Advice about OUSD Elementary Schools

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Navigating the OUSD Lottery
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Apr 19, 2024

I find myself in the position of being a single parent, having recently purchased a home on the less desirable side of 580 due to affordability constraints. My daughter, who is 2.5 years old, is a significant factor in my decision-making process. Unfortunately, the local public elementary school doesn't meet my comfort level for her education. I'm aware of the Oakland Unified School District's lottery system, which prioritizes neighborhood children and those within the catchment area. I'm eager to connect with fellow parents who have faced similar challenges and learn about the strategies they employed to address this issue. The prospect of relocating once again would be daunting for us, so any insights or advice shared would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance for your assistance.

Apr 19, 2024

I obviously don’t know you, and don’t know the specifics of where you live or which school you’re talking about so I may be off base here, but your post seems to reflect a lot of assumptions that may not be accurate. When you say you live on the “less desirable side” of 580, I assume you mean you live below 580. I do too, by choice - I love my neighborhood and my neighborhood public school, where I have a first grader and an incoming kindergartener. I can’t tell from your post whether you’ve done any actual research (tours of the school, speaking to parents or staff) or just looked it up on GreatSchools or something similar, but I highly encourage you yo go do before deciding it’s not right for your child. There are many great public elementary schools in Oakland, yes, even on the “wrong” side of the freeway. Also, your child is ONLY 2! Chances are things will change before they enroll. You really don’t need to be too focused on this right now.

All that said, the nice thing about OUSD is you are not stuck with your neighborhood school. There really aren’t any “strategies” to employ, other than touring schools, talking to parents and staff, deciding which ones you like best, and taking your chances in the lottery just like everyone else. If you don’t get into your top choice right away, you can always try your neighborhood school for a year - maybe it will surprise you — and apply for your top choice again for first grade.

Apr 24, 2024

I wouldn't worry about it too much if you are spreading a wide net beyond the richest schools in OUSD (Crocker, Thornhill, etc.)

My kids go to Cleveland Elementary and a large ratio (1/2-1/3) of students are from outside the catchment zone, and the kindergarten classes have been a bit under-enrolled (~20-22 students per class, when max is a bit more). It's a wonderful school with strong academics, lots of community and a very involved PTA. We considered a couple other schools that also had strong academics but were not completely in the hills (Glenview Elementary, Lincoln Elementary).

If your daughter is particularly verbal and academically-oriented, I'd also look at some of the language immersion schools (Manzanita SEED, French Charter). That challenge would've been great for my elder but not my younger child, and I refused to split them up.

Apr 24, 2024

I can hear in your question how worried and concerned you are about this but there are lots of options and time to figure it out. Others might have other options but l'll talk about what we did and how we made choices within OUSD.

There are lots of good OUSD schools and it is very possible toget into some of them outside of neighborhood. Look outside the traditional high demand schools and you'll still find ones thatare good fits for your kid. For example, we were looking for a Spanish immersion program. MLA is the high demand option. But touring others and asking around we found 3 or 4 others we'd be happy with. We've ended up at Greenleaf which has everything we wanted but is not that popular with people outside the neighborhood.

So, when the time comes (the winter before the fall your kid will enroll), tour a lot of schools, talk to neighbors and friends about where their kids go, do some internet research about schools outside the high demand bubble. I'd encourage you to even tour your neighborhood school. A lot can change in a few years and you might be surprised by what you find. Then, ultimately rank your choices, cross your fingers and hope for the best. It's helpful to remember there's no one best school for your kid but many that might work. And you can always try again the next year if your first placement doesn't work out.

Apr 24, 2024

Hello, welcome to this side of the 580. My family lives here too. The ousd school system can be stressful to navigate, but it's also not that bad. Because so many families have moved away from Oakland, seats are not filling up as fast as they used to. Schools with high reputations still have wait lists, but I've heard anecdotally that those wait lists clear within the first two weeks of school. So, with patience, families may still end up with their #1 choice of school even if they're not zoned for it. Since you have time (with your child not being quite TK age yet), you may want to take some time to read the book Learning in Public to understand the education system on a deeper, more nuanced level. (The book examines their experience entering an OUSD school and a lot more.) This may help put the choices in better perspective. But to get into the nuts and bolts of the process, you're allowed to add as many schools as you like for the lottery and rank them. Any school you don't get into that is below the one you do get an offer at will drop off the list. (The lottery results take place in March.) Everything above the school you receive an offer for, you will be waitlisted for. You can accept the offer you receive and still remain on the waitlist for the other schools. Some people will accept an offer from their higher-ranked school all the way up until the first two weeks after school begins. Some families settle for the one they got an offer at. When it comes to deciding who is offering a good education, this one is complex and shouldn't be relegated to only word of mouth. Word of mouth tends to rely on reputations that built up many years ago and may or may not reflect the current reality. A great principal and amazing teachers & school staff that stick around for a while will make for an amazing school. This will not be reflected on school ranking websites. Test scores alone are not a great picture into whether a school is good. Aside from reading the book, I also recommend talking to families who have kids in your neighborhood school and talking to families with kids in other schools that are located in areas that work well for your commute (if you have a commute). See what families have to say. We've been happy to discover that our kids (now ages 10 and 14) have been receiving amazing educations at schools that are never on high-reputation list or even include a wait list. Great teachers, lovely school culture. Best of luck as you navigate and learn about the Oakland public education system!

Apr 24, 2024

Especially at OUSD, a lot might change in the next couple years, so I would definitely encourage you to tour your neighborhood school and talk to local parents about their experience as there is a lot to be said for being in a neighborhood school and not driving across town twice a day. That said, if you decide that school is not for you, there are several larger elementary schools that end up having more spots for non-catchment kids. Tour those as well! If your daughter falls into the TK range, or there is TK for all by the time you enroll, her TK spot would guarantee her K spot.

Apr 25, 2024

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ADHD Kid in OUSD, Should we consider moving?
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Mar 9, 2024

Hi There. I have a kid who just turned 4. He is diagnosed ADHD (early for a diagnosis I know, but he was officially evaluated by Kaiser at the recommendation of our Pediatrician). He has had his fair share of struggles in preschool. He struggles with impulse control, aggression, and transitions. All of these are very typical for ADHD kids at his age. We don't medicate him because he's just so young, but will consider in the future if needed. We are always very proactive with OT and other skill building work.

He will be attending private preschool for one more year (no TK), and I'm starting to plan for Kindergarten in 2025. We've been going through the IEP process with OUSD because we had initially planned for TK and its been a slog. Its taken a long time, 6+ months. And in general I've heard from others that OUSD will be a hard fit for a kid with his issues. I'm sure its very school-to-school dependent, but we do not live in one of the super desirable elementary school zones (I know its lottery). My question is have others found that OUSD can support their Neurodivergent kids and they have been able to succeed? Or would it be wise to consider moving to a new city (considering Berkley, Alameda, Piedmont etc.)

Mar 9, 2024

Slightly similar boat - our oldest is entering Kindergarten next year and is diagnosed with mild ASD w/ ADHD. We're in the middle of going through the IEP process with OUSD, but we ended up getting a placement at Emerson in Temescal (we live in West Oakland) under the understanding that they're the best OUSD school for supporting ASD/ADHD kids. TBD how well that support materializes, but in terms of public schools we've heard from a few different sources that it's the "best" one.

My only other advice is to see if you can hold him back a year? Our son is turning 6 this summer and while I wasn't excited to pay for an extra year of private pre-school, the extra year absolutely made a huge difference in his ability to handle more a more structured environment.

Mar 13, 2024

I have two kids in OUSD with ADHD (and anxiety). It's been a mixed bag. Not horrendous but not stellar. Some really great things and some not so great. We are also not in a high demand school, though we are at one of the Spanish-immersion ones.

With oldest kid, who is now in 3rd grade, he was diagnosed almost two years ago after a hellish year of zoom kindergarten and a better year of first grade. The ADHD diagnosis surprised us as we had originally gone in just for anxiety but it makes sense the more we learn about ADHD and our family history of it. We started out on a 504 plan for him and that was easy to do. We then moved to a IEP after his diagnosis so that he could access OT at school. It was a very long process, one which I think put OUSD out of compliance with the law. But ultimately is was very, very thorough and complete. They came away with a very good understanding of my kid, good accommodations and services and we got what we wanted out of it. He is not taking medication. Beyond specific accommodations, he gets pulled out for reading support for 2 30 sessions each week, pulled out for OT one time a week and has two sessions of a 1:1 aide with him for 2 30 minute sessions each week. The communication from his support staff and teachers has been good. I do wish the school would have moved forward with having him evaluated earlier. I feel like they should have known he was struggling earlier and considered him needing services without us asking, but maybe that is unrealistic, especially considering how much zoom kindergarten did to mess up everyone's education his age.

My second kid is in K this year. His ADHD presents a lot differently. We have been talking to people about him having it since he was 3 though he was just diagnosed this fall. He achieves well at school but it is exhausting for him and the he has a lot of negative self talk. We have just started him on medication and are working on getting that right. That process has been difficult with the school as the school nurse is only there a few hours each week and she needs to train the office staff and teachers to make sure he gets it. He started on an IEP for speech at 4 while in private preschool. He's continued on that and we are just now entering into his triennial reevaluation. We have to make a decision about if we want him evaluated for other services or accommodations or just continue with speech. Right now the school is telling us that they don't think he need further evaluation beyond speech as he's at grade level in almost everything. They would rather wait till first grade to do additional testing. As parents, it's hard to tell what the right way forward is here and I don't know which way we'll go.

The school has been very helpful in helping us find our kids counselors for outside support for their ADHD and anxiety. They've made recommendations of providers and also connected us with a non-profit service that helps families find providers.

So, I think my kids are doing fine in academics and socially. They are welcomed and supported at school. They are getting the services they need but it often feels like I as a parent am stumbling around in the dark trying to figure out the best way forward for them and the school sometimes is helpful in figuring that out and sometimes less so. I think whether your kid will do okay in OUSD a lot depends on the school and teachers and how their ADHD is.

Mar 13, 2024

I have a kid with ADHD in BUSD and I wouldn’t recommend it. Support is very minimal and there are numerous problems at the school that impact all kids but are extra challenging for a kid with additional struggles. There’s been a lot of principal and teacher turnover, too many beginning teachers, part-time teachers, subs for more than 6 months of the school year, outdated reading curriculum, not enough support staff, etc. Some BUSD schools are better than others but since you won’t actually be able to choose your school I wouldn’t recommend moving to Berkeley expecting great support. It might still be better than your current zoned school but if you are looking to move for the schools I’d look elsewhere.

Mar 13, 2024

My kid has ADHD (along with other learning disabilities) and overall has been really well supported in OUSD. Getting a good IEP with appropriate accommodations is crucial; my experience is that teachers have been mindful of the accommodations specified in the IEP. My son also gets additional support from the resource staff which has been really great. He is medicated—ymmv but medication has been crucial for my kid to be able to focus. (He was diagnosed and started meds in 1st grade, is now in 6th, and doing really well in an OUSD middle school.)

One caveat: if you do decide to start meds, wait until your kid has been assessed by OUSD and has an IEP in place before starting. Otherwise they may appear too high functioning to qualify for the IEP! (Meds are great for things like focus, but don’t address other aspects of ADHD like executive functioning challenges—which an IEP can support with.)

My advice is to reach out to the resource team at each school you’re considering to get more information on what kind of support they can provide. My kid didn’t have a diagnosis before elementary, but when we started looking at middle schools, I reached out to the resource staff at the schools we were considering, and that was really helpful, since staffing levels and how they structure services can vary from site to site.

Mar 13, 2024

I would recommend joining the Special Needs Parenting /IEP support FB group as you will see many people ask this question about their respective district. Search through old posts and you will find that there is no perfect district, and often a lot depends on the particular needs of the child and the current special education team at the school. Good luck!

Mar 14, 2024

OUSD will not support your child. The only school that did was Burbank Preschool Center which has the most teachers with credentials to teach kids with special needs. My son who has HF ASD and SPD went there from age 3-5 and it was a great experience since everyone working there was knowledgeable and had experience working with neurodiverse kids.

I visited every elementary school that had an inclusive program in OUSD prior to applying for my top 3 choices. I wanted to meet the teachers, the inclusion specialist, and the paras. One thing I learned is that its not the school that matters, but the teacher/aides that will be supporting your child. My son was at one of the “top” schools in OUSD funding wise, and still didn’t get the support he needed.

The only district I’ve heard that’s better with neurodiverse kids is Lafayette. My son recently took an extracurricular class at Happy Valley Elementary in Lafayette and its a beautiful school- everything you would expect from a school in Lafayette. The minimal interaction I’ve had with the staff was positive, however, I have no idea what being enrolled there is actually like.

A quarter into second grade at a top OUSD school, I pulled my son out and started homeschooling him. It took a few months for us to adjust, but after receiving support from a local charter school that supports homeschoolers its the best thing I could have done for my son’s education and well being.

He’s always been academically advanced, but I thought enrolling him in OUSD would give him the chance to develop social skills from the neurotypical kids. I also wanted to take advantage of the speech therapy and social skills group provided at OUSD. Bottom line is OUSD like many public and private schools in general are not capable of giving children with special needs the attention they need to succeed. They teach to the average so if your kid is behind or advanced its up to the parents to supplement their child which is what we did anyway knowing that they don’t have the resources.

It was ultimately the bullying and crazy amount of indoctrination that I would no longer tolerate for my son that led me to pull him out of OUSD. While it is more difficult for me than my son, it’s totally worth his happiness, ability to advance educationally, and my peace of mind that he’s in a safe and supportive environment that I know this was the best decision we ever made for him.

Homeschooling is not what people generally think it is which is being at home all the time. I put him in a few in-person extracurricular and academic classes so he’s around kids often. He’s in social skills and OT through my insurance and speech therapy through the charter school. He does a few hours of school work a day and goes to classes throughout the week. He goes to a homeschool PE class and does martial arts twice a week so he gets plenty of physical activity. We can travel and take his work with us whenever we want.

The local homeschooling community is filled with kind, empathetic, and capable teachers, parents, and children many of who are neurodiverse. We’re not meant to fit in a box and as a parent of a neurodiverse kid I can’t help, but feel for my child who absolutely does not fit that box. If you can make homeschooling work for your family I would 1000% do it over traditional school public or private. Look into local public charter schools (Visions, Connecting Waters, etc) which help with structure, support, and funding. Each child gets around $2900 a year to spend on classes, supplies, field trips, etc. If any part of you is considering homeschooling your child, DO IT! :)

Mar 14, 2024

I have two ADHD kids with IEPs that have been through several of the schools in West Contra Costa school district and I have been very unhappy with the support provided. I ended up homeschooling my son and putting him in a 3 day a week microschool, Seeds of Love Collective. There are other neurodiverse kids in the program also from Oakland and Berkeley. The connection to nature is exactly what his central nervous system needs. The Montessori School on Cutting and Arlington in El Cerrito is supposed to be good with neurodivergent kids as well as The Berkeley School and Walden. Best of luck!

Mar 19, 2024

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Seeking reviews of Bella Vista, Cleveland, and Franklin
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Dec 7, 2023

Hello, my oldest daughter will be enrolling in elementary school next fall and we are deciding how we want to rank our local schools. We live very close to Bella Vista and it seems fine, but nothing super special. We’re not too far from Cleveland and Franklin; both of which have much better reviews so far and the principals seem much more enthusiastic and passionate about their school community. Can anyone share any additional recent reviews?

thanks!

Dec 7, 2023

My son starter kinder this year at Cleveland, our neighborhood, and VT (the principal) is amazing. Everyone we've interacted with at the school is great, we adore his teacher (Ms Yan), and we really appreciate their focus on teaching ecoliteracy/spending time outside in the garden. The after school program (Oakland Leaf) is fine, my son loves it but what 6 year old wouldn't love playing with their friends for a couple hours each day. Def tour the schools. I know Cleveland has a couple of tours scheduled each week through Jan.

Dec 13, 2023

Our child was at Bella Vista last year and we thought it was a good school. Not there this year because we relocated. The principal is actually very engaged and there are some great programs there. The after school program was great and available for all students for free. It does have its issues as all OUSD schools do but we loved the diversity and there are some exceptional staff members there. Tour all the schools you are considering as that will give you the best impression and opportunity to speak to principals and staff.

Dec 14, 2023
Chabot or MLA for kinder?
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Mar 20, 2023

Hello parents! We somehow got into Chabot and Melrose Leadership Academy for kindergarten and would love to hear from current parents of kindergarteners what’s great and what’s not. We are super happy at Escuela Bilingüe Internacional and planned to continue, but surprised we have more great choices. We hate to give up Spanish immersion, but people are acting like we won the actual lottery getting into Chabot. Thanks in advance for any insights!

Mar 20, 2023

Longtime Chabot family here... Chabot is a great school, but it will not offer you anything comparable to a bilingual education for your child. They used to have PTA-funded Spanish class in some grades and an optional Spanish language program before school. But that bit the dust during covid (huge loss, in my opinion). Chabot also lost some absolutely stellar teachers during Covid, sadly.

If you at all have an option for a full bilingual education, I don't think there's any aspect of Chabot that can compare with that. It's a totally solid school academically, and your kid will come out having met or exceeded the state standards. But I think the reason people treat it like winning the lottery is because they are comparing it to other public neighborhood schools, not to schools with specialized programs like MLA or EBI.

My two cents - go for the bilingual education!

Mar 22, 2023

Hello! As someone from outside the catchment area who DID get into Chabot - yes, it very much felt like we won the lottery! HIGHLY RECOMMEND. My eldest is now in middle school and my youngest is in 1st grade at Chabot. Here is why I love it:

Extremely good teachers, some of whom are award winners! We have only had one teacher who was not a good fit for our eldest, who is a more shy, reserved child. But that SAME teacher is a perfect fit for our younger, more boisterous child. While you can't request a teacher by name, they do an excellent job of listening and trying to pair your student to the right teacher if you have any specific requests or needs.

Extra support: My youngest has ADHD, and needs extra help with managing his emotions and his impulse control. The counselor at the school is a great listener, and has been excellent at working with us to create management plans with the teacher and yard staff. I know from other parents with neuro-divergent kids at Chabot that this school does a MUCH better job at providing assistance than other schools. Yes, all public schools are required by law to "help" kids with special needs. Not all schools actually do it with any kind of enthusiasm. Chabot DOES support kids, proactively. Onsite speech therapist, social-emotional counselor, therapist, nurse, etc.

Inclusion: Principal Jessica Cannon really tries to listen and include ALL people at Chabot. Even when she makes mistakes, she does an excellent job at apologizing, acknowledging her mistake, and trying to do better. Over the course of this month, she is having small group breakfasts with different affinity groups, many of whom have limited English skills and so might not feel able to participate in PTA meetings, etc. I respect that she's putting in the extra effort to make sure that she hears and addresses their needs. The school also has a VERY strong stance on LGBTQ inclusion and anti-bullying. One of the kids in our K class was gender non-binary, and the staff supported their pronouns, expression, and bathroom needs.

Community: I keep hearing about other schools with parent cliques, and I haven't seen it here. There is a real dedication to pitching in and helping. We make sure that the gala and other events are free or reduced price for those who want to participate. The parents also fundraise a "helping hands" fund for community members who are in financial distress. When my husband lost his job, that fund helped us pay some bills. Now that he has a job again, we gave back, but there was NO expectation that we had to do so. The community really takes care of each other!

Extras: The PTA puts a LOT of work into the school, especially in fundraising. That means that we have a dedicated music teacher, art teacher, and science lab assist. Many schools don't get that!

Cons: The after school program does not cover the entire population of the school, and they have been inconsistent with their programming. They seem to be doing better lately, but I understand that they had a hard time hiring post-pandemic. Also, we used to have a dedicated Spanish teacher, and I'm sad that we lost that program.

Hope that helps!

Mar 23, 2023
Classroom spaciousness at OUSD elementary schools
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Dec 10, 2022

Hi everyone! I have a question about Oakland public schools. Have you seen the classrooms of any of these schools? I am hoping to find out which ones feel spacious/calm and which ones might feel cramped/tiny, especially for the younger grades.

My kiddo is "high-functionining" autistic and his preschool teachers said he really struggles to learn when he feels physically more confined. She said that we should prioritize a spacious physical environment for him for kindergarten.

I did a tour today of an otherwise-lovely school but it turns out both kindergarten classes are in portable trailers with small windows. Their first grade classrooms are larger but the class size is large as well (23-30 kids), so it felt cramped to me with that many desks in it.

Here are the schools we're looking at, but definitely open to others as well. Thanks! :-) Peralta, La Escuelita, Cleveland, Sequoia, Redwood Heights, Joaquin Miller, Crocker Highlands, Chabot, Hillcrest, Glenview, Bella Vista, and Emerson.

Dec 10, 2022

My kid goes to Joaquin Miller. I would say the classroom sizes there are pretty good. Not large, but at least medium-sized, and with good windows. They do have portables, and currently two of the second-grade classes are in the portables. Which are not tiny, but are smaller than the regular classrooms, and less windowed. But at least K and 1st grade are not in portables. My vague recollection from touring kindergartens 4 years ago is that Redwood Heights had one of the best campuses, with a spacious feel. Sequoia is about medium, like JM. And Crocker Highlands is cramped, with too many kids fit into too small of a space. I haven't actually been inside the new Glenview building, but it's brand new, so probably nicer than the old buildings, and maybe bigger. Hope that helps. Good luck.

Dec 14, 2022

We have direct experience with Cleveland. It's a smaller school, and I felt that the classrooms were decently sized -- not huge but not tiny either. The cafeteria/multi-purpose room is small for the school size. There's no gym. Portables are common in many OUSD schools. Some classrooms don't have windows that open. Cleveland's K classes are in a separate smaller building and I thought the classrooms felt bright and cheerful and the space felt adequate. Not huge but not tiny or crammed either. Cleveland does have a very nice gardening program and the campus has more greenery than many other OUSD schools.

Dec 15, 2022

I have a 1st grader at Glenview. The school was completely renovated and opened up for the first time in 2021. It is a beautiful school, and the staff, and PTA are very supportive towards the students. The rooms are quite spacious, as well. I would recommend this school. I'm still tapping into the community, but from what I've experienced so far, it's an excellent OUSD school. Good luck!

Dec 15, 2022

My daughter is at Crocker Highlands. I won't lie, it feels like a rabbit warren. Her classroom is large but I wouldn't go so far as to say that it is spacious. The multi-purpose room is windowless. We also looked at Urban Montessori and the classrooms there were large and spacious. That was many years ago though, and I think that they may be in another building now.

We love a lot of things about Crocker, but given your comments, I don't think that it would be a good match.

Dec 21, 2022

Also just for reference--OUSD target class size for early elementary is 24 kids, though the classes can be somewhat larger (though not as big as 30--max under the teachers' contract is 28 or 29, I think, and less for kindergarten). While some schools do have smaller classes, you're going to be less likely to find them at most of the schools on your list, since they are high-demand schools. You might find smaller class sizes at La Escuelita or Emerson, which aren't quite as much in demand as the others you listed. I'm not familiar with their campuses, though, so don't know whether the rooms themselves are large. (Emerson has a large outdoor play space, though.)

Dec 28, 2022

Peralta is a wonderful school, but the classrooms are notoriously small.

Dec 28, 2022
Pros and cons of Crocker Highlands Elementary
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Sep 11, 2022

We're starting to research elementary schools for our incoming kindergartner. I'd love to hear from parents whose children currently attend Crocker Highlands Elementary. It's our home school and is walking distance.

I have a fairly opinionated, strong-willed but very sweet child. I have generally heard good things about this school but would love to hear more specifically about: (1) what your experience been with your child's teachers and administrators.

(2) what sports and music classes can we expect for the lower grades (if any)

(3) sense of community and opportunities for parents to volunteer and connect with one another (aside from fundraisers)

Sep 11, 2022

I'm sure you will get lots of glowing responses from families at Crocker, but as a family of a neurodivergent child, who is intellectually precocious to boot, we had a dreadful time there. The former principal was well loved but not by us. It was strange that at the time of her departure the school had her sit on a throne and kids paraded around. No idea why anyone thought that was appropriate.
The principal has since changed, but our interaction with the new principal during the 2 year delayed IEP process was shocking. She chewed gum, looked bored and clearly was doing a lot of other things during the zoom calls.
The teachers are caring and invested, yet, they also solve any challenges with kids by sending them to the principal's office. I know this isn't how all public schools in Oakland operate, as a friend with a child similar to mine had a much different experience at Joaquin Miller.
We asked for an IEP assessment multiple times, which we were legally entitled to, and the school repeatedly deferred. Our child was finally assessed and found to have a disability that explains why they struggled with behavioral challenges. The former principal refused to support most of our asks for 2 years, and she continually blamed us for our child's struggles. We suggested in 1st grade that our child might be bored and were told it wasn't possible. During the pandemic, as I was supporting my kid's education, that suspicion was well-founded. They were reading at a 12th grade level in 3rd grade, based on school required assessments.
Parents are friendly enough, but there are a fair bit of non-inclusive behaviors. It's a wealthy community that doesn't seem to welcome difference very well.
For context, our younger child started kindergarten during the remote school era, and they had no trouble with most things. But I do think it's worth looking at the outliers to understand deeper cultural aspects. Those who fit the norm will be fine most places so it's not that informative to evaluate based on those criteria.
We withdrew both kids from the school and have zero regrets.

Sep 15, 2022
Chabot Elementary vs Joaquin Miller
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Jun 14, 2021

Hi my son will be entering public school for the first time and was offered a spot at Joaquin Miller and Now Chabot Elementary and I’m torn on what to choose. My biggest concern is diversity at Chabot. Any people of color have experience with both schools?

Jun 14, 2021

I'm a white parent at Chabot and have been a part of that community for many years now. Hopefully parents of color will chime in too, but I wanted to share that Chabot is in the midst of a lot of change right now, including a significant demographic shift. Numerous affluent and/or white families left the school this past year because of dissatisfaction with distance learning. And I know of many other families who are switching to private school this summer too. In one year, the percentage of our student body that qualified for free and reduced lunch went from ~18% to nearly 30%, which (I think) puts it on par with Joaquin Miller. Looking around the yard at the end of this school year, the school looked more racially diverse to me as well.

Chabot is also participating in an enrollment pilot program which should contribute to it becoming even more socioeconomically diverse. (It's unclear whether the pilot will impact racial diversity much - time will tell.)

We also had quite a few teachers retire this year, and there will be new teachers at almost every grade level.

All of this is just to say that things are changing rapidly at Chabot, so if you get reviews from someone who was around even as recently as a year or two ago, it may not be super relevant anymore. Best of luck with your decision!

Jun 16, 2021
Elementary public schools in Oakland?...
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Mar 7, 2021

Hi there,

My daughter starts public school in August 2021. Any recommendations on elementary schools? I am hoping to have her attend one that is diverse in its approach and content, in learning. One that has a lot of outside time, and focuses on art, science, etc.

Thank you!

Mar 7, 2021

Cleveland Elementary School has an outdoor classroom and a strong eco-literacy program. We are at Cleveland. It is a true gem -- a high performing school that genuinely reflects Oakland's diversity. I'm not sure about focus on art or science at Cleveland. Peralta has a strong art program. Chabot has a nice playground. OUSD does not allow a lot of outside time. Recess at public schools is short. You can look at various school websites and see the school schedule. 15 min. recess here and there. 20 min. lunch play time. Curriculum is dictated by CA state and the district. We have learned that the quality and talent of the teacher dictates the type of experience your child will have in class.

Mar 9, 2021

You might be aware of this already, but the enrollment process for OUSD is fairly far along already. The lottery closed a few weeks ago and results come out tomorrow. If you are looking for school placement now and don't want to go to your neighborhood assigned option (or can't get in there because it's too full), you'll have to do a post-lottery application. The district and other education nonprofits usually put out of a list of schools that still have spots. So, that should be out soon. That might help you guide your choices as you look for a place.

Mar 10, 2021

Hi there,

We are at NOCCS and love the diversity, cross topic art programming, STEM and time in the garden beyond recess. Not sure you are open to charter schools. :) It is small and has an ever growing community of involved families. I will have a kinder and second grader there next year :)

Mar 10, 2021

I recommend Peralta Elementary.... they have great parent support and used to have a 'diversity' dinner for all.

Mar 10, 2021

I hope someone with recent experience will respond to your question. My daughter has graduated from high school, so my experience is not recent. You don't say where you live. Generally, if there's space, your child will be placed in your neighborhood school. Twenty years ago, it wasn't too difficult to request and be granted a placement in a different Oakland public elementary school (with a few exceptions), but it's my understanding that it's much harder now.

Mar 10, 2021

North Oakland Community Charter School is a good option to look into - the school has an arts and social justice focus and the students who attend represent a cross-cut of Oakland cultures. The school has a vegetable garden and chicken coop and is next door to an Oakland public park, so students have plenty of space to play and run. Due to covid, there will be a lot of outdoor teaching. https://www.noccs.org/ The initial lottery has passed, but they're accepting rolling applications and you can do a virtual or in-person tour. oaklandenrolls.org Signed, mom of NOCCS kids

Mar 10, 2021
OUSD curriculum questions 2nd grade
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Apr 9, 2020

Hi there bpn community! Like most of you, we're trying to prepare for a drastic shift in life and wonder what your experience with 2nd grade math in the OUSD system has been? Our kid really enjoys math and is doing multiplication and a bit of division now in 1st grade. She's also a great reader. What kind of math can we expect she'll have a chance to do as a second grader in Oakland? Also, what's on the reading list? Thanks in advance for your feedback.

Apr 9, 2020

OUSD follows Common Core standards for math, so you can check out the second grade standards for a sense of what she'd be learning. (In general, not multiplication or division quite yet, at least not formally--for more advanced math, you'll likely need to supplement.) Different schools use different math and reading programs, so there's no districtwide reading list. Best bet is to talk to your child's teacher to get a sense of what lies ahead. If you're not currently at an OUSD school, you might reach out to the principal where you'll be enrolling to see if they can connect you to a second grade teacher to get a better sense of what to expect.

Apr 15, 2020

The California state (and thus OUSD) curriculum for all grades is here: https://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/documents/ccssmathstandardaug2013.pdf. When my daughter was in school I referred to these standards frequently when I was helping her at home.

Apr 15, 2020

We have a first grader in OUSD who loves math as well. Your kid sounds a lot like ours. Unfortunately, my kid finds math at school too easy and boring and his grade in math is slipping. We supplement at home and know that he has a high level grasp of mathematical concepts and is simply frustrated with what he finds to be busy work. His work is “sloppy” at school but when encouraged intentionally at home, he excels.

OUSD has no support for younger kids who are advanced. We sadly feel that our kids languish while waiting for other kids to “catch up”.

Common core is very confusing which makes supplementing at home tricky. We end up ignoring some common core approaches when we supplement. My spouse majored in physics and Statistics and I am grateful she is able to supplement at home and feels confident in her approach despite it being a bit different from common core. I am a history major, so I would be lost without my spouse.

We are not happy with OUSD in terms of its “teach to the lowest common denominator” approach but that is the only option we have, so we try to provide a lot of enrichment at home.

Apr 22, 2020

Our child is in 2nd grade at a high scoring OUSD school. I have his common core math book here and they do a variety of things. Learning about money, telling time, 2-digit addition, and subtraction. Then they move to measurements, 3 digit addition, and subtraction. They do some geometry and word problems. Multiplication and division are not included from what we have experienced.

Apr 24, 2020
Seeking recent reviews of Oakland public elementary schools
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Jan 22, 2019

Hello parents in Oakland! Our daughter will start Kindergarten next year and we're trying to find the right school for her. We've applied to private schools (Redwood Day and Head-Royce) but we're hoping to get lucky in the OUSD lottery process and get her into a good (or good-enough) public school. Our lottery picks are due Feb 8, 2019. I've read all the BPN reviews, but many of them are a few years out of date, so if you have recent experience with OUSD schools, please share with us anxious parents. Right now our top choices, based on school quality and proximity, are these: Cleveland, Sequoia, Redwood Heights, Joaquin Miller, and Glenview. Any feedback on these schools? Or other recommendations? Thanks!!

Jan 22, 2019

We are a Cleveland elementary school family. Cleveland is a wonderfully diverse school full of great kids, dedicated and fantastic teachers and staff, exceptional principal, and very involved and supportive families. There are 1 - 2 teachers at Cleveland who are more old school and just about everyone complains about them but other than these known 1 - 2 "problem" teachers, parents LOVE all of the other teachers. Kindergarten teachers are beyond fabulous -- fun, engaging, dedicated. PTA is very active and the school does an amazing job of keeping all families informed. Cleveland has many community events. It's a relatively small school and the campus is small in a nice and cozy way. I do wish that we had an indoor gym. The school lacks a large open indoor space. Its eco-literacy program is unique and lovely. It has OUSD district wide challenges and PTA works very hard to make up the difference. The school emphsizes inclusiveness, respect, and kindness.

Although we have been satisifed with Cleveland, if we had the money, we'd want to be at a private school like Park Day, St. Paul or Redwood Day. Private school education is better in many ways. Private schools win hands down on teacher to student ratio alone. Our K class at Cleveland has around 22 kids with one teacher and no aide. The on-site after care programs do not have an option to add enrichment class like musical instrument or martial arts unlike private school after school programs. The curriculum is rigid. My spouse and I both went to private schools where learning was more project based. That is not how public school students are taught, so we're a bit disappointed and feel that private school kids really get individualized learning and get to develop love of learning and intellectual curiosity while our public school kids get a bit shortchanged on that front. In K classes, there is quite a bit of crowd controlling as opposed to actual learning due to large class size and varying maturity levels of kids. But, we can't afford private school while paying off astronomical mortgage and student loan and supporting elderly parents, so among the Oakland public school options, we are grateful to be at Cleveland. The thing about many of the schools you listed is that if you are not zoned for the school, you will most likely be waitlisted and then come off of the waitlist very late in the summer just before school starts or within the first 1 - 2 weeks after school starts. By then, you will have started at a private school and probably don't want to switch school. Cleveland was considered a hidden gem for a while but the word must be out because last year there was a very long waitlist for Cleveland.

Mar 1, 2019

RE:

Oakland charter schools (Apr 2, 2017)

You are not limited to your neighborhood school so I recommend you check with OUSD about your options. There are several excellent Oakland public elementary schools. My daughter attended Kaiser Elementary (not our neighborhood school) and it was a fantastic experience.

Apr 13, 2017

RE:

Oakland charter schools (Apr 2, 2017)

I encourage you to give Oakland schools a chance. We have been extremely happy with our local public school (Sequoia in the Dimond District)--I believe it is one of the most (if not the most) diverse school in the district in terms of both ethnicity and economics. Oakland schools vary widely in terms of size, educational quality, ethnic diversity, etc. If you explore the schools you are likely to find one that fits your needs. While there are many neighborhood kids at our school there are also kids from all over the city. And the teachers at our school are really amazing--they have done a great job of keeping our gifted child academically challenged and loving school. I would imagine that at grades 4 & 5, it shouldn't be too hard to find a placement in a school you and your kids will be happy with.

A happy Oakland public school Mama

Apr 12, 2017

RE:

Oakland charter schools (Apr 2, 2017)

Welcome! The first thing I'd do is find out more about your neighborhood school; look beyond test scores and you may be pleasantly surprised. If not, the first call to make is to the Oakland Unified Student Assignment Center. OUSD class sizes expand in fourth grade and many schools that are hard to get into for kindergarten have spaces in fourth and fifth grades as a result, so you may have some choices within the District that you are happy with. The sooner you get on the waitlist, the better, as enrollment for next year is already underway. If you need a spot immediately, you may have even better options since mid-year openings are not always filled (and will then get to continue at that school next year once enrolled). Charter schools have already run their lotteries for next year, but may also be more likely to have unexpected openings at those grade levels. It is extremely unlikely that you will get a transfer into Berkeley schools unless you are a teacher in the Berkeley school district; the bar is very high for granting transfers and Berkeley schools are currently overcrowded. Good luck!

Apr 5, 2017