General

Report shows half of Richmond’s charter schools have substandard financial accountability and lack parent engagement

Seven charter schools in Richmond were among 43 charter schools in the state found to have faulty records for funds generated by high needs students, says a report by nonprofit law firm Public Advocates. The report published this year by the advocacy organization known for working with low income communities to bring strategic policy reform found that the charter schools were not abiding by state guidelines. The Local Control Accountability Plan and Local Control Funding Formula are state guidelines adopted…

Tales of Two Cities Podcast: Spectrums

Everything’s on a spectrum! In the latest episode of “Tales of Two Cities,” we’ll hear from people finding their own place on spectrums of language, hookup culture, neurodiversity, and politics. Reporters Maria Sestito and Edward Booth visit Richmond High School’s new Internationals Academy to learn about a sweet new way they are teaching English to newcomers. Brian Perlman reports how doctors’ diagnoses of Autism Spectrum Disorder affect families and individuals with the disorder. Oaklanders talk to reporters Carla Williams and…

School board approves trustee-area map

The final map will divide the district into five separate voting areas, each of which will elect one board member in future elections. This area-based system will replace the current at-large elections where school board winners are determined by a district-wide popular vote.

OPINION: Domestic Violence should be treated as a mental health issue

Our approach to solving domestic violence has been to arrest, jail, then release. This is not a long-term solution. Domestic violence is an epidemic that should be treated as more of a cultural and mental health problem. We have to try a new approach to solving this crisis. If we treat domestic violence as a mental health issue, we can find the resources to treat it. If the perpetrators of the domestic violence crime are treated in a heath institution,…

Richmond comes together for first Shabbat after Pittsburgh shooting

Inside Richmond’s Temple Beth Hillel on Nov. 2, just after the sun dipped below the western horizon, a group of about 40 people gathered for a potluck. The Friday sunset marked the beginning of Shabbat — and just like every first Friday of the month, the congregants of Temple Beth Hillel recognized it by coming together for a community dinner. There were the usual fixings: picnic salads and fruit and some pizza for the kids and kids at heart. And…

A new immigrant’s path from learning English to representing 1,700 educators

On a chilly morning in 2004, 13-year-old Demetrio Gonzalez who just immigrated to the U.S. sat in an eighth-grade English class at the Oak Crest Middle School in Encinitas, California and read Shakespeare’s articles for the first time. He stared at his brand new English book and thought, “Qué es esto?”–“What is this” in Spanish. The teacher noticed Gonzalez’s struggles with a language barrier from his nervous face, so she pulled him aside and offered to help. “Through my very,…

Student ratios improve for district health professionals, but numbers are still overwhelming

When counselor Teresa Pamintuan arrived in the West Contra Costa County Unified School District more than a decade ago, hundreds of students would be trying to get in to see her every day. She would try to squeeze in dozens of seniors a day for 20-minute one-on-one meetings to help map out their career and college goals. She often skipped lunch. But as the district’s lead counselor in the past year, she has helped reform the overwhelming caseload for school…