A new teacher … again
Dan Adiletta, a first-year teacher at Explore Middle School — which is closing at the end of the year — is leaving Oakland. He tells us why. -Katy
Goodbye, Oakland.I stand up to and for your students and see to their learning with all the energy I can muster. I manage to stretch paycheck to paycheck while providing many of my own class supplies. I shoulder stress and come back for more. But despite having managed to drag myself this far, I’m being put into the very category I’ve struggled to avoid: the one-year teacher.
A giant PTA for Oakland schools
Remember the discussion last fall about fundraising inequities in Oakland schools? Some, including Oakland school board member Jody London, said they thought there should be a better way for parents and other interested Oaklanders to support public education in a broader sense (rather than just school-by-school).
Inspired by those discussions, a new group aims to bring together families, parents and business from all neighborhoods to share resources and know-how. The group has also created a wiki, a website where you can post events, resources and emergency needs yourself. You can find it here.
Want to learn more about it? The first meeting takes place from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday at Sequoia Elementary School, 3730 Lincoln Ave. Babysitting and translation will be provided; organizers ask that you RSVP with those details atsowingseeds@hotmail.com.
In what ways do you think a coalition like this holds the most promise? How would you like to see it work?