Oakland Unified School District board regains some control
After serving as little more than an advisory board for almost four years, the Oakland Unified School District board has regained some control over policy decisions, officials say. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell signed an agreement with the district returning to the seven-member school board control over "community relations and governance." This allows the board to have greater say over policy decisions, school board President David Kakishiba says. "I believe the State Administrator (Kimberly Statham) is going to be very intentional in collaborating with the board inc rafting new policy and engaging the board in specific ways to come to a collective decision on some big-ticket challenges facing the district, one of which will be how to deal with the sharp enrollment loses," he says. State officials took control of the financially bankrupt school district in 2003 after a $100 million bailout. A state administrator was named to run the district, relegating the school board to an advisory role. Since then, state officials have worked with local administrators to restore fiscal solvency and improve academic performance throughout Oakland schools. Regular progress reports by the state’s Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team have shown significant improvement in student achievement, fiscal management and other areas, prompting state officials to begin restoring some of the board’s authority.
San Francisco Chronicle
By Christopher Heredia
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