Education
At Wednesday’s sparsely-attended school board meeting, the board discussed the superintendent’s report, which is presented at every board meeting, and funding options for the Dr. Marcus Foster Educational Leadership Campus.
This year, Oakland Tech turned 100, and its alums have planned a celebration lasting an entire year.
The Centennial Celebration, organized by staff, students and alumni, included a gala over Memorial Day weekend, a talent show for students and alumni in February, and the creation of a book, video and website commemorating the anniversary. “This centennial was kind of a fun opportunity to show off the school and how well it’s doing, especially to its alumni, who might have become disengaged over the course of the years,” said Dan Williams, a parent of three Oakland Tech alums and a key player in the planning process for the celebration. Williams said his children “were very different, and did different things, academically were in very different places, but all had a great time,” he said. “And as I quickly found out, Tech’s an amazing school with an amazing history.”
Carlos Mendoza, a high school student, comes every Monday night at Liberating Ourselves Locally for Hack Night. Sitting in the back of the room next to his mentor, Mendoza takes out his laptop and starts typing. At 18 he is one of the group’s youngest members. He also has a big project underway: Mendoza is creating his own video game.
The board approved the Central Kitchen project, KIPP Bridge Charter School presented materials for a proposed elementary school, and, after some discussion, the board approved a facilities use agreement with Lazear Charter Academy.
Now, thanks to the efforts of the East Bay Astronomical Society, the Zeiss might illuminate Chabot’s planetarium again. The volunteer-run astronomy group recently launched the first phase of a fundraising campaign to save the Zeiss. They hope to collect $25,000 in donations via YouCaring, a crowd-funding site designed to help charitable projects raise money.
Oakland mayor Libby Schaaf delivered her first State of the City address on October 28th, outlining the four key issues she aims to address: improving community safety, providing equitable jobs and housing, creating a sustainable infrastructure, and ensuring responsive, trustworthy government.
The event was what the library called a “spooktacular” event, co-sponsored with We Tell Our Stories Sister Film Collective, Pan-African Network and PeoplesWorld.Org. The purpose was to build confidence, self-esteem, solidarity and good mental health by encouraging kids to come dressed as people or characters they admire.
Students spoke at an open forum with members of the Mills administration to talk about possible curriculum cuts.
The board also approved the establishment of Lodestar Charter School and a resolution that would continue collaborative efforts to end the sexual exploitation of children.