Oakland

Op-Ed: Advocating for Oakland Children in Sacramento

Published

10 years ago

March 25, 2016

By Supt. Antwan Wilson

Here in the U.S., state government drives the majority of education funding and policy, so it is important to advocate in Sacramento for the needs of our community, schools, and children.

I recently traveled to Sacramento with Oakland Board of Education President James Harris and Vice President Nina Senn to push for more funding and better policies to support our vision of “Every Student Thrives!”

Our advocacy visit last week was the first by an Oakland superintendent, together with our locally elected board, in many years. In part we were there to “reintroduce” OUSD to lawmakers. People outside of Oakland often have preconceived notions of our community, and it is up to us to tell our story and advocate for Oakland’s children.

In the world of education, the preconceived notions can be even worse – with memories of state administration still fresh in some people’s minds. We laid out our long-range financial plan, which puts our schools on solid fiscal footing, meets all state obligations, and directs more money straight into schools and classrooms.

We also shared our views on how Sacramento can help us build stronger schools:

Addressing the Teacher Shortage: California is facing an unprecedented teacher shortage, and it is even more acute in places like Oakland, where housing costs are so high. We are partnering with our legislators to address this in multiple ways, including pushing for more affordable housing for our teachers, while maintaining high standards of quality and recruiting a diverse team of educators dedicated to meeting the needs of our students.

Expanding Early Childhood Education: Many of our students enter the K-12 system already behind their peers who enjoyed enriched early childhood education. We have to level the playing field by investing more in early childhood education. We advocated for support to expand programming for all children regardless of background. While there is no perfect proposal yet, we are pushing for a healthy policy discussion that can be informed by our local experience.

Increasing Funding: California remains around 46th in the nation in per pupil funding; 49th in student-to-teacher ratio. This is not acceptable in the state that has the eighth largest economy in the world. Doing more with less is not a long-term strategy for success. We discussed issues such as extending Proposition 30, the voter-approved tax measure that temporarily has helped increase school funding (we used to be 49th in the nation!), as well as how to redirect existing funding into the districts, schools, classrooms – and toward the kids – that need it most.

We are lucky to have a strong and progressive delegation representing the Oakland community, along with the support of the Governor, and education staff across state government who generally share our commitment to investing more in public education.

I was particularly energized after meeting with Assembly Members Rob Bonta and Tony Thurmond who are leading the charge for us to address our local needs. It was also fantastic to hear from Senator Loni Hancock, who is in her last term and offers important historical perspective.

It is extremely important for us all to band together to build a compelling coalition to realize our goals and ensure a quality education for each and every Oakland student.

I look forward to working with partners locally and across the state to live up to our aspirations to build not just a district, but a state where every student thrives, finding joy in their education, and graduating ready for college, career, and community success in the 21st Century!

Antwan Wilson is the Superintendent of the Oakland Unified School District.

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Financial Wellness and Mental Health: Managing Money Stress in College 

While everyone’s financial situation is unique, several common sources of stress have the potential to strain your financial health. These include financial and economic uncertainty, existing debts, unexpected expenses, and mental or physical health changes. Financial stress may differ from situation to situation, but understanding the factors contributing to yours may help you begin to craft a plan for your unique circumstances.

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3 weeks ago

March 17, 2026

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Sponsored by JPMorganChase

As a college student, managing financial responsibilities can be stressful.

If you’ve found yourself staying up late thinking about your finances or just feeling anxious overall about your financial future, you’re not alone. In one survey, 78% of college students who reported financial stress had negative impacts on their mental health, and 59% considered dropping out. While finances can impact overall stress, taking steps to manage your finances can support your mental, emotional and physical well-being.

When it comes to money, the sources of stress may look different for each student, but identifying the underlying causes and setting goals accordingly may help you feel more confident about your financial future.

Consider these strategies to help improve your financial wellness and reduce stress.

Understand what causes financial stress

2. Determine your financial priorities

Start by reflecting on your financial priorities. For students this often includes paying for school or paying off student loans, studying abroad, saving for spring break, building an emergency fund, paying down credit card debt or buying a car. Name the milestones that are most important to you, and plan accordingly.

3. Create a plan and stick to it

While setting actionable goals starts you on the journey to better financial health, it’s essential to craft a plan to follow through. Identifying and committing to a savings plan may give you a greater sense of control over your finances, which may help reduce your stress. Creating and sticking to a budget allows you to better track where your money is going so you may spend less and save more.

4. Pay down debt

Many students have some form of debt and want to make progress toward reducing their debt obligations. One option is the debt avalanche method, which focuses on paying off your debt with the highest interest rate first, then moving on to the debt with the next-highest interest rate. Another is the debt snowball method, which builds momentum by paying off your smallest debt balance, and then working your way up to the largest amounts.

5. Build your financial resilience

Some financial stress may be inevitable, but building financial resilience may allow you to overcome obstacles more easily. The more you learn about managing your money, for instance, the more prepared you’ll feel if the unexpected happens. Growing your emergency savings also may increase resilience since you’ll be more financially prepared to cover unexpected expenses or pay your living expenses.

6. Seek help and support

Many colleges have resources to help students experiencing financial stress, like financial literacy courses or funds that provide some assistance for students in need. Talk to your admissions counselor or advisor about your concerns, and they can direct you to sources of support. Your school’s counseling center can also be a great resource for mental health assistance if you’re struggling with financial stress.

The bottom line

Financial stress can affect college students’ health and wellbeing, but it doesn’t have to derail your dreams. Setting smart financial goals and developing simple plans to achieve them may help ease your stress. Revisit and adjust your plan as needed to ensure it continues to work for you, and seek additional support on campus as needed to help keep you on track.

 JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Member FDIC