Featured

School Opens for Oakland Students

Published

6 years ago

August 16, 2018

Schools in Oakland started early this year, Monday, Aug. 13, one week earlier than in recent years to align the school district’s schedule with local colleges so high school students can also enroll in college classes and to allow for an easier payroll system for new teachers.

The first day was filled with excitement, joy and some tears, as students were eager to return to school to see old friends, make new ones and get to know new teachers.

One person who was as excited as anyone for the first day of classes was Superintendent Kyla Johnson-Trammell. She traversed the district visiting schools along the way, greeting students and staff, observing the learning process and helping with a backpack giveaway.

“The best thing about the first day is the energy: the energy of the families, the energy of the staff (and) of the students, just seeing kids excited,” she said.

Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf joined part-way through the tour.

The group stopped at five locations: the co-located Elmhurst Community Prep and Alliance Academy middle schools, Brookfield Elementary, the co-located Futures Elementary and Community United Elementary schools, Skyline and Sankofa Elementary School.

At Brookfield, Dr. Johnson-Trammell helped out with the school’s backpack and school supply giveaway, which was organized and funded by SupplyBank with support from Kaiser Permanente.

Later, at Skyline, Oakland Unified School District Board of Education President Aimee Eng, Superintendent Johnson-Trammell and much of OUSD’s leadership team toured the campus and stopped in several classrooms, including the leadership class and the new Skilled Trades FabLab.

At a press conference, Dr. Johnson-Trammell talked about the increase in pathways offered for high school students, especially at Skyline where all students are now in career-related pathways.

She also spoke of the improved graduation rates across the District, which last year saw more than 70 percent of students graduate. At Skyline, the graduation rate increased more than six percentage points.

Board President Eng said she is confident in the Board of Education and the district leadership team’s ability to ensure the financial stability and sustainability of OUSD well into the future.

From the Skyline community, new Co-Principals Bianca D’Allesandro and Nicole Pierce-Davis shared their excitement for the new year in their new environment. Student Body President Antwan Adams and Vice President Melesungu Ofa stressed that they plan to build school spirit and they look forward to improved culture and safety on campus.

The team ended the day with an after school visit to Sankofa Elementary School, where they met with principal Renee Bullie.

They also got to play with some transitional kindergarten students in the afterschool program and speak with teachers in a professional development session.

“Everybody quite honestly has been working on the first day of school since school let out in June. So being able to see all the hard work… the first day is the culmination, we were able to see the execution of all the planning,” said Johnson-Trammell.

At Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School there was a huge backpack giveaway Monday morning hosted by the Lend A Hand Foundation and Wells Fargo.

Students from MLK, Lafayette and West Oakland Middle School received backpacks filled with school supplies. Wells Fargo brought its trademark stagecoach and horses and gave students rides around the playground.

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Activism

Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

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

Published

6 days ago

April 26, 2024

Oakland Post

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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

1 week 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

1 week 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.