Time for Public Education Defenders to Go on Offense

I went to a demonstration a few days ago that ended with the popular chant, “I believe that we will win!”  The words pleasantly reverberated in my brain an hour later, as I turned on the TV to watch my Golden State Warriors face the Houston Rockets in the NBA playoffs. When your team recently set the all-time regular-season record with 73 victories (and just 9 losses), it’s easy … Read more

How Can We Win Small Class Size and Caseloads – Part 4

   Click here to view Should OEA Fight for Class Size and Caseload Reductions? Part 4 Select HD video in the Facebook settings Two parent and one teacher of Special Ed students in Oakland discuss Oakland Unified School District’s current budget priorities and the actions necessary to bring about a change. Posted by Real School Reform … Read more

How can we win major class size and caseload reductions? Part 2

This is Part 2 in a series of videos I’m producing to engage Oakland Education Association members in a discussion of this issue. We’re holding a forum for OEA members on April 12 to explore do that in person as we prepare to begin a new round of bargaining with the District this year. How … Read more

Back from a Five-Year Break

From early 2010 until now, this website fell silent.  Even before then, full-time teaching and union work made it difficult to keep the writing up.  That year I became even more fully consumed with a (losing) fight against the closure of my high school, followed by a long period of upheaval and harassment, courtesy of Oakland Unified School District administration. A massively documented grievance … Read more