Oakland neighborhoods with good schools and transit options
Dear Parents,
We are in the midst of the impossible task of trying to buy house in East Bay. We primarily have 2 considerations - public transport feasibility & good public schools (K-12). Other than looking at different websites and scores -- I wanted to get a more personal sense regarding public schools in the area, specially Oakland district. I know Lamorinda, Albany and Berkeley - there is a general consensus of having "good schools" -- we are unfortunately more or less priced out most of the houses there.
From what I could gather, Montclair and Upper Rockridge has good elementary schools -- are they hard to get in even if you live in the assigned district? Do people usually end up sending their kids to private schools after elementary school?
Thank you!!
Parent Replies
In Oakland, most of the hill schools have high Great School scores but it also means they have low walkability not close to public transportation. There are some buses that run in the Oakland hills. Unfortunately, if you are priced out of Berkeley, you are probably priced out of Upper Rockridge too. Montclair is more "affordable" and the elementary school is pretty big so you'll probably get in if you live in the neighborhood.
I find this constant question regarding schools and neighborhoods infuriating. Until we decide as a community to make all schools “good schools” by sending our kids (mostly of some privilege- either of race or income or both) to our local neighborhood school, no matter the score, we will have segregated “bad schools.” We as a society need to have the courage to do this, even if it’s just one family at a time. All of Oakland’s schools, especially considering rampant gentrification, have the potential to be good schools. Find a house you love and can afford, in a neighborhood you feel good about, and send your kid to a school in the district that works for your family. Scores are BS at best.
Signed,
an OUSD parent in East Oakland who’s kid has made it through OUSD through middle school as well prepared as his friends who went to Park Day
Hi, Was in the same position as you and after looking all over the bay area, decided to buy in Oakland a couple of months ago due to the walkability and community - I didn't want to live in a ginormous house far away from people. We plan to enroll her in OUSD when she's 5. Oakland public schools get a bad rap so its easily overlooked, but after researching deeper in the school issue we're excited about the learning opportunities with her neighborhood public school. The diversity of the community provides a wealth of experience you can't replicate at segregated schools. I wouldn't rely on greatschools.org or any other site that uses standardized testing results as a measure of a "good" school - it doesn't provide a comprehensive picture. Good luck with your search!
I agree with the previous anonymous poster. When people talk about "good schools," they almost always mean white and wealthy schools, though they don't necessarily realize it. Test scores reflect the socioeconomic background of the children. They don't reflect the quality of the teaching or much of anything else. If you want your kid to only go to school with wealthy kids, then yes, you are going to have to pay for private school. That what most people who can afford it are doing these days in Oakland. That doesn't mean that your kid is going to get a better education at those schools. In fact, research shows private schools are no better than public. My kid is at a school ranked at 3/10 in East Oakland, and, while I have complaints, he is getting a good education.
Find a house you can afford in a neighborhood you like. GIve the schools a try. If it works out, great. If not, find another alternative. Don't freak out over test scores of the schools. Both our kids went through OUSD schools. We have a senior and a ninth grader. We stuck around for middle school when most everyone else went charter or private. Was it perfect? No. But I have to say, it was pretty amazing watching what it did for my kids. They learned more about the world around them than they ever would have learned tucked away in a school full of privileged kids. They also got a pretty solid education. And if this sort of thing means anything to you - my kid got a 1480 on the SAT first time out of the box. So OUSD must be doing something right.
I love you, anonymous posters! And to the parent making the request, I'd just say that you probably will freak out about what is likely to be a relatively low-scoring (read, not segregated, socioeconomically privileged) middle school in your neighborhood - especially for your first child, but then I recommend you just commit to being a part of a vibrant, actually diverse, Oakland community by pitching in and working to make all of the schools as great as possible for as many as possible. It's hard to know until you're in the school how much you can come to love and care about a public institution with a low score. I value my kids going to school and building community with kids whose family experiences are radically different from ours. It's not always easy, but it's valuable for my kids and for our community as a whole. This is the bedrock of our democracy. You'll be on the front lines! Embrace it all.