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Street Academy’s Parents and Teachers Plan Together for School in the Fall

Published

5 years ago

August 12, 2020

Street Academy graduates - Emunti Herrera; Simone Kuykendall and Yoanna Rodrigue. Photo by Gina Hill.

A happy mix of Oakland Street Academy staff and parents planned the school’s approach to distance learning together at an evening Zoom meeting.

It was not like a lot of education meetings. Parents weren’t being “talked at.” They came with their children. The Spanish translation was homey and natural; and there were lots of jokes.

Of course, this is in keeping with the roots of The Street Academy. It was born out of the Civil Rights movement, a period much like this one when Black and Latino youngsters filled the streets and college campuses with demands for a respectful approach to them, their communities, and their education.

First on the agenda was an “icebreaker” led by Bukola Lawal, a graduate of Street Academy and now one of its administrative leaders. Everyone viewed three intriguing pictures on the Zoom screen and explained why one of those fits their mood. Gina Hill, another school leader, led a process called Transformative Life Skills. Everyone closed their eyes and took collective sustained breaths, listening to Gina’s calming voice. And then she led the group in a period of silence in honor of the late Civil Rights icon John Lewis and the legacy of the school’s founding.

The staff explained the basics of what would happen in the new semester. “OUSD has decided that everyone will be learning at a distance for at least the first four weeks of school.”

Everyone will come to school every day online, and students will continue to meet with their “consulting teachers,” the special adult who helps them with everything from college advice to personal problems.

Then the parents and students were asked what they needed. “What will make distance learning work for you? Are there any things we did in the Spring that worked really well?”

One father said that text messages helped him. “I have several children. So I need these texts to keep track of what they’re supposed to be doing.”

A student said she especially liked what happened with one of her teachers during the Spring when distance learning first started. “We had class on Google classroom. She explained everything and then we did some work together. Then she was also available later for more office hours. So I could get online with her and ask about anything I didn’t understand.”

Another parent said she didn’t feel she had done all the things she could have done during the Spring term. “I’m setting up our place now so that there’s a space set aside for him to do his schoolwork, but I don’t have a desk.” A staff member offered to bring over a desk that they could use.

The staff committed to making sure that every family had a computer and internet access, and asked families to fill out a survey that would capture anything they had missed in the discussion.

One mom asked about the continuation of the Street Academy’s practice of making sure every student completed college preparation and application activities. Staff talked about how this would continue online and intensify through a new partnership with local colleges.

The curriculum has been expanded this year with two new elements. In partnership with Holy Names University, Street Academy students will be helping new teachers in the School of Education learn how to teach, a dramatic and exciting role reversal. And teachers are planning for cross-disciplinary studies on big topics like the debate on policing, COVID-19, or other critical issues.

Staff member Juan Ramirez ended the parent meeting with, “Wait until you hear the plan for the curriculum this year. We’re definitely the school of the future”

People who are interested in this school that operates like a family can e-mail gina.hill@ousd.org

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Related Topics:Bukola Lawal The Street Academy

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Activism

OP-ED: AB 1349 Puts Corporate Power Over Community

Since Ticketmaster and Live Nation merged in 2010, ticket prices have jumped more than 150 percent. Activities that once fit a family’s budget now take significant disposable income that most working families simply don’t have. The problem is compounded by a system that has tilted access toward the wealthy and white-collar workers. If you have a fancy credit card, you get “presale access,” and if you work in an office instead of a warehouse, you might be able to wait in an online queue to buy a ticket. Access now means privilege.

Published

6 days ago

January 9, 2026

Oakland Post

Bishop Joseph Simmons, Senior Pastor, Greater St. Paul Baptist Church, Oakland

By Bishop Joseph Simmons, Senior Pastor, Greater St. Paul Baptist Church, Oakland

As a pastor, I believe in the power that a sense of community can have on improving people’s lives. Live events are one of the few places where people from different backgrounds and ages can share the same space and experience – where construction workers sit next to lawyers at a concert, and teenagers enjoy a basketball game with their grandparents. Yet, over the past decade, I’ve witnessed these experiences – the concerts, games, and cultural events where we gather – become increasingly unaffordable, and it is a shame.

These moments of connection matter as they form part of the fabric that holds communities together. But that fabric is fraying because of Ticketmaster/Live Nation’s unchecked control over access to live events. Unfortunately, AB 1349 would only further entrench their corporate power over our spaces.

Power over live events is concentrated in a single corporate entity, and this regime operates without transparency or accountability – much like a dictator. Ticketmaster controls 80 percent of first-sale tickets and nearly a third of resale tickets, but they still want more. More power, more control for Ticketmaster means higher prices and less access for consumers. It’s the agenda they are pushing nationally, with the help of former Trump political operatives, who are quietly trying to undo the antitrust lawsuit launched against Ticketmaster/Live Nation under President Biden’s DOJ.

That’s why I’m deeply concerned about AB 1349 in its current form. Rather than reining in Ticketmaster’s power, the bill risks strengthening it, aligning with Trump. AB 1349 gives Ticketmaster the ability to control a consumer’s ticket forever by granting Ticketmaster’s regime new powers in state law to prevent consumers from reselling or giving away their tickets. It also creates new pathways for Ticketmaster to discriminate and retaliate against consumers who choose to shop around for the best service and fees on resale platforms that aren’t yet controlled by Ticketmaster. These provisions are anti-consumer and anti-democratic.

California has an opportunity to stand with consumers, to demand transparency, and to restore genuine competition in this industry. But that requires legislation developed with input from the community and faith leaders, not proposals backed by the very company causing the harm.

Will our laws reflect fairness, inclusion, and accountability? Or will we let corporate interests tighten their grip on spaces that should belong to everyone? I, for one, support the former and encourage the California Legislature to reject AB 1349 outright or amend it to remove any provisions that expand Ticketmaster’s control. I also urge community members to contact their representatives and advocate for accessible, inclusive live events for all Californians. Let’s work together to ensure these gathering spaces remain open and welcoming to everyone, regardless of income or background.

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Oakland Post: Week of December 31, 2025 – January 6, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – December 31, 2025 – January 6, 2026

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2 weeks ago

January 2, 2026

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To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

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Big God Ministry Gives Away Toys in Marin City

Pastor Hall also gave a message of encouragement to the crowd, thanking Jesus for the “best year of their lives.” He asked each of the children what they wanted to be when they grow up.

Published

2 weeks ago

December 29, 2025

Oakland Post

From top left: Pastor David Hall asking the children what they want to be when they grow up. Worship team Jake Monaghan, Ruby Friedman, and Keri Carpenter. Children lining up to receive their presents. Photos by Godfrey Lee.

By Godfrey Lee

Big God Ministries, pastored by David Hall, gave toys to the children in Marin City on Monday, Dec. 15, on the lawn near the corner of Drake Avenue and Donahue Street.

Pastor Hall also gave a message of encouragement to the crowd, thanking Jesus for the “best year of their lives.” He asked each of the children what they wanted to be when they grew up.

Around 75 parents and children were there to receive the presents, which consisted mainly of Gideon Bibles, Cat in the Hat pillows, Barbie dolls, Tonka trucks, and Lego building sets.

A half dozen volunteers from the Big God Ministry, including Donnie Roary, helped to set up the tables for the toy giveaway. The worship music was sung by Ruby Friedman, Keri Carpenter, and Jake Monaghan, who also played the accordion.

Big God Ministries meets on Sundays at 10 a.m. at the Mill Valley Community Center, 180 Camino Alto, Mill Valley, CA Their phone number is (415) 797-2567.