[naet]

I'm in Oakland with a three year old and I'm looking to either move to a better school district or pay for an expensive private school. I used to be a substitute teacher for the Oakland unified school district and I straight up refuse to send my son there. I have seen firsthand that these kids are not being taught well and the shortcomings compound year over year until you end with high school level students that are unequipped to learn at the high school level, often only barely able to read. Completely unequipped to read critically at the level needed for a proper high school education. Students get passed on to the next level no matter what, even if they lack the basic skills needed to succeed at that level.

It has only gone downhill since I left, and is now facing something like a hundred million dollar deficit in budget which will likely lead to deeper cuts and worse student outcomes.

I'm not sure what I will do but the deadline to figure it out is fast approaching. Probably we will move, but not sure how to find the right place that isn't too far away or out of our budget but can offer a better future / stronger education for my children. I don't have the solution, but I know other places have done much better than my city sadly. I've read that states like Mississippi have been able to dramatically improve their educational outcomes with certain literacy programs.

[rahimnathwani]

Have you considered Yu Ming, the language immersion charter school? You wouldn't need to move, you wouldn't need to pay, and 88℅ of students meet or exceed state standards for math.

(There are folks working at SFUSD for whom Yu Ming was their top choice of school for their kids.)

[drivebyhooting]

Private schools are not all created equal. And the admissions gauntlet can be a special kind of hell.

[derwiki]

Can you speak more to the gauntlet? Had a bunch of friends go private in SF this year and other than “play date interviews” it seemed like a breeze?

[drivebyhooting]

The interviews are about vetting the parents than the actual child. The criteria are opaque and fraught with nepotism and discrimination.

There is a veritable cottage industry of admission consultants charging up to $10,000 for interview prepping the family.

[rahimnathwani]

It could be worse: https://share.google/Uewx4foyaWV9ukXsC

[efavdb]

FWIW: A few nearby towns that are supposed to have good schools: Castro Valley, Albany, Alameda.