2024-25 Mid-Year Report
Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.
-Fred Rogers
Dear Oakland Unified Community,
I have always believed in that quote from Mr. Rogers because of its simplicity and generosity of spirit. Especially during difficult times or when things seem overwhelming or uncertain, I want to remind us about the helpers, right here in Oakland. Our staff, our families, our community partners - you are all helpers who show up for our young people every day. And for you all, I will be forever grateful.
Just look at our schools and you can see so many helpers in action, doing all that they can to help young students read, to pique the curiosity of middle schoolers and make learning fun, and to ensure our seniors are ready for the real world, with solid plans for postsecondary success.
And it’s working: our young people are thriving.
I write today to present a Mid Year Impact Report about our long-term Strategic Plan and I am excited to share a snapshot of the progress we are making on our four initiatives:
- Ensuring Strong Readers by the Third Grade
- Creating Joyful Schools
- Supporting Empowered Graduates
- Growing a Diverse and Stable Staff
As you’ll see, our strategies for each initiative come with milestones against which we measure student outcomes and district progress. By taking stock of where we are at the midpoint of each school year, we can see what’s working, what needs to be improved, and how we can adjust our work accordingly.
Thank you for taking the time to read this report, and moreover for investing your time, energy, and love in our young people. I want to call out the voters of Oakland especially for their generous support of our multiple bonds and parcel taxes over the years. The progress we’ve made on each initiative of the Strategic Plan would not have been possible without these altruistic votes. Thank you for believing in our vision. It is our collective mission to help students become the independent, hard-working, critical thinkers that our world needs now more than ever.
It has been a profound privilege to lead the same school district that made me who I am, both as a student and as an educator. Having been Superintendent since July 2017, I have seen us collectively weather challenges of all kinds, and I have seen us come out the other side stronger than ever, thanks to that Oakland resolve.
I want to close by resharing the same words I used when we first unveiled the Strategic Plan in 2020:
A community with thriving students and thriving schools is our future! We remain undefeated.
In solidarity,
Dr. Kyla Johnson-Trammell
Superintendent