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OUSD Proposes to Change Fremont High School’s Name to Innovation High

Published

10 years ago

July 4, 2015

By Quenajonay Frazier, Green & Gold

Fremont High will no longer be Fremont High after next year — it will be called Innovation School of Oakland.

This change is one of many outlined in a 37-page document that the Fremont Design Team submitted to the Oakland Unified School District on May 20.

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It was the only proposal made in response to Superintendent Antwan Wilson’s “Call for Quality Schools,” which asked for groups inside and outside the school district, including charter companies, to compete to recreate Fremont. Four other schools also were put out to bid for new designs.

The school board will vote June 24 on the plan for Innovation School of Oakland, which would open in August 2016. Construction for a new facility would start at a later date.

Members of the design team said that the name would better fit the goal of the new school, which will focus on “design thinking,” technology, engineering, health and international studies along with the three main career paths it now offers.

But not everyone likes the new name or the concept of the new school.

“I am disappointed because I wanted to be an alumni [of Fremont High],” said senior Jessica Lindemulder. “Little did I know I would not be able to return to the school I know.”

Under the plan, Media Academy, Architecture Academy and Mandela Law & Public Service Academy will stay on campus but will be broadened into pathways with additional courses. Media will be part of the Digital Media & Technology pathway; Architecture will be part of the Architecture & Engineering pathway; Mandela will be part of the Public Service & Global Studies pathway.

And a new Science, Health and Forensics pathway will open in the new school.

This excites some students, including freshman Bianca Ramirez, who helped with the design in part by visiting several schools in Southern California.

“I love the new labs because that means more hands on,” said Ramirez.

Other students who were involved in a fight to keep Fremont from turning into a charter school were not happy with all parts of the final plan.

“Students felt betrayed and did not like the fact that the school’s name is changing,” said senior Angel Cornejo. “The teachers were too busy trying to fit in someone else’s norms that they forgot the real purpose of the fight.”

One thing members of the Leadership class generally like about the plan is the flexibility it has for students.

Newcomers and special education students will be able to join all classes and pathways. Students can take classes in other pathways, not just their own.

“We can take the class we want for our career,” said freshman Janet Chavez.

The plan calls on everyone at the school to be learners and for teachers to use technology for blended learning in their classes. That would mean that students would do most of their work independently on computers and they would move at a pace that fits their learning style. The teacher would be roaming the room to help students wherever they are in their learning.

“I do not think that it (blending learning) is the greatest idea,” said senior Loata Fine of the Architecture Academy. “No child should be left behind. Everyone should learn together at the pace so they can learn and build off each other, rather than working on a computer alone.”

Along with asking teachers to adopt blended learning, the proposal gives teachers other new roles.

“Teachers will have advisories,” the plan states. “Advisory curriculum will serve to personalize learning for all students and support them academically, socially and emotionally.”

Richard Charlesworth, a Media and Mandela history teacher, said one of his concerns about the plan is not understanding what “design thinking” actually means. He also worries about teacher turnover. Students cannot learn with different teachers each year, he explained.

But he sees positives of the plan.

“We are good at keeping the strong staff and most of the new plan we have already been doing,” he said. “We do not throw the baby away with the dirty bath water.”

Nidya Baez, co-leader of the design team and a Fremont alumni, said the name of the new school is still pending.

Baez said she believes it is necessary for the name to change because there are many people who view Fremont High negatively and the design team wants people to believe that there will be an actual change on the campus.

However, Baez said just because the name will change does not mean Fremont will no longer be Fremont.

“The name change doesn’t erase the 110 classes” that have graduated from Fremont, said Baez, who hopes the new school will keep many Fremont traditions.

The design team dropped at least one controversial idea from its original plan. It no longer wants to add sixth, seventh and eighth grades to the campus.

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Uncategorized

Oakland Housing and Community Development Department Awards $80.5 Million to Affordable Housing Developments

Published

6 months ago

June 17, 2025

Oakland Post

Special to The Post

The City of Oakland’s Housing and Community Development Department (Oakland HCD) announced its awardees for the 2024-2025 New Construction of Multifamily Affordable Housing Notice of Funding Availability (New Construction NOFA) today Five permanently affordable housing developments received awards out of 24 applications received by the Department, with award amounts ranging from $7 million to $28 million.

In a statement released on Jan. 16, Oakland’s HCD stated, “Five New Construction Multifamily Affordable Housing Development projects awarded a total of $80.5 million to develop 583 affordable rental homes throughout Oakland. Awardees will leverage the City’s investments to apply for funding from the state and private entities.”

In December, the office of Rebecca Kaplan, interim District 2 City Councilmember, worked with HCD to allocate an additional $10 Million from Measure U to the funding pool. The legislation also readopted various capital improvement projects including street paving and upgrades to public facilities.

The following Oakland affordable housing developments have been awarded in the current round:

Mandela Station Affordable

238 Affordable Units including 60 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $15 million + previously awarded $18 million
Developer: Mandela Station LP (Pacific West Communities, Inc. and Strategic Urban Development Alliance, LLC)
City Council District: 3
Address: 1451 7th St.

Liberation Park Residences

118 Affordable Units including 30 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $28 million
Developer: Eden Housing and Black Cultural Zone
City Council District: 6
Address: 7101 Foothill Blvd.

34th & San Pablo

59 Affordable Units including 30 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $7 million
Developer: 34SP Development LP (EBALDC)
City Council District: 3
Address: 3419-3431 San Pablo Ave.

The Eliza

96 Affordable Units including 20 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $20 million
Developer: Mercy Housing California
City Council District: 3
Address: 2125 Telegraph Ave.

3135 San Pablo

72 Affordable Units including 36 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $10.5 million
Developer: SAHA and St. Mary’s Center
City Council District: 3
Address: 3515 San Pablo Ave.

The source of this story is the media reltations office of District 2 City Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan.

Oakland Post

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Activism

Oakland Housing and Community Development Department Awards $80.5 Million to Affordable Housing Developments

Published

11 months ago

January 30, 2025

Oakland Post

Rebecca Kaplan, interim District 2 city councilmember. File photo.

Special to The Post

The following Oakland affordable housing developments have been awarded in the current round:

Mandela Station Affordable

238 Affordable Units including 60 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $15 million + previously awarded $18 million
Developer: Mandela Station LP (Pacific West Communities, Inc. and Strategic Urban Development Alliance, LLC)
City Council District: 3
Address: 1451 7th St.

Liberation Park Residences

118 Affordable Units including 30 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $28 million
Developer: Eden Housing and Black Cultural Zone
City Council District: 6
Address: 7101 Foothill Blvd.

34th & San Pablo

59 Affordable Units including 30 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $7 million
Developer: 34SP Development LP (EBALDC)
City Council District: 3
Address: 3419-3431 San Pablo Ave.

The Eliza

96 Affordable Units, including 20 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $20 million
Developer: Mercy Housing California
City Council District: 3
Address: 2125 Telegraph Ave.

3135 San Pablo

72 Affordable Units including 36 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $10.5 million
Developer: SAHA and St. Mary’s Center
City Council District: 3
Address: 3515 San Pablo Ave.

The source of this story is media reltations office of District 2 City Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan.

Oakland Post

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Alameda County

Oakland Acquisition Company’s Acquisition of County’s Interest in Coliseum Property on the Verge of Completion

The Board of Supervisors is committed to closing the deal expeditiously, and County staff have worked tirelessly to move the deal forward on mutually agreeable terms. The parties are down to the final details and, with the cooperation of OAC and Coliseum Way Partners, LLC, the Board will take a public vote at an upcoming meeting to seal this transaction.

Published

11 months ago

January 11, 2025

Oakland Post

Alameda County Board of Supervisors Chairman David Haubert. Official photo.

Special to The Post

The County of Alameda announced this week that a deal allowing the Oakland Acquisition Company, LLC, (“OAC”) to acquire the County’s 50% undivided interest in the Oakland- Alameda County Coliseum complex is in the final stages of completion.

Oakland has already finalized a purchase and sale agreement with OAC for its interest in the property. OAC’s acquisition of the County’s property interest will achieve two longstanding goals of the County:

The Oakland-Alameda Coliseum complex will finally be under the control of a sole owner with capacity to make unilateral decisions regarding the property; and
The County will be out of the sports and entertainment business, free to focus and rededicate resources to its core safety net

In an October 2024 press release from the City of Oakland, the former Oakland mayor described the sale of its 50% interest in the property as an “historic achievement” stating that the transaction will “continue to pay dividends for generations to come.”

The Board of Supervisors is pleased to facilitate single-entity ownership of this property uniquely centered in a corridor of East Oakland that has amazing potential.

“The County is committed to bringing its negotiations with OAC to a close,” said Board President David Haubert.