An Oakland teacher’s thoughts on “consolidation” — and what to call it, instead - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools

An Oakland teacher’s thoughts on “consolidation” — and what to call it, instead - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools:

An Oakland teacher’s thoughts on “consolidation” — and what to call it, instead

By Katy Murphy
Sunday, October 16th, 2011 at 10:43 pm in budget, elementary schools, OEA,OUSD central office, students, teachers.

David Braden, a technology prep teacher and Bay Area Writing Project consultant teacher at Oakland’s Bella Vista Elementary School, wrote this essay after learning two of his colleagues would be moved, or “consolidated,” to different schools next week — in mid-October. I wrote about the issue too, in this story. – Katy

The Merriam Webster app on my Droid tells me the word “consolidate” has three different meanings: 1) to join together into one whole, 2) to make firm or secure or 3) to form into a compact mass. I looked it up because today our principal informed us that our school would be consolidated.

Leaving the third definition aside for a moment, it sounds like a pretty good thing. Unity, firmness, security are all admirable qualities that would be welcome in any environment, but especially an elementary school. A staff that is united around discipline with consistent rules and consequences gives students a sense of