Education

Prep High School History Honored During Drive-in Graduation

Published

5 years ago

July 15, 2020

AIMS College Prep High school ended the year with many firsts as they shifted to meet the new reality of a COVID-19 environment. AIMS embodies the spirit of creativity and resiliency, as a school community that learned to thrive even in the toughest situations.

Not only was this the first-ever drive-in graduation in AIMS history, the school also celebrated their First African American Valedictorian and their two youngest graduates in the school’s history. For the AIMS Class of 2020, 100% of their African American students graduated and were accepted into four- year colleges and universities.

Families participated in the unique drive-in ceremony safely from inside their vehicles, where they were required to wear face masks and stay inside the vehicle at all times.

The ceremony was held at the Lakeview campus parking lot which featured a full stage and program with students, staff, and guest speakers. Participants heard inspiring words from valedictorian Zewditu Herring and from the featured guest speaker Armand Carr, CEO of the Oakland-based non-profit All Tied Up.

There were many cheers and honks in celebration during the ceremony and each student had the chance to individually walk across the stage from a safe distance.

Despite the current challenges, AIMS staff and teachers knew how important it was to find new ways of honoring their students. In addition to the Drive-In graduation, this year’s graduates received the first AIMS letterman jacket and participated in an exciting virtual College Signing day modeled after the NBA and NFL Draft.

The many successes of AIMS come from the commitment to ensuring all students receive the necessary resources needed to succeed, regardless of their socio-economic background.

AIMS goes above and beyond to ensure students graduate college-ready. Students take AP level classes beginning their freshman year, the costs for SAT and ACT Test prep are covered by AIMS as are fees for college applications.
This celebration is the culmination of the many years of commitment towards the success of each and every student.

A nationally recognized, award-winning charter school district, AIMS K-12 College Prep continues to raise the bar every year. This spring, AIMS was pronounced the 2020 Hart Vision Award Winner for Northern California School of the Year, was named a Top A-G Quality School and was once again recognized by Innovate Public schools as a Top Bay Area public school.

In this year’s 2020 Innovate Public Schools report, AIMS Elementary is the only school recognized for making significant achievements in math and English language arts readiness for low-income African American students in the Bay Area.

AIMS Middle School was the only school recognized for achievements in math and one of two schools in English language arts for low-income African American students in the Bay Area.

AIMS High School’s First Female African-American Valedictorian Zewditu Herring is presented with diploma and medal by Head of High School, Maurice Williams. Photo by Suzen Chu.

“To the graduating class of 2020, the future leaders of this country and the world, what do we do as an answer to heal this current situation? Do we ignore injustice? I want to be a part of the solution. If things are to change, we need to change our hearts and our minds. Let’s write history,” said Zewditu Herring, AIMS’ first African American valedictorian

“My students weren’t able to enjoy prom, this year’s senior cruise to Mexico, and many more of our traditional celebrations for seniors,” said Maurice Williams, head of AIMS High School.

“Because of this, we promised them that we would do all we could to have an in-person graduation ceremony. In light of the many challenges facing our society today, I’m thankful that my team and I could keep our promise while still adhering to county health and safety guidelines.”

“This graduation was a historic first. It shows we value family and are nimble enough to make the best out of any situation,” said Supt. Maya Woods-Cadiz, AIMS’ first African American superintendent. “I am sad to see our seniors leave us, but I am proud that in the time we had them, we instilled in them strength, knowledge, love, and wisdom.”

By Suzen Chu

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Five Years After COVID-19 Began, a Struggling Child Care Workforce Faces New Threats

Five years ago, as COVID-19 lockdowns and school closures began, most early educators continued to work in person, risking their own health and that of their families. “Early educators were called essential, but they weren’t provided with the personal protective equipment they needed to stay safe,” said CSCCE Executive Director Lea Austin. “There were no special shopping hours or ways for them to access safety materials in those early and scary months of the pandemic, leaving them to compete with other shoppers. One state even advised them to wear trash bags if they couldn’t find PPE.”

Published

3 weeks ago

March 24, 2025

Oakland Post

UC Berkeley photo.

UC Berkeley News

In the first eight months of the COVID-19 pandemic alone, 166,000 childcare jobs were lost across the nation. Significant recovery didn’t begin until the advent of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Child Care Stabilization funds in April 2021.

Today, child care employment is back to slightly above pre-pandemic levels, but job growth has remained sluggish at 1.4% since ARPA funding allocations ended in October 2023, according to analysis by the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment (CSCCE) at UC Berkeley. In the last six months, childcare employment has hovered around 1.1 million.

Yet more than two million American parents report job changes due to problems accessing child care. Why does the childcare sector continue to face a workforce crisis that has predated the pandemic? Inadequate compensation drives high turnover rates and workforce shortages that predate the pandemic. Early childhood educators are skilled professionals; many have more than 15 years of experience and a college degree, but their compensation does not reflect their expertise. The national median hourly wage is $13.07, and only a small proportion of early educators receive benefits.

And now a new round of challenges is about to hit childcare. The low wages paid in early care and education result in 43% of early educator families depending on at least one public support program, such as Medicaid or food stamps, both of which are threatened by potential federal funding cuts. Job numbers will likely fall as many early childhood educators need to find jobs with healthcare benefits or better pay.

In addition, one in five child care workers are immigrants, and executive orders driving deportation and ICE raids will further devastate the entire early care and education system. These stresses are part of the historical lack of respect the workforce faces, despite all they contribute to children, families, and the economy.

The economic impact was equally dire. Even as many providers tried to remain open to ensure their financial security, the combination of higher costs to meet safety protocols and lower revenue from fewer children enrolled led to job losses, increased debt, and program closures.

Eventually, the federal government responded with historic short-term investments through ARPA, which stabilized childcare programs. These funds provided money to increase pay or provide financial relief to early educators to improve their income and well-being. The childcare sector began to slowly recover. Larger job gains were made in 2022 and 2023, and as of November 2023, national job numbers had slightly surpassed pre-pandemic levels, though state and metro areas continued to fluctuate.

Many states have continued to support the workforce after ARPA funding expired in late 2024. In Maine, a salary supplement initiative has provided monthly stipends of $240-$540 to educators working in licensed home- or center-based care, based on education and experience, making it one of the nation’s leaders in its support of early educators. Early educators say the program has enabled them to raise wages, which has improved staff retention. Yet now, Governor Janet Mills is considering cutting the stipend program in half.

“History shows that once an emergency is perceived to have passed, public funding that supports the early care and education workforce is pulled,” says Austin. “You can’t build a stable childcare workforce and system without consistent public investment and respect for all that early educators contribute.”

The Center for the Study of Childcare Employment is the source of this story.

Oakland Post

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Activism

District Delegates to State Democratic Party Central Committee Meeting Celebrate Election Victory

Delegates and elected officials were excited for the future of the Democratic Party and making its focus on 1) creating more affordable housing, 2) supporting education, 3) helping working families, and 4) protecting the environment and addressing climate change, with a focus on practical and realistic policy efforts that could have a meaningful impact.

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Front row: Megan Imperial, Genice Jacobs, Bobbi Lopez, Courtney Welch, Janani Ramachandran, Hercules Councilmember Dilli Bhattarai, Sarah Bell, Laura Babitt, Ashlee Jemmott, and Shawn Danino. Rear row: Ben Gould, Sam Davis, Victor Flores, Zac Bowling, Nate Hanson, Teddy Gray King, Cathy Adams, Neil Tsutsui, Sam Gould, Lauren Wilson, and Nick Pilch. Courtesy photo.

By Ben Gould
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Winners of the February 2025 Assembly District Election Meetings (ADEM) for Assembly Districts 14 and 18 met on Sunday, March 16 to discuss priorities for the California Democratic Party convention in Anaheim coming up in May.

The winners for Assembly District 18 are Genice Jacobs, Bobbi Lopez, Shawn Danino, Ben Gould, Zac Bowling, Nate Hanson, Cathy Adams, Sam Gould, Lauren Wilson, Ashlee Jemmott, and former Oakland School Board Director Sam Davis.

The winners for Assembly District 14 are: Sarah Bell, Neil Tsutsui, Hercules Councilmember Dilli Bhattarai, former Berkeley School Board Director Laura Babitt, former Piedmont Mayor Teddy Gray King, and former Albany Mayor Nick Pilch.

They were joined by Oakland Councilmember Janani Ramachandran, Emeryville Councilmember Courtney Welch, and BART Director Victor Flores to help celebrate their victory.

Oakland Post

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Activism

Golden State Warriors Program Is Inspiring Next Generation of Female Engineers

Breaking down barriers and biases that deter young girls from pursuing STEAM subjects is essential for creating a level playing field and ensuring equal opportunities for all. By challenging stereotypes and promoting a culture of inclusivity and diversity in STEAM fields, experts believe young girls can be empowered to pursue their interests and aspirations without limitations confidently. Encouraging mentorship, providing access to resources, and celebrating girls’ achievements in STEAM are all crucial steps in creating a supportive environment that fosters success.

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3 weeks ago

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Oakland Post

Front Row: UC Berkeley Steel Bridge Team Back Row: Girls, Inc. Participants. Photo courtesy of the Golden State Warriors.

By Y’Anad Burrell

The Golden State Warriors and e-commerce giant Rakuten are joining forces to inspire the next generation of female engineers through Building STEAM Futures, part of The City Calls campaign.

Organizers say the initiative is founded on the idea that science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) are crucial fields for innovation and progress, and empowering young girls to pursue careers in these areas is more important than ever. Studies consistently show that girls are underrepresented in STEAM fields, resulting in a gender disparity that limits potential and hinders diversity.

On Saturday, March 8, International Women’s Day, the Warriors and Rakuten hosted 20 middle school girls from Girls Inc. of Alameda County at Chase Center’s Above the Rim for a hands-on bridge-building experience. The young girls from Girls, Inc. of Alameda County had an opportunity to design, build and test their own bridge prototypes and learn the fundamentals of bridge construction from the Engineering Alliance and the UC Berkeley Steel Bridge Team.

This STEAM experience for the girls followed the first session in January, where they took a behind-the-scenes tour of the Golden Gate Bridge, learning about its design and construction from industry experts. The City Calls campaign, tipped off with the unveiling the Warriors’ new bridge-themed City Edition jerseys and court design earlier this year.