COMMENTARY: Oakland’s Black Students Have Gained Ground: We Shouldn’t Stop Now

By Walter Riley Oakland’s Black students are making faster gains in reading and math than Black students statewide, according to state data released Oct. 15. Those gains followed decisions by school board President Jennifer Brouhard and Vice President Valarie Bachelor to keep schools open, invest in Black students and support teachers. Since 2023, Black students in Oakland Unified School District have gained about 31 points in English and math on the California School Dashboard — roughly three times the statewide English gain and more than twice the math gain. Our students still trail their statewide peers, but they have narrowed that gap by about a third. In 2022, the previous board voted to close or reduce grades at 11 schools, mostly serving Black and Brown families. A state civil rights investigation later found the plan would have unlawfully discriminated against Black, low-income and disabled students.

This excerpt comes from the named source. Read the original for the full reporting.