about moving programs and closing their schools? Continuum of services is absolutely an issue of concern but the question of improving academic achievement and creating a sense of community must be considered and addressed with respect to this at-risk population too. Did that discussion occur?
I also would be interested to find out if these families will be provided with, or have been provided with a list of alternative special education programs located in OUSD schools. Members of the special education community have repeatedly, privately and publicly requested a list of special education programs and sites. That directory has not been made available to families for at least the last five years. The Reading Clinic that is mentioned on this site is a gem of a program that most families only find out about through word of mouth from other families. The District provides many specialized programs which remain at sites consistently from year to year. It is puzzling as to why the District refuses to share this information with families to help families understand their options and make the most appropriate decisions for their children. I hope that the District will share this important program information with all families, and especially these most impacted families, immediately.
Stacey

By: Oakland Teacher

Oakland Teacher — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 01:58:15 +0000

There is a really simple answer to the question posed in #17: Private schools are not run with public money. This tends to eliminate many arguments against them. I can guarantee you that the lack of outcry has NOTHING the fact that the families may be affluent, white, two-parent or any other nonsense. It has to do with the fact that those schools are not run with public funding.

As an Oakland teacher, homeowner, community volunteer, and OUSD parent, I resent the heck out of your comment that I keep my mouth shut because it is OUSD employees children attending those schools.

1. Most OUSD teachers (unless they have a high earning spouse) could NEVER afford a private school for their child. Most OUSD teachers I know send their kids to OUSD schools.
2. I never once thought about sending my kids anywhere besides OUSD schools. This is my community. This is where we live.
3. I hated to see the defection of families to private high schools following middle school. My kids saw most of their peer group go to private schools, even as far as SF. I railed against it when it happened to my oldest child; on subsequent kids I just tried to be a model that OUSD graduating students can succeed wildly, and get scholarships to highly regarded universities across the country.
4. I learned early on that engaging in an “outcry” only led to nothing positive. People who choose to send their kids to private school aren’t asking for my opinion on their decision. Affecting public policy decisions will not affect private schools.
5. Charter schools are run with public money. I have a right to be concerned that they are sapping off so many of our students. I see the kids they send back to OUSD, because they “weren’t a good fit for the school”. The research does not show that they are substantially better as a group than public schools, and they do pick and choose their students. They avoid special ed students whenever possible.

I have to assume that poster #17 “Sue” is NOT the Sue (a SHS parent) who has posted so many thoughtful responses over the years on this blog. I find this posting offensive and hateful.

#17: “Does anyone know how many Oakland students attend private schools? I would think that the number of those students far outnumber the kids at the city’s charter schools. Katy do you have that data?

If its higher than the 8 thousand that attend charter schools- why is there no outcry for them? Is it because they are the affluent, the demographics, or the students of OUSD and union members?”

By: Another Lakeview Advocate.

Another Lakeview Advocate. — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 01:25:45 +0000

Jr
You apparently need some reading comprehension instruction. You take fragments of a sentence and construe your reality around them. Have fun with that.

As far as “scientific data” around lower class sizes, there are so many variables with this data and it often can be interpreted many different ways. I am a teacher. I can spend more time 1:1 with students if there are less of them. Not exactly rocket science.
Thank-you “Another Interested Parent”. You said it all.

By: Gordon Danning

Gordon Danning — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 01:24:00 +0000

Re: the effect of smaller class sizes, I have read repeatedly that there is little evidence that smaller class size, in and of itself, has much effect on achievement.

But, that is not quite the right question. The real question is whether smaller classes PLUS instruction, etc, that can only take place in smaller classes leads to better outcomes.

For example, most teachers I know would like to assign more writing. But, if all 160 of my students turn in a paper, and I spend 10 minutes grading each one, it will take 27 hours to grade them all. So, how often can most teachers assign papers? Once every 2 weeks? With smaller classes, teachers can assign papers more frequently. Moreover, if I have 32 students in a class, and I want to spend a day giving individual attention, I can spend less than 2 minutes per student. Most students need a lot more than that. Smaller classes creates the opportunity for more individual attention.

Long story short, if some day there is money for smaller classes, then any class size reduction must be coupled with an insistence that teachers alter their practices to take advantage of the smaller classes. Otherwise, class size reduction is largely a waste of money.

By: Seenitbefore

Seenitbefore — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 22:06:07 +0000

OUSD needs to be OPENING schools…..not CLOSING them….. They need to open schools with the specific purpose of providing an educational setting that is solely designed to deal with the high numbers of at-risk and behaviorally challenged students that are not able to be served at the various “regular” school sites.

Other districts do this all the time and are able to offer services and behavior modification to troubled students. We do nothing except “DHP” a behavior problem to another school… where the cycle keeps going until the kid eventually drops out.

Research some of the working systems…like:

http://alc.aliefisd.net/home.aspx?goto=home

http://www.oxford.k12.ms.us/olc/site/default.asp

http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/alternative-programs/

http://www.cps.edu/Programs/Pathways_to_success/Alternative_education_and_transition/Pages/AlternativeSafeSchools.aspx

http://www.altedbps.org/school.asp?schooltype=middle&recordid=bmsa1