Getting to the core of Oakland Unified School District superintendent
Posted: 07/04/2012 12:00:00 AM PDT
OAKLAND -- As a white man who talks about white privilege and institutional racism, the superintendent of Oakland's school system is not your typical school administrator.
In countless public and media appearances since his appointment in 2009, Tony Smith, 45, has transmitted a radical message, not only about Oakland, but about the expanded role he believes a school system must play in society. He argues that schools can -- and must -- help to transform entire communities through love and a sense of collective responsibility for children, especially the disadvantaged.
"I think he's an incredible evangelist," said David Kakishiba, an Oakland school board member. "He's brought that to the forefront in a way I have not seen in my lifetime -- that, as a district, we're going to be very focused, diligent and relentless on eliminating these disparities for children with les
John Swett school district's intense intervention shows in vastly improved graduation and dropout rates.
Posted: 07/03/2012 06:17:52 PM PDT
Updated: 07/03/2012 06:17:52 PM PDT
CROCKETT -- Instead of sleeping in and lazily enjoying the summer, about 130 teens in the John Swett school district are taking online classes so they can graduate on time with their peers.
The summer program -- combined with beefed-up truancy enforcement, consistent discipline and an emphasis on the importance of a high school education -- have helped John Swett raise its graduation rate by nearly 13 percentage points in one year, while lowering its dropout rate by about 8 percentage points, said Superintendent Mike McLaughlin.
"We've put in some really strict policies starting at middle school," said McLaughlin, who came to the district about