Community

Raiders , Microsoft Give Local Students Brand New Tablets

Published

10 years ago

December 17, 2013

Nearly two-dozen students from McClymonds High School and Oakland Community Day School were treated to lunch at the Oakland Raiders facility on Tuesday given recognition for their academic and behavioral accomplishments.

Raider Linebacker Kevin Burnett and the Burnett Foundation teamed up with Microsoft, a new Raider and NFL sponsor, to present the students with brand new Microsoft 32GB Surface tablets.

Mekael Johnson, principal of Community Day School, says the school serves as an alternative option for students with disciplinary issues but works with the goal to redirect them back into the school district.

“We’re committed to academic excellence and reducing suspensions at our school,” Johnson said. “We were chosen by the district because of our low suspension rates and [students] were chosen because of their grades and good behavior.”

Harold Pearson, Executive Director of Student Programming for Academic and Athletic Transitioning at McClymonds High School, said their students were hand selected by teachers and the principal based on their academic and behavioral performance.

“It’s a great opportunity for them to see someone giving back and for them to take advantage and actually have a laptop so they can have better access to their academics,” said Pearson.

Before presenting the students with the tablets, Burnett spoke to the students about his own academic struggle to pass the English section on the SAT during his senior year of high school.

Students open up new Microsoft Surface Tablets presented by Raider Kevin Burnett and Microsoft.

Understanding that his dreams of playing professional football were strongly based on his admittance to a Division 1 school, Burnett said he had to prepare himself academically for that dream to come true.

He presented students with the tablets and encouraged them to use them to their advantage to

help bring their dreams to life.

“I feel excited because I really needed a computer for school work,” said Rasheed Adseokan, an 11th grade student at Community Day School. He says his dream is to become a music producer so the tablet will help him store the beats he creates.

Burnett later spoke to students about the importance of always having a backup plan. While he thought he was “God’s gift to football,” an ACL injury in college nearly cost him his football career.

But he said he used the opportunity to become a student, earning his bachelor’s degree in roughly 3 years; he later went on to obtain his master’s degree.

“I didn’t want to go to the NFL and then have to go back to school because usually once you start making money, you don’t really worry about school,” he said.

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Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

Published

2 days ago

April 26, 2024

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

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Alameda County

DA Pamela Price Stands by Mom Who Lost Son to Gun Violence in Oakland

Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018.

Published

6 days ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones

Publisher’s note: Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018. The photo was too small for readers to see where the women were and what they were doing. Here we show Price and Jones as they complete a walk in memory of Scott. For more information and to contribute, please contact Carol Jones at 510-978-5517 at morefoundation.help@gmail.com. Courtesy photo.

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City Government

Vallejo Welcomes Interim City Manager Beverli Marshall

At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10. Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.

Published

6 days ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

Beverli Marshall began her first day with the City on April 10. ICMA image.

Special to The Post

At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10.

Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.

Current City Manager Michael Malone, whose official departure is slated for April 18, expressed his well wishes. “I wish the City of Vallejo and Interim City Manager Marshall all the best in moving forward on the progress we’ve made to improve service to residents.” Malone expressed his hope that the staff and Council will work closely with ICM Marshall to “ensure success and prosperity for the City.”

According to the Vallejo Sun, Malone stepped into the role of interim city manager in 2021 and became permanent in 2022. Previously, Malone served as the city’s water director and decided to retire from city service e at the end of his contract which is April 18.

“I hope the excellent work of City staff will continue for years to come in Vallejo,” he said. “However, recent developments have led me to this decision to announce my retirement.”

When Malone was appointed, Vallejo was awash in scandals involving the housing division and the police department. A third of the city’s jobs went unfilled during most of his tenure, making for a rocky road for getting things done, the Vallejo Sun reported.

At last night’s council meeting, McConnell explained the selection process, highlighting the council’s confidence in achieving positive outcomes through a collaborative effort, and said this afternoon, “The Council is confident that by working closely together, positive results will be obtained.”

While the search for a permanent city manager is ongoing, an announcement is expected in the coming months.

On behalf of the City Council, Mayor McConnell extended gratitude to the staff, citizen groups, and recruitment firm.

“The Council wishes to thank the staff, the citizens’ group, and the recruitment firm for their diligent work and careful consideration for the selection of what is possibly the most important decision a Council can make on behalf of the betterment of our City,” McConnell said.

The Vallejo Sun contributed to this report.