Oakland Unified School District Case Study

at approximately $100,000 per year with
benefits. It’s better to have the dollars and
partner with the community, but the district
also needs to be real and bring in another
whole level of support. We need the
resources for a full-time counselor.”
AWE welcomes parents to the school and
brings the school to the parent’s home.
Teachers envision themselves as one of
many community members who must play
active roles in delivering to the children of
East Oakland the education they deserve.
AWE plays an important role in the
OUSD school portfolio. It offers proof
that a school that began with considerable
turmoil, through a combination of
a thoughtful strategy and effective
leadership, re-visioned itself to create
a strong instructional program. Unlike
reconstitution, OUSD’s re-visioning and
incubation process helped AWE staff focus
on making progress toward key outcomes
without losing the institutional knowledge
gained during their early years of operation.
Important human capital and curriculum
issues are also surfaced by AWE. The AWE
experience shows the intense supports
provided by school staff to supplement
and enrich the district’s literacy
curriculum.
AWE also provides a template and illustrates
the importance of keeping the
community involved in the operation of
the school as the OUSD reform strategy
matures from a grassroots movement to
one that is centered at the district level.
The case highlights how connections and
commitments between district and community
leaders can help launch a new
school, and how strong leaders can leverage
this strength to support the school’s
academic mission. AWE also illustrates
the power of the small school structure in
building community. As one parent says:
Small schools make a family. We
don’t have a lot of fights, not a lot
of battling, not a lot of racial slurs.
Kids are understanding it. They’ve
been able to experience different
cultures and backgrounds.... They
can still come here and maintain
a friendship with kids [from other
backgrounds].
20
School Redesign Network at Stanford University