An article came out in the Oakland Tribune today, "A third of Oakland students drop out, data shows." GREAT! Just GREAT!
A few weeks ago, I looked up our area's elementary school. I found out that the school has an API score of 1. No, 1 is not the high score. 1 is the lowest score of 10. When compared to schools with similar demographics, it scored a 3. Bleh. You can find your area school's API score by clicking here.
Now don't think I believe that API scores are a fair or comprehensive way of evaluating the success of a school. I mean the scores are strictly based on student testing and we all know how biased these tests can be. But I do feel that these scores are an indicator of SOMETHING. And, having the lowest Statewide API score is not a good thing.
Soluna needs to learn to read... and then, hopefully, go to college.
I don't want to be one of those parents that have to invest hours and hours and hours of work lobbying to get their kids into the right public school (or investing $$ for private school). I mean, in Oakland, folks sign-up for preschool while their baby is still the size of a contact lense. I don't even want to play that game. But a 1 in 3 chance of dropping out?? Can we, in good conscience, stay here in Oakland and send Soluna to public schools?
In speaking with a good friend who is also a staff member for a local politician about our school dilema, she said, "Well if you start organizing NOW and get involved NOW by the time Soluna starts kindergarten she might have something better!" Soluna is nearly 7 months old! Good God!
We got 5 years to figure this shit out, let the countdown begin.
