Mayoral Questionnaire

Who's your education Mayor? To find out, GO has asked each of Oakland's mayoral candidates to respond to the following questionnaire to get a greater understanding of where they stand on Oakland's public schools. You can view responses of each responding candidate individually, or compare their answers below.

Terence Candell

Arnie Fields

Marcie Hodge

Donald MacLeay

Don Perata

Jean Quan

Joe Tuman

Larry L. Young Jr.

Mayoral Candidate Questionnaire

Click each candidate's name to reveal their responses.

Question 1

Oakland Unified School District has been the most improved large, urban school district in California over the last five years, yet continues to fail many of its students. Only 42 percent of high school graduates in OUSD have taken the A-G courses required to apply to a CSU or UC for college,and this does not take into account the 28 percent of students who drop out in grades 9-12. We are not producing excellent outcomes for all students. What is your vision for equitable public education in Oakland, and what systemic changes will you work toward to achieve that vision?

Terence Candell

• The "weeding-out" process that is maintained for higher level A-G courses by the schools in the district should be eliminated.

• Classroom structure, which was never conducive, even in the 50s, must be changed to encourage full and equal participation.

Arnie Fields

My vision for producing excellent outcomes for all of our students, is a vision rooted in high performing classrooms with a qualified teacher in every class, and a vision of Civic Pride throughout the landscape of the OUSD and all Oakland schools. I will hold the Superintendent and Board of Education accountable for delivering a qualified teacher in every classroom. Furthermore, my administration will create programs that give students an incentive to graduate with opportunities for their personal development in higher education and/or legitimate business careers. These programs will serve as a catalyst to develop our k-12 students' self -esteem and knowledge that they can truly be anything they want to be upon graduating from Oakland Schools. What programs do I envision that will inspire personal and civic pride for our students? Entrepreneurship programs, incentives to graduate, and Micro lending programs to help kids get into business and accomplish their goals. These programs will draw upon the power of the school community to teach students the tools for fulfilling on specific outcomes they set forth in their planning. So Entrepreneurial programs and tools to enable students to envision their future, and accomplish their stated goals will make a powerful impact for young people to want to graduate from our schools and engage positively in their community.

Marcie Hodge

I will support the schools in providing the best education for all including retention programs that assist in keeping at risk students involved in school.

Donald MacLeay

I do not feel that it is appropriate for a mayor, or a mayoral candidate, to micromanage the schools and that includes setting forth a docent policy. The role of the city is to help the school board as a whole and the role of the school board is to bring forth the policies that will address our problems.

That said, the city does have a responsibility to support youth in crisis. The students who drop out and the students who fail are overwhelming from communities of color and overwhelming part of our at-risk groups. I feel it is appropriate to expect the city to take a role getting our youth back into school and supporting the families in a way that will help them graduate.

Don Perata

Senator Perata has chosen to answer the questionnaire in the form of a short essay. Please refer to his full response above.

Jean Quan

My vision is that all OUSD students have access to high quality preschool, extended year education, experienced teachers, full curriculum including the arts and physical education, a safe environment, a rewarding multicultural experience, and that they all graduate at the new higher standards with full competency.

Joseph Tuman

The best way to address inequitable public education is to address the fundamental problems of poverty and unemployment. As explained below, these multiple, systemic inequities cause disparate results within classrooms, schools, and the district. When families abandon the district in order to seek better economic and educational opportunities elsewhere, they leave behind those unable to engage in such mobility. Invariably, those left behind are the poorest of the community. These remaining families have the best intentions for their children but also have the fewest financial resources available to provide assistance for what the abandoned schools can no longer provide because of lost revenue. The result is a poor school that becomes even poorer and faces greater inequities between it and a better attended school with access to higher degrees of financial support from parents and other family members. This only acts to exacerbate the disparity of educational opportunity between schools of the same district. While there are some short-term measures that can be taken, the most effective solution that the Mayor's office can provide for this problem is to create a massive infusion of jobs that pay a livable wage, rectify the underlying cause of systemic poverty, and allow for greater parental support of all Oakland's schools. That is what I have promised to do as your Mayor and it is what I will do if elected.

Larry L. Young Jr.

My vision of OUSD is one where families are rushing to buy properties here because of the state of the art education that comes with their children attending Oakland Unified School District schools. This will be a community effort where the people on the hills will support the less funded flat land schools.

Read Comments (0) - Leave a Comment

Question 2

OUSDʼs "Options" program allows families to choose which of Oakland's public schools they would like their children to attend. Students are then assigned to schools based on their preferences and a school's available openings. What reforms, if any, would you propose for OUSD's "Options" program?

Terence Candell

• This is good, because it allows OUSD to identify the schools that are not quite up to par.

• It also identifies best practices among OUSD schools, allowing for potential replication.

• Schools, which reflect low enrollment, as a result of "Options" should be studied for programmatic improvement.

Arnie Fields

I feel that the "Options" program is good, but more priority needs to be given to kids wanting to attend their local schools. Supporting the local schools builds unity in their communities, and that is the glue to a strong community

Marcie Hodge

If this model is working for the district I would support it, as long as students are being provided with the resources they need.

Donald MacLeay

The majority of people of my own ethnic group have left the Oakland school district. Another significant number use any method that they can to get their kids into the better of our schools. This puts a pressure on the "Options" program that is different from the intent.

Our family has used the options process twice, first to get our son into my neighborhood school so he/we can walk to school and again to get him into his mother's neighborhood school where he can develop his Spanish skills. We have a mixed race family and Spanish is important to us. So, the system worked for us and I have met many other parents for whom it also works.

But until all the schools of all the neighborhoods are good enough not to want to Opt-out, then options will also be used to avoid certain schools. This kind of policy always leaves some children in schools that nobody wants to be in. These kids probably need the most support and will get the least.

Don Perata

Senator Perata has chosen to answer the questionnaire in the form of a short essay. Please refer to his full response above.

Jean Quan

I am too distant to know how it is actually running now. It is not too different from when I left the Board on paper, but there is a definite baby boom in some of the high income neighborhoods so there seems to be more competition. I would like to see the development of some new options like international baccalaureate middle and high school programs that would stop some of the middle class flight and provide more challenging curriculum to students. These programs could be offered at true magnet schools, or schools in the mid -lands like Brewer, Bret Harte, etc. to make them accessible to a wide range of students

Joseph Tuman

School selection processes are contentious for the simple, understandable reason that every parent wants their child to attend the best school possible. The "Options" program is no exception to this truism. After reviewing the assignment prioritization criteria, and with the understanding that any proposal to the OUSD from the Mayor's office would be advisory at best, I propose that greater consideration be given to children applying outside of their neighborhood boundary, when the schools within that boundary are Program Improvement Schools. While I do agree that priority in school assignments should be given to those children with a sibling already enrolled in a particular school and that there should be some preference in assignments given to those children living within a higher performing school's neighborhood, the fact remains that until the inequities between the schools are adequately rectified, the failure of the assignment system to adequately prioritize those children living in areas without a higher performing school exacerbates the problems of disparate education within the OUSD. I concede that parents within a middle school boundary have a reasonable interest in limiting the distance that elementary school-aged children travel to school but believe that they should not be granted any greater priority in assignment to a higher performing school outside of their actual neighborhood than those from the lowest performing areas. As Mayor, I would propose that the Options prioritization reflect the need to address educational inequity in the least intrusive way possible, which would be accomplished by such a reprioritization.

Larry L. Young Jr.

Everybody avoids the less performing schools and chooses those that are more popular and advancing. We have to encourage our constituents to bear in mind that all OUSD schools are moving towards success

Read Comments (0) - Leave a Comment

Question 3

What role should charter public schools play for students and families in Oakland?

Terence Candell

• Although charter schools are conceptually popular, many have complained that the majority of them are academically unsound.

• David Montes should demonstrate greater responsibility in knowing more about the qualifications of those he accepts as charter schools. He is certainly deficient.

• Perhaps, someone more qualified should follow up on the practices and rid Oakland of substandard charter schools.

Arnie Fields

Ideally, Charter Schools should set a high standard for academics and entrepreneurial practices for school site operations. I would like to see charter schools performing at the highest level for our students, just like I want to see every school performing at a very high level with parent engagement, strong academic leadership, and high performing classrooms. However, the results of many Charter Schools fall short of high academic standards. As Mayor of Oakland, I will scrutinize any proposed Charter school, and examine their results, because if they are not producing great results, they need to get out of the Charter school business. I am going to embrace existing Charter Schools as well as embrace all schools in Oakland, and I will be a stand that every school performs at a high level to best serve our community.

Marcie Hodge

Charter schools provide an option for students and their families which many students can excel within.

Donald MacLeay

I am not a big fan of charter schools. I certainly will not promote my own as Mayor Brown did. The elements that give me pause are the non-union employees, the over long work hours and cherry picking in the selection of students. I am more comfortable with programs such as SEED. All the data I have read seems not to show any major advantage to charter schools.

Don Perata

Senator Perata has chosen to answer the questionnaire in the form of a short essay. Please refer to his full response above.

Jean Quan

There has been a major expansion of charter schools in Oakland during the trusteeship, unfortunately under the state's funding formula, that can have a negative impact on the district's funding. The research seems to show that most charter schools except those with exceptional funding, are about the same as public schools in their range of quality--some very good, some not so. Sometimes they are less stable. They offer more options and are clearly a part of the scene. I supported small autonomous schools within the district because I thought they would have the best of both worlds - chance for re-invention but institutional support and continuity.

Joseph Tuman

While I understand that there is great disagreement about the role that charter schools should play in educating our children, the reality is that, for the foreseeable future, they are here to stay. That said, there are many ways to provide education and charter schools are one alternative means to that end. I am aware that those opposed to charter schooling do so largely for the reason that they draw resources, including teachers, funds, students, and parent participation away from the public schools, which can exacerbate the already deleterious condition of those schools so affected and negatively impact those students who remain. Additionally, most charter schools are non-unionized, which creates inequities in employment opportunities among teachers. I am not in favor of charter schools formed for the purpose of breaking teachers unions. That being said, there is a reason that charter schools have their adherents. I would be most supportive of a cooperative effort in which charter schools that allowed their employees the option of unionizing were used in conjunction with the adoption of some charter school best practices by the OUSD. In my opinion such a coordinated, cooperative effort would best achieve the end goal of ensuring equitable employment opportunities for all teachers and, most importantly, the provision of quality education to all of Oakland's children.

Larry L. Young Jr.

Charter schools should play a supportive role in educating students. There are various ways to get educated. I'm open to charter schools if they are effective.

Read Comments (0) - Leave a Comment

Question 4

What State-level practices and policies hold back the quality of our public schools, and what are your plans to change them?

Terence Candell

• Lack of funding

• EDY Funding

• Accreditation policies, which overly-encumber teachers in the performance of their duties.

• Etc.

Arnie Fields

The biggest problem with state practices is the way the State distributes money. All of these funds have strings attached, and require an extremely cumbersome and costly school bureaucracy to administer. Currently, State funds to fulfill on the plans and visions of our schools are not distributed until it's too late in the academic year. The funds need to be distributed in the summer, purchases made in the summer, and plans implemented at school sites by the time the kids come back to school in September. I will push to change and retool how and when the money shows up by working with our state and federal leaders and by reaching out to other city Mayors.

Marcie Hodge

I will support the school if the district decides to make any changes. The Mayor's office should give the school support and not interfere with the day to day decisions of the district.

Donald MacLeay

• Prop 13 is a strong negative for almost all city and county government's funding.

• The ADA system as currently enforced puts our urban school districts at a disadvantage and takes away the funds needed to deal with high truancy.

• The sales tax and lottery dollars are also not distributed in a manner that is fair for local government.

All three of these are FISCAL policies and I name them because I feel that the biggest problem with our schools is that they are underfunded. I would advocate for reforms and exemptions on all three of these tax issues and I would continue to look for other funds as our current mayor has done.

Don Perata

Senator Perata has chosen to answer the questionnaire in the form of a short essay. Please refer to his full response above.

Jean Quan

• Unstable funding, I think there should be multiple year funding so schools can plan better.

• Inequitable funding: I think districts with higher levels of poor and underperforming students should have more preschool, longer school years, and more summer school funding.

• Because teacher experience plays a big role in student outcomes, I want to see incentives to have the most experienced teachers with the children with the greatest needs.

• I think the elimination of categorical funding for preschool, adult ed., and other programs was short sighted. Parents need to be educated; preschool is one of the best ways to give kids an even start.

Joseph Tuman

In my opinion, the most recent practice causing detriment to our public schools is the reliance by both the Federal and State government on standardized testing as the rubric by which teacher pay and school funding is determined. As a teacher, I have no problem with setting minimum standards of performance for either students or teachers, but in my experience, complete reliance on such standards to allocate resources creates an inordinate incentive for schools to "teach the test" rather than to try and educate their students based on the ability of those students to learn. This "teaching to the middle" approach may allow schools to better compete for scarce funding but it also prevents more advanced students from being challenged while at the same time leaving lower performing students behind.

Perhaps the policy which has caused the most damage to the quality of public education in our state in my lifetime, however, is the limitation on school funding that resulted from the adoption of Proposition 13 by voters in the late 1970s. As Mayor, there is little that can be done to rectify this well-meaning but destructive limit on available funding for the schools, short of a constitutional convention to repeal the measure. I would both endorse and advocate for the convening of such a convention as Oakland's Mayor and would support the work of those willing to undertake such a necessary exercise. My belief is that until the funding inequities in our public schools are rectified, all other improvements will be incremental at best.

Larry L. Young Jr.

Lack of funding or zip code holds back the quality of our public schools. My plans include a state of the art afterschool and enrichment program involving the business community including all small businesses, the Port ,and the three professional teams here in Oakland.

Read Comments (0) - Leave a Comment

Question 5

Where do you turn for information and ideas about how to improve Oakland public schools?

Terence Candell

• I turn to the performance of my students in the district.

• I turn to my own schools. I currently administer the most successful school in the history of the country. 100% graduate. 100% are accepted to college.

Arnie Fields

The truth is nobody has all the answers, but if we keep these questions in the forefront of our community, we can solve all our problems. So I turn to the people: parents, teachers, school staff, neighbors and students to generate solutions to their community and site specific problems.

Marcie Hodge

I draw my ideas from teachers, administrators etc who are working with the district including school board members.

Donald MacLeay

I am a regular volunteer at my son's school and have kept in touch with how staff and faculty are treated, supported and trained. I also participate in the local on-line communities.

Having been a trade school teacher in the past and having a Liberal Studies, teacher oriented degree from SFSU I have been part of the community for some time and get information from those circles.

Don Perata

Senator Perata has chosen to answer the questionnaire in the form of a short essay. Please refer to his full response above.

Jean Quan

• I still read the annual reports and test scores, but would like to see more disaggregated data. But the parents and students and teachers are still the best sources.

• I still read Ed Week, and check out the Think Tanks like California Tomorrow or Policy Link.

Joseph Tuman

Having spent the last several decades as a full professor at San Francisco State University, I have largely turned to my own classroom experience in order to gauge the education provided by Oakland's public schools. A large number of my students come from the Oakland school system, most from Oakland's high schools. I have observed that many of these students suffer from serious literacy problems, which seriously inhibits their ability to compete at the university level. My observations have given me insight into the foundational education they have received throughout their public education and, more importantly, what they are lacking by the time they have left the system.

As Mayor, before proposing school improvement policies to the OUSD, I would seek input from a wide variety of stake-holders including teachers, parents, school administrators and principals, non-profit advocacy groups, private educational consultants, early education administrators and practitioners, school district members, and the students themselves. In my opinion, one of the best ways to determine the state of our public schools is to observe actual classrooms where it is most important, at the foundational level of kindergarten through fifth grade. As your Mayor I promise to visit and read to each kindergarten class in our district until I have personally visited every one. By interacting with every new student in the OUSD and their parents, I will use the power of the Mayor's office to advocate the importance of literacy for our children and gain personal knowledge of the districts challenges.

Larry L. Young Jr.

Teachers, parents, students, other school district staff, and I also turn to myself having been a former Oakland unified school district teacher. For example, Sarah Wessling a high school teacher in Iowa, who received the National Teacher of the Year award from President Obama in April suggest that we spend more money on good teachers, Instead of having her students write traditional papers for homework, their assignments include writing songs, public service announcements and grant proposals. My Speech Communication senior project in college was not a traditional dissertation but came in the form of a video titled "Culture and Diversity Speak" which was about the benefits of cultures and diversity in this diverse and cultural world we live in.

Read Comments (0) - Leave a Comment

Question 6

What will you do to ensure there is an effective, qualified teacher in every OUSD classroom?

Terence Candell

•First of all, I would be reticent in my knowledge of decorum if I did not consult with the administration in the district to investigate currently utilized methods. The methods to which I was subjected were intolerable and wrong. There was a clerk, whose job it was to "weed out" those she felt were undesirable. Unfortunately, most of them seemed to be Black men. I sent numerous qualified men through the process, after its rigor and unfairness nearly defeated me, for a gutter wages, and Sharon Mitchell "weeded them all out". They left to become doctors and lawyers. Ultimately, I learned that she, herself, was not qualified.

•So, as long as the process has qualified people to assess the incoming applicants, some who are perhaps qualified themselves, I believe that the district can ensure that applicants are pointed in the right direction to becoming qualified, if indeed they are not already.

Arnie Fields

I will be in communication with the Superintendent of Schools, and Board of Education to hear the vision and planning to deliver the basics--an effective, qualified teacher in every OUSD classroom. All of us--parents, neighbors, students--need to hold these leaders accountable for ensuring that there a qualified teacher in our classrooms.

Marcie Hodge

I will support the district in recruiting qualified teachers.

Donald MacLeay

I am not sure we don't have good teachers in every classroom.

The biggest problem that I have observed and have seen in the literature is CLASS SIZE, especially at the lower grades. What I have observed as a volunteer is that people are under-supported and all the schools are under-staffed.

Having taken courses in the California Credential program at SFSU I do not believe that just having the right degree or credential makes one a good teacher, or even all that well informed in their area. I think that there should be teacher training for people who have worked in the areas that are being taught. I think peer, student and parent opinions should form part of teacher evaluation. Test scores are very problematic and I do not believe in the current fad of high stakes tests.

My number one concern is to offer teachers support and security in a situation where they can invest time into their profession. I also feel that continuing teacher training and job rotations providing breaks from stressful and potential burn-out positions would all improve the overall situation. We should be appreciative of our teachers and provide them with an environment that they would want to stay employed here.

Don Perata

Senator Perata has chosen to answer the questionnaire in the form of a short essay. Please refer to his full response above.

Jean Quan

• I would like to take a new look at housing and other incentives to keep teachers in Oakland.

•I would especially like to sponsor externships for high school teachers and others with businesses so they are more aware of current job market skill requirements.

• I will continue to support institutions like the Chabot Space & Science Center that provide hands on help and on-going teacher training or the StopWaste.org grants, both which I have chaired.

• I would work hard to ensure adequate funding for competitive wages.

• I would like to increase mini-grants for teachers to try innovative programs

Joseph Tuman

It is difficult to adequately answer such a broadly phrased question without first clarifying what is meant by the terms "effective" and "qualified." Effectiveness, if measured in terms of the aforementioned standardized testing, does not necessarily equate to effective education. Similarly, "qualified" could refer to the educational and certification qualifications for a particular grade level or could go to the individual teacher's overall effectiveness. Rather than assume one meaning over another, I would prefer to receive clarification as to the meaning of the question. I am happy to answer whatever question is posed but would prefer to know precisely what is being asked prior to commenting.

In a broad sense, I would say that effective education depends not only on the level of training and commitment of any individual teacher but also on the support provided by the school district and the administration of the school itself as well as the ability to achieve the necessary degree of parental involvement. These are broad policy questions that aren't easily addressed in 250 words. Suffice it to say that I believe that it is the inherent responsibility of each and every one of us to ensure that teachers are properly trained, motivated, and supported by parents and administrators, and will gladly address any further questions in this regard following a clarification of the terms of the question.

Larry L. Young Jr.

Make sure that teachers can verify that they are from diverse populations.

Also, we will encourage that they hire Oaklanders for the job. Make surprise visits to schools and sit in and talk with students about how they are being motivated by a particular teacher and how at-home situation may be affecting their learning ability and what we can do help.

Read Comments (0) - Leave a Comment

Question 7

Do you support the November 2010 Parcel Tax (Measure L - Oakland Student Achievement, Support and Safety Measure) to increase compensation for Oakland's teachers? Please explain.

Terence Candell

• Yes. It's about time. However, I do not support the city's "Willy Nilly" Parcel Tax attitude toward Oakland residents and believe that my proposed toll or commuter tax should be attached as an amendment, as it will be ongoing and could potentially fund the measure.

Arnie Fields

I do support the tax, but as Mayor I want to see specific plans and a vision with the goal of ensuring that there is an effective, qualified teacher in every OUSD classroom. As Mayor, I will be responsible for holding OUSD Leaders accountable to deliver on this goal.

Marcie Hodge

Yes. Teachers work hard and deserve compensation for the hard work they put in.

Donald MacLeay

I do, but only because of the damage that will be done if it does not pass.

Longer term I think we need to hold a city wide budget convention and reform our entire budget and the process that produces it. The school budget needs to stay separate and have secure funding.

Don Perata

Senator Perata has chosen to answer the questionnaire in the form of a short essay. Please refer to his full response above.

Jean Quan

Yes, we cannot continue to have the lowest paid teachers in the county.

Joseph Tuman

I support the overall goal of Measure L although I have some reservations concerning the allocation of the funds based on internal prioritization. My preference would have been for the measure to set teacher compensation as the priority and allow any surpluses to be given to support staff. That said, I believe that public school teachers are woefully undercompensated and I support Measure L for its attempt to provide some measure of relief to our teachers.

Larry L. Young Jr.

Yes, I will support higher teacher salaries and I am also in support of a reallocation of our GP to support after school and enrichment programs. Supporting the November 2010 Parcel Tax, Measure L is fundamental to teachers and our economy's evolution and expansion.

Read Comments (0) - Leave a Comment

Question 8

President Obama is making the largest single Federal investment in education in history via competitive and formula grants. How will you ensure Oakland students benefit from this funding?

Terence Candell

• I think that in-class performance can be enhanced by after school programs, provided that there are qualified and/or credentialed teachers to facilitate them.

• Criteria for successful after school programs must be established, majorly academic and minorly activity-oriented.

• Some of the overly-cumbersome writing for standards of achievement, which inhibit the teacher's ability to do their jobs in an effective way, should be eliminated from teacher duties and made clerical. Then and only then can teacher evaluation standards become more stringent and the teachers' methods required to be more Oakland community service-oriented.

Arnie Fields

I will ensure Oakland students benefit from federal funds because it aligns with my goal to have an effective, qualified teacher in every OUSD classroom. It will also usher in new ways of assessing teacher effectiveness and supporting teachers and school site leaders to implement new practices with a focus on student success. As Mayor I will hold OUSD leadership accountable and celebrate their success by using the new funding to support new practices, to elevate our students and community to be lifelong learners.

Marcie Hodge

I will support the district in how they choose to distribute any funds from grants or federal government.

Donald MacLeay

By retaining the Dellums fundraising team and pointing them at this task. They have been doing a wonderful job raising money from Federal grants. They can help the team at the OUSD and they can be the City counterpart in different funding applications.

Don Perata

Senator Perata has chosen to answer the questionnaire in the form of a short essay. Please refer to his full response above.

Jean Quan

Don't think Mayors will have much to say about this. It doesn't seem that the District will either if the state proposals have been rejected If the funding is approved the District and the teachers will have to work out the details, firing teachers for poor test scores is not a cure-all. The stability of the school--good support, administration, percentage of students who stay year to year, progress of the students (matched scores) are part of a fair evaluation. Yes, there are some incompetent teachers, but putting test scores as the main criteria will probably increase the tendency for senior teachers to go to high income schools. So handling that part must be done thoughtfully and fairly if we are going to keep and inspire good teachers to take risks and work in the toughest schools.

Joseph Tuman

As a mayoral candidate my ability to influence the grant writing process is limited. In November, as the newly elected Mayor, I will immediately encourage those who wrote the original grants to reconsider the current proposal and instead to reallocate the proposed spending with a focus on one or two areas. The reason for this is straightforward and pragmatic. $10 million split four or more ways over a period of several years simply will not have the impact as that same amount would have if concentrated on one or two areas over that same period. If the goal is to replicate the results of those achieved in Harlem, I believe such spending will be more effective and more likely to produce the desired results if concentrated on a smaller area. If success is achieved, there will be a greater impetus for additional funding than would be possible if no or moderate improvement can be shown from the use of the grants. Further, the increased chances of effective change only adds to the benefits received by Oakland's students both in terms of those actually benefitted and from those who stand to benefit from future funding.

Larry L. Young Jr.

Federal investment in education, specifically in Oakland, will require transparent accountability in exchange for meaningful federal investments and the ability to innovate so that Oakland will develop and implement the policies that work best here in Oakland. I will be knocking at President Obama's Door to ensure that Oakland gets the needed support. In addition there is $1.35 billion available for the unprecedented Race to the Top fund, a competitive grant program first established under ARRA that rewards federal dollars to leading states to support further systemic reform. We need to ensure that we are following the necessary protocols to ensure the support for the cities education program.

Read Comments (0) - Leave a Comment

Question 9

Are there other cities you would look to as models of city-schools partnership and why?

Terence Candell

• No. Look to the schools we have here. Some of them are doing fantastic things.

• Other cities cannot tell Oakland what will work for Oakland, because they do not know.

Arnie Fields

As Mayor I want our city to operate like a small town, where the schools and the students are the first priority. Small towns like Piedmont, Moraga, Orinda, Mendocino--these are all high performing school Districts. Parents and community leaders holds these schools accountable for providing excellent educational results. Schools come first in all these communities for good reason. Property values rise with good schools, the community functions on a higher level. It just works when cities put schools as a top priority.

Marcie Hodge

Yes, it's always a good idea to see how other districts are working and resolving their issues.

Donald MacLeay

I have not studied this from the point of view of a model. I do know that our problems in Oakland sound typical for urban core areas like ours.

What I do admire was the political will that San Diego showed when they had similar problems to ours. The main difference seemed to be that all local government made schools their priority.

Don Perata

Senator Perata has chosen to answer the questionnaire in the form of a short essay. Please refer to his full response above.

Jean Quan

I thought the Chicago attempt to involve parent councils was a bold move but supporting parents is the key. I liked the Denver plan to use arts and recreation programs to support a whole school culture. The Philadelphia Youth Report Card to combine all the efforts to help kids. But I think our Kids First, Measure Y, and Safe Passages collaborations are national leaders themselves.

Joseph Tuman

If this refers to partnerships between city governments and separate, autonomous school districts, each of these endeavors suffers from certain deficiencies. I would not look to any particular partnership as "the" model for Oakland. Invariably, the strongest school districts are located in areas with limited poverty and relatively high employment rates. Addressing this gap between the rich and poor in Oakland is among my highest priorities and a central reason that I am running for Mayor. The problems besetting Oakland schools are highly influenced by disproportionate levels of unemployment and poverty. By actively implementing a retail and commercial development plan that attracts employers who give preference to hiring Oaklanders and pay them a livable wage, this opportunity gap in our city can be closed. The flight from Oakland's schools is less about race than about class. People with the opportunity to improve their family's lives take it. This is as understandable as it is untenable. People with the resources to seek opportunity go elsewhere and leave those unable to follow them behind. As Mayor, I want that opportunity for advancement to exist in Oakland so that our residents want to live here, all of us have the opportunity to better our way of life, and our school districts receive an influx of both funding and ancillary support as a result. The most important partnership I can have with the OUSD is to do my job and bring that opportunity here and put an end to the flight from our city.

Larry L. Young Jr.

Not many school districts compare to Oakland. Oakland is one of the most diverse cities in the world and it reflects that in its 154 schools. However, in terms of academic achievement, good teachers and success we can look to various neighboring school districts like Piedmont, Lafayette, and Orinda who have excelled and have high school rankings.

Read Comments (0) - Leave a Comment

Question 10

OUSD has just released a new strategic framework called "Thriving Students," in which City government plays a significant role. How will you make the City a partner in the implementation of "Thriving Students?" What role can City agencies play in developing the Promise Neighborhoods envisioned within OUSD's new "Thriving Students" strategic framework?

Terence Candell

• Thriving Students is a bold step, which will effectively work, given time, for the majority of students in our schools.

• The mayor's office staff, for whom I am completely responsible, will play an important role and will lead when necessary in the implementation of program monitoring and staff deployment for mainstreaming the program, in compliance with the Superintendent of Schools.

Arnie Fields

Let's keep it simple. Provide a qualified effective teacher in every classroom. Support the teachers to have high functioning classrooms with our kids engaged and learning every day. Have strong academic leadership supporting classroom teachers. As Mayor of Oakland, I will make Schools a top priority and provide support for the surrounding school site neighborhood. I will push for parent involvement with their local community schools. I will push for community members to become active in their local school sites. As Mayor, you can count on me to be in communication with the Superintendent and Board of Education to make sure they are meeting all stated goals and objectives laid forth in their latest plan.

Marcie Hodge

The city must support the initiative of supporting smaller class size, updated schools including technology and modernized schools, giving students a high quality education as well as nutrition, health, housing and employment etc. This city must assist in mitigating the ills that prevents students and their families from excelling.

Donald MacLeay

I see the "promise neighborhoods" and the key point of safe and healthy schools as the proper place for city government to be involved in school partnerships. Other aspects of the plan and the cooperation with the city do not sound very specific to me. I would like to see more about vocational training and adult education.

I am an advocate of taking our prior policy of turning school facilities into multi use civic centers, off the shelf and renewing it. Projects such as the 81st Ave Library are what I see as the future.

An overall atmosphere of public safety and available jobs is needed in our neighborhoods and all of it has a direct impact on our schools and all of our public services.

Don Perata

Senator Perata has chosen to answer the questionnaire in the form of a short essay. Please refer to his full response above.

Jean Quan

As a former school board member who led major urban education coalitions at the state and national level, I know cities can do more for schools than we are currently here in Oakland.

• Organize the business community and neighborhood councils to support schools throughout the city. In Jean's Council District (D4) nearly every Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council has adopted a local school.

• Organize an army of dedicated and vetted volunteers to mentor, support, and guide the 2000 Oakland youth most in need to help them succeed in school, get jobs, and stay safe in their community.

• Require neighborhood police officers to visit schools early in the year to improve relationships with our youth.

• Grow quality before and after school programs on every school site to support working parents, provide supervised programs, and give local youth jobs that they can count on.

• Fight truancy at all levels--if students aren't in school they can easily get into trouble--or worse, end up on the wrong side of the law.

• Work toward One City, Shared Facilities-- Just as in the case of the new joint City-School 81st Street Library in East Oakland, the City and school district can improve efficiency and save dollars by sharing needed facilities

• Push the State to take responsibility for its own errors while managing the district between 2003 and 2009 that resulted in OUSD being saddled with a $100 million debt and insist that they forgive the debt.

• Work with neighborhood parents to build bonds during pre-school which can lead to parents sending their kids together to the local schools.

• Establish a mind-set of Restorative Justice throughout the City, to defuse explosive situations and trains youth and adults to reign in emotions and channel anger to productive solutions

Joseph Tuman

I believe in being a vigorous partner in the implementation of this program. Assuming a Promise Neighborhood approach, which is tied to the grants referred to above, the City's role will require extensive social intervention, for lack of a better term, for families. Such intervention would be between the City and both parents and children and would likely last throughout childhood, from early education to the college level. As Mayor, I would insist that the City implement and actively court parental participation in all facets of the programs, which would range from parenting and anger management classes to training programs and afterschool nutrition and wellness education. All of these together are necessary to create a social culture that fosters an environment of learning. Much of the Promise Neighborhoods program is based a similar successful program instituted in Harlem. While I am steadfastly committed to instituting such a program in Oakland, as mentioned above, the current grant is written in a way that allocates spending across four broad areas. The successful Harlem program was actually implemented block-by-block. This is the reason I believe that the current grant is overly broad and that the proposal must be refocused to a smaller area in order to ensure a successful replication of the Harlem effort in Oakland. I am committed to attempting such a focused program here.

Larry L. Young Jr.

I will make the city a partner in the implementation of "Thriving Students" by putting students first, ensuring that there is equity in all of our schools, and empowering our schools, staff and teachers through non-monetary rewards and public recognition.

Read Comments (0) - Leave a Comment

Question 11

The Mayor is the City's Chief Executive. How would you use City staff to put education as a top priority in your administration and support and improve our public schools and outcomes for children?

Terence Candell

• New approaches are definitely in order. A holistic approach to education is necessary. The whole child must be served.

• I have developed methods that have been tremendously successful in OUSD and have implemented prior to and since, in my own schools and schools for outside organizations. These methods have since been labeled The Candell Method. It has been ultimately successful in making Candell's College Preparatory School, according to the Oakland Post, Oakland Tribune, WASC and several other sources, the most successful school in the history of the country, graduating 100% and placing 100% into college every year. I will share my expertise with the district, particularly with regard to African American and Latino youth, as I attempted with Jean Quan and her cohorts on the then Board of Education and will be willing to deploy staff to help empower teachers, students, parents and, therefore, the district in the implementation of programmatic improvement.

• Improving the economic conditions in Oakland, putting our city back to work, will help make all programs in OUSD more successful, as healthier students are more successful students.

Arnie Fields

Please refer to my answer on Question 10.

Marcie Hodge

Identifying a platform that correlates with the districts visions will help in maintaining a working relationship with the district and making education a priority. Any funding the office of mayor can support or go after would be a priority.

Donald MacLeay

As Mayor the first place I would work to make our city schools a top priority is City Council.

At times I will call joint meetings of City Council and the School Board for Direct collaboration. From an administrative point of view, I will prioritize inserting the well being of our schools into planning, zoning, permitting and redevelopment processes. It will take policy leadership and the selection of a good team to keep schools on everyone's mind as they are working on related projects.

When working for the city, all top managers will need a culture where we think about the impact on our schools, public safety, public health and employment and be willing to apply the brakes when these goals are not being met.

Don Perata

Senator Perata has chosen to answer the questionnaire in the form of a short essay. Please refer to his full response above.

Jean Quan

• I would make it a regular agenda item when I meet with department heads individually and together--once a month we would focus on how the city can support our schools and youth.

• I would set the standard that every employee needs to be vigilant about truancy--staff will be expected to call the OUSD Truancy Hotline whenever they see school-aged youth not in school when they should be.

• I would build into our programs opportunities for partnering with Oakland schools in terms of programming and facility usage, as we will do with the new city/school/ Oakland library partnership at the 81st Avenue Library.

Joseph Tuman

The Mayor's Office has no official relationship with the School District, so I believe it is important that, in whatever action I take as Mayor, I avoid the implication of a City takeover of the district. I have no intention whatsoever in that regard. I will continue the practice, begun in the last administration, of encouraging City workers to volunteer their own personal time to our public schools. I believe this is a concrete, effective way of demonstrating a city-wide commitment to our public schools. As noted above, I will set a personal example in this respect by devoting two hours a week to visiting each kindergarten class and reading with the students and their parents. I have listed my intention to champion a life-long commitment to literacy among all our residents on my campaign website as well as in my platform and will never shirk from this commitment.

Larry L. Young Jr.

Request that each department volunteer with students from OUSD so that students are aware what makes local government operate. It would also be nice to have a certain amount of savings going towards after school or enrichment programs from each department. Ensure that all schools have access to council meetings so that they are informed about their government.

Read Comments (0) - Leave a Comment

Question 12

How will you be a leader that brings Oakland together to support our public school students? How would you encourage and recruit people to volunteer in our public schools?

Terence Candell

I am sorry. I never asked anyone to volunteer at any of the businesses I have run. Why would I start now? Particularly when the work that needs to be done is so utterly crucial. No. I think that stipends should be given to those who are diligent about assisting in the education of our children, those who are willing to further the cause of what is being taught in the classroom, as well as providing a safe and nurturing environment for our children and finally those who are willing and successfully obtain grants for the furtherance of our educational objectives in the district. These positions should be site-based and the latter position commission-based.

District sites in the flats must attempt to become as economically independent as some of those in the hills, taking some of the burden off of the district.

Arnie Fields

My goal to engage students in entrepreneurial programs will require the assistance of the entire community. Business leaders, small business owners, college students, interns, stay at home moms and dads will all be given the opportunity to participate and create school community programs. I will use city marketing and communication resources to articulate and illustrate this community vision of school site engagement to keep these programs alive in the consciousness of all Oaklanders. You will see me on KTOP TV celebrating high performing schools, classrooms, kids, teachers, school leaders and especially community folks giving of themselves to raise our wonderful kids here in Oakland.

Marcie Hodge

I would make it a priority for all families to support OUSD as well as push for grants that support the schools. Elev8 funding is a great example of how the Mayors offices can seek out funding to support schools. I would support a city-wide campaign to recruit volunteers.

Donald MacLeay

Oakland needs to update its volunteer efforts. The volunteers already exist. They are working in the schools, they are helping in neighborhood committees and they are found in all kinds of public and non-profit groups.

What I think we need most in physical support is coordination. For example, if the city had an official volunteer corps, we could screen, fingerprint and provide ID to willing school volunteers. The school volunteer effort would also benefit from database support to help match the skills to where they are needed. Some supervision would also be helpful. Even volunteers need to be held accountable to complete their tasks.

Don Perata

Senator Perata has chosen to answer the questionnaire in the form of a short essay. Please refer to his full response above.

Jean Quan

I plan to be a real Education Mayor--the number one cheerleader for our schools. I will try to mobilize 2000 volunteers from community and business programs. I will integrate city efforts wherever possible. Primary school districts and police beats are almost contiguous. I plan to organize efforts block by block and school by school.

My experience for 12 years as a School Board member and over the last 8 years as a Council Member demonstrates that when you give people information and link them to the public agencies, they will organize themselves to improve their neighborhood. The fact that District 4 has consistently had the most National Night Out, Earth Day and Creek to Bay Day events for the past 6 years (25% or more) is no accident. I look for staff with strong organizing skills. I would do the same as Mayor.

Additionally, I would build on my weekly e-newsletter, with a circulation of 10,000, to promote opportunities to support our school. Because of my strong ground campaign, we have a network of hundreds of volunteers-many of them retired or near retirement, and willing and able to give back to the community.

Joseph Tuman

See answer above. Additionally, I will be a Mayor who is also an educator. This is not only my profession it is the core of who I am. As a result, this part of me is inseparable from any other activity I undertake. The promotion of literacy and educational achievement will always be a part of my agenda as Mayor of Oakland. I will actively seek the participation of all Oaklanders in volunteering their time and talents to the improvement of our schools. To the extent that any further action is welcomed by the OUSD, I will happily add my support and participation to any activity that betters our schools and the outcomes for the children we educate within them.

Larry L. Young Jr.

I am a product of Oakland public schools and a former teacher so that's leadership. I lead by example. I realize that obesity with our youth is ever growing, so I would make a pledge to visit and exercise with 80 of the schools that I taught in as a substitute teacher in 2004-2007. I would put on seminars after school or during assemblies to promote the business community and parents working together. I would also encourage talent shows to increase community involvement and participation. I would make a public address calling out to all businesses, young people, and retired professionals to step up and help us make Oakland schools better.

Read Comments (0) - Leave a Comment