Having attended La Escuelita, Jefferson, Claremont, Dewey, Oakland Tech, and Fremont High School, I am a proud product of Oakland and OUSD. Since 1999, I have worked in service of students and families at Oakland schools and I am honored to continue my work as Principal at Frick United Academy of Language.

In 2019 we began the design for the new Frick United Academy of Language. Our Design Team, composed of members of Frick Impact Academy and Oakland School of Language (SOL) school communities, worked tirelessly to create a new school with the best elements of both schools to provide a high quality and rigorous learning environment for middle students in East Oakland with a focus on bilingualism and biliteracy and social justice.

All students at Frick United Academy of Language will have the opportunity to study a second language. No matter the English and/or Spanish proficiency of our students, we offer an early start to bilingualism and biliteracy so that our students are prepared to graduate from High School with the State Seal of Biliteracy in Spanish. To address varying levels of language proficiency, Frick United Academy of Language offers five pathways which allow students to receive instruction suited to their needs.

Another essential component of Frick United Academy of Language is the focus on ensuring a nurturing environment guided by restorative justice practices and service learning. We offer a unique Advisory Program that focuses on learning and practicing social-emotional skills, developing a sense of self identity and cultural belonging, growing the ability and openness to interact across cultures, and recognizing and disrupting racial oppression.

Frick United Academy of Language offers new state-of-the art facilities, from our athletic fields and courts to our comprehensive on-site health center with both physical and mental health services. Our student athletes train in game-time conditions with fields and courts fully dedicated to resemble match conditions. Available to all students, our health center employs regular medical staff who can see students during school hours and after school hours.

Our strong partnerships will help us meet the unique needs of our students and families. Our partners are part of our school family and truly understand our students’ needs. Students and families coming to Frick United Academy of Language can expect to be supported through partnerships that will help them to achieve success.

I am excited to welcome you to our new school and look forward to meeting you soon!

As a proud graduate of Oakland Public Schools, I am excited to work with the community at Frick United Academy of Language. This year has definitely been one for our history books and I am grateful to return to the neighborhood I grew up in and honored to join this great community.

David Yoshihara has been in public education for over 25 years having worked in K-12, community colleges and universities. He has served in unified districts, elementary districts, high school districts, and county offices of education. Dr. Yoshihara has worked in all major areas of education from curriculum and instruction to business services and human resources. He received his doctorate in organizational leadership from the University of La Verne. His current foci have been on addressing issues of inequity, improving instructional leadership in schools, and increasing student voice in K-12 education. Some of his major accomplishments include the formation of a first-of-its kind music immersion program to close the academic achievement gap and the establishment of school-based wellness centers. Dr. Yoshihara has served on various boards and commissions including but not limited to First 5 of Sacramento, Fiscal Crisis Management and Assistant Team, and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. He currently serves as the Assistant Principal of Frick United Academy of Language in Oakland, California.

Content coming soon.

I was born in Oakland, raised in Richmond, CA and attended my local public schools through high school.  School opened up the world to me and I want to do the same for my school community.  I love helping to provide new experiences for young people so that they can dream big.  It is so important that all students know they are not defined by the walls others put around them, and that there are adults ready to support them as they break through barriers.

Education could be considered the family industry, having two aunts, and my grandmother as retired teachers.  I found my space in education during college where I worked as a academic mentor to local students who needed a little extra.  I found my heart in this work, and haven’t looked back.  I pursued my BA in Economics at San Francisco State University and my MBA at the University of Phoenix.

 I enjoy crowd-sourcing answers to education’s complex problems using the expertise available from my local school communities and my larger network.  Using creative problem solving to meet the pressing needs of students and families helps lead me to solutions I never imagined.  Even after close to twenty years in this work I’m still a learner.