54-447: OUSD is an acronym used to refer to the following school districts: Oakland Unified School District Ontario Unified School District Ojai Unified School District Orange Unified School District Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title OUSD . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change
108-513: A historically black university . He earned a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) from the University of Pennsylvania , an Ivy League institution. His first cousin, Justine Wilkinson Washington , also became a noted educator. From 1957 to 1970 Foster taught in the Philadelphia public schools, and served as principal of Dunbar Elementary School, O.V. Catto School for Boys, and Gratz High School. He
162-580: A closed school to a new alternative education and administrative building, but are only one fifth of the district's calculated financial need for construction projects. In May 2023, teachers went on strike again citing pay and social issues as the reasons. On May 15, the union (Oakland Education Association) announced they had reached a deal with the district. The district-run schools includes 59 elementary schools, 13 middle schools, 19 high schools, with 9 alternative education schools and programs, 4 adult programs and early childhood education centers at most of
216-531: A decrease of 1 ⁄ 3 for students enrolled in the program). In 2016, OUSD launched an African American Girls and Young Women Achievement Program. In 2015 and 2016, OUSD forged partnerships with and secured grants from a number of technology companies, including Salesforce , Intel , Code.org , and Google , and set a goal to make computer science a graduation requirement for the freshman class that begins school in 2017. The first school in Oakland opened in
270-399: A diverse population of students. Nearly half of the students in district and charter schools speak a non-English language at home. For the school year 2016–17, 31 percent of OUSD students were English-language learners. OUSD also serves a large population of newcomer students. Seventy-three percent of students receive free or reduced-price meals. OUSD was among the first school districts in
324-487: A member of the Trojans, a neighborhood men's club, his comrade Frye noted Foster "could hold his hands up". This broad range of youth experience aided Foster throughout his life, and he had an ability to connect with and inspire students of myriad backgrounds, while drawing together disparate adult groups advocating for alternative, at times oppositional, visions of social reform. He graduated in 1947 from Cheyney State College ,
378-498: A third four-year term by defeating Democrat Bobby Seale , a co-founder of the Black Panthers and advocate of social programs. Foster worked with the groups they represented and also within the environment of a state governed by conservative Republican Ronald Reagan . Foster was shot dead on November 6, 1973, and his deputy Robert Blackburn was wounded, as they left a school board meeting. Members of an unknown group calling itself
432-456: A wildcat sympathy strike". Rallies continued as teachers from all around the Bay Area took a sick day on January 18, 2019, and gathered at Oakland Technical High School to march to city hall in the name of public education. In an interview at the “sickout”, an Oakland teacher said “We have not had a contract for several years….The district is currently offering a 5% raise amounting to $ 70 extra which
486-537: A year later that financial instability was due to "the district's poor business practices and broken culture," rather than just outside pressures like declining enrollment. The report found that although the District ranked sixth in per-pupil state funding out of 37 Bay Area school districts, it had far above average spending on non-teaching costs and consultants, and lower than average spending on teachers and special education. Spending for supervisor and administrator salaries
540-555: Is a public education school district that operates a total of 80 elementary schools (TK–5), middle schools (6–8), and high schools (9–12). There are also 28 district-authorized charter schools in Oakland, California , United States, serving a total of 48,704 students across both district-run and district-authorized charter schools (as of census day in 2020–21, with 35,489 of those students served by district-run schools). Located in one of California's most diverse cities, OUSD serves
594-593: Is buried in Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland. His widow, Albertine Ramseur Foster, died in 2011. She was buried alongside him. Their daughter, Marsha Foster Boyd, is President Emerita of Ecumenical Theological Seminary in Detroit, Michigan . Foster received the prestigious Philadelphia Award in 1969, which recognizes individuals who have made positive contributions to the city of Philadelphia. After his death, several sites were named in his honor. These included
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#1732858391800648-515: Is funneled to the private-sector charter schools a year. Leading up to the strike there was a meeting with the Oakland Unified School District Board of Education in which the community of Roots Academy, a school facing closure, testified a plea to keep their school open. Teachers gathered at the #RedforEd rally January 12, demonstrating that they are strike-ready. In show of solidarity, ten non-union charter schools "engaged in
702-518: Is not enough to keep up with the rising cost of housing in Oakland.” 1 in 5 teachers leave Oakland Unified School District because they cannot afford to teach in the city they live in. When asked if they had enough resources to succeed, three Oakland Tech students replied "No, we don't even have paper in some of the class rooms. Some kids do not have textbooks and they have to do their work at home, where they may not have internet. Our classes are overfilled. Sometimes students will try to print their work in
756-661: Is one of the finest structures of its kind in the United States." A 1915 Board of Education guide to Oakland schools included 46 schools, many of which are still open today. They include Allendale, Claremont, Cleveland, Dewey, Elmhurst, Emerson, Franklin, Frick, Fruitvale, Lincoln, Manzanita, McClymonds, Melrose, Peralta, Piedmont, Prescott, Sequoia, Santa Fe, Fremont High, Oakland High, and Oakland Tech. High school departments included English, History, Foreign Languages, Mathematics, Science, Commercial, Home Economics, Physical Training, Shop and Drawing. Oakland's first teachers' union,
810-553: The RedforEd campaign and were organized by the Oakland Education Association (OEA)--a union for teachers—and East Bay Democratic Socialists of America (EBDSA). Oakland Unified School District is under populated with a total of 87 public schools, so they have a plan to close some public, unionized (and predominantly low-income) schools over the next few years in order to save money. $ 57 million meant for public-sector schools
864-523: The Symbionese Liberation Army , claimed responsibility. The SLA sent letters to media claiming that they killed Foster because of his alleged support of a plan to require a student identification card system in Oakland, which they called "fascist". The proposed program was intended to reduce vagrancy and keep non-student drug-dealers off campus, and Foster had already gained support from the board to modify it to meet community concerns. Foster
918-466: The 1850s and was located in a rented room in the back of a fandango at Second and Washington Streets. On July 12, 1853, the city held a parade to the first official school building. The schoolhouse was at the corner of Fifth and Clay and cost $ 1,000 to construct. The first school house had 16 students and was taught by a woman named Hannah Jayne. She was the only teacher in Oakland until 1855. Franklin Warner
972-713: The Havenscourt Campus in East Oakland, achieved a 91 percent graduation rate. The school serves about 450 students and a large percentage are English language learners (170 students in 2014–15). CCPA's ethnic breakdown for the 2013–14 school year consisted of 42.7% Hispanic or Latino students, 28% Black or African American students, 13.2% Asian students, 9.8% White students, 2.6% students of two or more races, and 1.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. Notable Oakland public school graduates include: Marcus Foster Marcus Albert Foster (March 31, 1923 – November 6, 1973)
1026-619: The Marcus A. Foster Education Institute in his honor. In conjunction with Oakland-area businesses, the Institute awards 60 yearly scholarships ranging from $ 1000 to $ 2000 to Oakland high school students. Over 1,500 students have received these scholarships. The Fund also regularly awards up to $ 2000 to Oakland public school teachers who develop innovative educational projects. In 1975, the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) established
1080-567: The Marcus Foster Memorial Award for Administrator Excellence, which is given annually to an ACSA member who personifies the ideals of Marcus Foster. Recipients of this award receive a $ 5,000 grant for a designated high school senior or seniors. The School District of Philadelphia in 2005 established the Marcus A. Foster Award, which is given annually to a School District administrator for noteworthy contributions in curriculum, instruction, school improvement or administration. Both
1134-596: The Oakland Federation of Teachers, was first organized on May 3, 1943, as the Alameda County Federation of Teachers, Local 771 of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) to "improve the educational facilities for the children of the nation and to improve the working conditions of the teachers in the public schools." Oakland's first African American Superintendent was Marcus Foster , who was also
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#17328583918001188-563: The Plan for Fiscal Vitality, released between the Grand Jury's investigation and the publication of its report, had already addressed some of the Grand Jury's recommendations. The Board of Education also disagreed or partially disagreed with many of the report's findings. Oakland Unified teachers went on strike for seven days, beginning on February 21, 2019, for fully funded public education, higher wages, and smaller class size. The strikes were part of
1242-541: The United States than in Oakland. There are twenty-two public school buildings, and according to the figures of the City Assessor (which, upon municipal property are naturally low) the school land valuations amount to One Million, Ninety-three Thousand, Two Hundred Seventy-five Dollars ... Connected with the High School is a completely equipped observatory, in which the study of astronomy is made effective and interesting with
1296-532: The University of Pennsylvania and University of California, Berkeley Graduate Schools of Education established Marcus Foster Fellowships. During the state-mandated program to retrofit all schools for earthquake safety in the 1970s (and replace some that needed it), the Oakland portion was named the Marcus Foster Earthquake Safe program. After deputy Robert Blackburn recovered from the shooting, he
1350-490: The aid of the most modern instruments." A City of Oakland Chamber of Commerce brochure from 1915, which includes a photo of Oakland Technical High School, states: "The pride of Oakland is its schools. This, the Technical High School, with forges, machine shops, a great auditorium seating 1600 people, chemical laboratories and many other education features which prepare young men and women for an active and useful life,
1404-598: The athletic fields at Gratz High School and the Marcus Foster Indoor Pool in Philadelphia, and the Student Union building at Cheyney University, his alma mater. In 1973 Foster had founded the Oakland Education Institute, to raise discretionary funds to promote excellence in Oakland schools through the collaborative efforts of Oakland's diverse communities. After his death, the Institute was renamed
1458-420: The country to implement restorative justice practices to limit or eliminate suspensions. During the 2015 school year, 96.1 percent of students were not suspended. Started in 2010, OUSD's African American Male Achievement Initiative enrolls more than 400 students. Students in the program have experienced success, including higher GPAs, higher graduation rates (up over 10 percent), and lower suspension rates (with
1512-476: The district had opened more schools (Rudsdale Newcomer School, which serves immigrants, and the School of Language, a bilingual middle school ), rather than closing them in response to declining enrollment, the report found. The report also criticized "system-wide failures" including "no accountability, lack of trust, and high teacher and administration turnover." Another Alameda County Civil Grand Jury Report published
1566-432: The district vote on whether or not to push the state for a moratorium of charter schools. In 2012, voters passed Measure J, a $ 475 million school facilities bond. The 2018–19 Alameda County Civil Grand Jury report found that mismanagement led to delays in the 21 projects that were to be funded with Measure J, and in 2018, nine of those projects were paused due to budget overruns and the district running out of funds. As of
1620-566: The district, citing family health issues. School board member Dr. Gary Yee was named the acting superintendent. In September 2014, Antwan Wilson became OUSD's fourth superintendent in six years. After just two years at the helm, Wilson resigned in November 2016 to become chancellor of the District of Columbia Public Schools . Devin Dillon, OUSD's deputy superintendent of Academic Social Emotional Learning,
1674-493: The elementary schools. There are 38,000 K–12 students in district schools and more than 5,000 employees. In 2015, Montclair Elementary was recognized with the nation's highest honor for a K-12 school, the Blue Ribbon award, which recognizes "exemplary teaching and learning". Only 10 schools in the Bay Area, public or private, received the award that year. Nearly half the students (47 percent) who attend Montclair come from outside
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1728-454: The end of the 1870s, there was a public high school and nine public grade schools. In the 1880s, the first kindergarten and the first night school in Oakland opened. A 1909 Chamber of Commerce guide to the city includes this description of Oakland public schools: "Oakland's chief pride is its public school system and the fact that her schools rank among the highest in the United States. No more modern school buildings can be found in any city in
1782-496: The first all-electric school bus fleet in the United States. Oakland Unified School District has experienced ongoing financial difficulties in recent years. A 2018 Alameda County Civil Grand Jury report noted that the District had been "in financial peril" for the prior 15 years, with an average $ 20 million to $ 30 million in debt each year, due to budgetary errors and out-of-control spending. Enrollment had dropped from 54,000 to 37,000 students, resulting in decreased state funding, but
1836-459: The first black man to head a major U.S. school district. Born in Athens, Georgia, Dr. Foster arrived in Oakland in 1970, "already a celebrated and proven educator". Foster viewed the three Rs and critical thinking as the building blocks of education. He also emphasized the need for art programs, team sports, and school activities that reflected the life circumstances of the students. In the short time he
1890-464: The group's main theorists. By November 1973 and this killing, DeFreeze was the only black member of the small group; the remainder were younger white radicals, most of whom were middle or upper-class, and many of whom had college degrees. Arrested in January 1974 and convicted of being involved in the attack on Foster, founding SLA members Joe Remiro and Russ Little were sentenced to life in prison. Little
1944-418: The library but there will be no paper if there is no librarian. We did not have a librarian this whole school year until last week." Bread for Ed raised more than $ 175,000 to feed children and families out of school, because "73 percent of [Oakland] students depend on free or reduced lunch from their school". The teachers struck for seven days. "97% of students were out of school, and tens of thousands were on
1998-409: The link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=OUSD&oldid=745093355 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Oakland Unified School District Oakland Unified School District
2052-741: The neighborhood. The East Bay Times reported, "One of the school's secrets to success is what (Principal Nancy) Bloom calls the morning intervention acceleration model. Used in the kindergarten, first and second grades, children meet once a week in groups with no more than four or five students and get targeted instruction that meets their individual needs. On the other days, the students are outside doing physical education." The school serves an increasing number of English language learner students and students who receive free and reduced-price meals. In 2016, Collaborative for High Performance Schools praised Montclair Elementary's energy efficient design. In 2015, Coliseum College Prep Academy (CCPA), located on
2106-473: The picket lines", according to Oakland Education Association. On February 28, 2019, OUSD "reached a tentative agreement" with OEA. On Sunday, March 3, Oakland Education Association teachers voted to authorize a new contract to implement an 11 percent increase in teachers' salary for the next four years, plus a 3 percent bonus to account for losses during the strike. The agreement also demands to decrease class size, hold off school closures for five months, and have
2160-521: The publication of the Grand Jury report, $ 12.5 million of bond money had been spent over the prior four years on rented office space for central offices at 1000 Broadway following a flood in the administration building in 2014, despite questions about the legality of this practice. In November 2020, Measure Y will ask voters whether to issue $ 735 million in additional bonds. If passed, the bonds will fund more than 20 projects, including upgrading and expanding seven schools, safety improvements, and converting
2214-558: Was a bishop in the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME), and Foster's mother Alice stressed education for all her children. She encouraged his mastery of Standard English. She highlighted its importance as the dominant syntax. As a young man, Foster was both exceptionally scholastic and rebellious, opting to frequent the Club Ziger where one had to "smoke a stogie and drink a lot of wine to get in." Furthermore, as
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2268-573: Was an American educator who gained a national reputation for educational excellence while serving as principal of Simon Gratz High School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (1966–1969), as Associate Superintendent of Schools in Philadelphia (1969–1970), and as the first black superintendent of a large city school district. He was appointed in 1970 as Superintendent of the Oakland Unified School District in Oakland, California . Foster
2322-542: Was appointed as Acting Superintendent of Oakland Schools. Beginning in 1981, he taught Educational Leadership at California State University, Hayward , in the East Bay, and later also at University of California, Berkeley . Escaped convict Donald DeFreeze became known as the SLA spokesman as the group gained notoriety. Patricia Soltysik and Nancy Ling Perry were founding members with him and shared leadership; they were posited as
2376-500: Was appointed as a deputy superintendent. Foster became highly respected in Oakland, negotiating in a volatile environment with numerous groups and people of various political orientations. He worked to raise the success of students in the minority-majority schools, where many families struggled with poverty. There had been a record voter turnout in the May 1973 election for mayor, a part-time position. Republican incumbent John H. Reading won
2430-626: Was assassinated in 1973 by members of the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA), a newly founded leftist terrorist group. Marcus Albert Foster was born in Athens, Georgia , the youngest of five children. When he was three, his family moved to Philadelphia, joining the Great Migration of African Americans out of the South. Raised by a single mother, he attended public schools in Philadelphia , graduating from South Philadelphia High School. One of his grandfathers
2484-647: Was fired and Governor Gray Davis approved a $ 100 million emergency loan, the biggest school bailout in California history. Chaconas was replaced by a state-appointed administrator, Randolph E. Ward. Ward resigned in July 2006 after being appointed superintendent of the San Diego public school system. Kimberly Statham was named Ward's permanent replacement, but she resigned suddenly on September 17, 2007, ostensibly under pressure from state officials. OUSD Chief of Staff Vincent Matthews
2538-462: Was found to be more than six times the statewide average. Under Superintendent Antwan Wilson, the report said, millions of dollars were wasted as capital projects were halted in the planning stages, and $ 172 million was spent on new construction projects, leaving the district's finances "in shambles." The Board of Education responded that the new Blueprint for Quality Schools, the Citywide Plan, and
2592-493: Was hired soon after as Oakland's first principal. Frederick M. Campbell was hired as Oakland's first Superintendent. Reading, writing and arithmetic were stressed, as well as American history. Paper and books were scarce, so a lot of learning was done out loud. In 1860, there were about 400 students in one-room schoolhouses taught by one teacher, and another school building at Fifth and Broadway taught older students. The first public high school opened in 1869 with 29 students. By
2646-624: Was in Oakland, Foster created a climate that gave life to a number of firsts: the Arts Magnet School, Far West School, Street Academy, Montera Film Festival (now the National Educational Film Festival), and the Oakland Education Institute (now the Marcus Foster Education Institute). Foster was murdered by the Symbionese Liberation Army in November, 1973. In 2003, OUSD Superintendent Dennis K. Chaconas
2700-422: Was named acting superintendent, effective February 1, 2017. The school board selected Kyla Johnson-Trammell to replace Wilson as superintendent in July 2017. Johnson-Trammell grew up in East Oakland, attended Oakland public elementary and middle schools, and had served the district as a teacher, principal, and administrator. In August 2024, OUSD, in partnership with transportation startup company Zum , introduced
2754-459: Was named interim superintendent. In 2008, the state turned control over OUSD back to the city. The local school board hired an interim superintendent, Roberta Mayor, in July 2008 while the school board undertook a year-long search for a permanent leader. Anthony "Tony" Smith was hired in July 2009 as the district's permanent superintendent. Smith resigned suddenly in April 2013 after four years leading
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#17328583918002808-425: Was noted for his work at Gratz, where he was more successful than predecessors in inspiring the students. He also served as Associate Superintendent for Community Relations. Foster moved to Oakland in 1970 when he was appointed Superintendent of Oakland Public Schools. He was one of the first black superintendents of any major urban school system. Robert Blackburn, a white colleague in Philadelphia, followed him and
2862-478: Was released after being acquitted on a new trial gained on appeal; he had served five years in prison. Remiro remains incarcerated serving a life sentence; his requests for parole have been rejected. Later Little said that Soltysik had fatally shot Foster, and Perry had fired at Blackburn but "botched that". DeFreeze wounded Blackburn with a shotgun. In May 1974, six SLA members sought refuge in Los Angeles. There
2916-497: Was shot eight times with hollow-point bullets that had been packed with cyanide , a detail that the police did not initially publicize so it could be used as a calling card if necessary. Blackburn was wounded but survived. Police originally discounted the flyers from the unknown SLA, but when the group noted the cyanide in the bullets, law enforcement realized they had a claim. The group was later classified as terrorist based on actions including kidnapping and armed robberies. Foster
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