Thursday night may have been the last graduation the Edward Shands Adult School puts on.

More than 100 parents, teachers and students joined with local residents Friday outside the North Oakland Community Charter School (NOCCS) to protest nine Verizon cell phone antennas planned for a site, owned by McGrath Properties, across from two elementary schools, homes and a city park.

Folks at the Grand Lake Farmers Market this Saturday will not only have a variety of fruits, veggies and lunch choices - they also will be treated to Westlake Middle School’s musicians performing 100 pieces of continuous music.

People with learning disabilities often see the world differently than do others, and with learning differences such as dyslexia, some specialists suggest each person is "wired" a little differently.

The East Bay Children’s Book Project is a thriving free resource for professionals working with youth in the East Bay. Last year, it gave away 112,000 free books. Since its inception in 2005, the organization has given away nearly half a million.

Oakland Unified School District’s Excel and Mandela high schools have found the right formula to keep students engaged and invested in educations – and they are sharing it with the public.

With a focus on public service, Excel High School’s senior class recently stood before the student community and the public and discussed, presented the facts and defended their dissertations on varied topics. Some of these included teen pregnancy, homelessness, the affects of drugs and alcohol on families, single-parent households, literacy and even police violence. 

The Board of Education for the Oakland Unified School District will hold a pair of public hearings to determine how OUSD should approach the School Improvement Grant (SIG) process. On Wednesday, May 19, the Board will host a 6 p.m. special meeting at United for Success Middle School. At 6 p.m.

Join Mix It Up East Bay TONIGHT as we welcome Oakland Unified School District Superintendent Tony Smith.

Approximately 100 students attended Westlake Middle School today, roughly an 85% attendance drop. 

"I see it as a big sign of support from parents. They are keeping kids home to show they're support," said Angela Jensen a 7th grade Arts and Social Studies teacher.

Few if any subs were reportedly seen by Westlake teachers on early morning picket lines.

Surrounded by the bright and vivid colors of The Art of Living Black exhibit, representatives from a range of parent and family groups came together Friday seeking answers about how to maneuver through the complexities of the Bay Area educational system.

The educational system is currently failing urban African American children and educators must commit themselves to implementing the most effective ways to teach and prepare them for success in a global environment  — that was the message speakers told at "Educating African Americans for the 21st Century - A call to action," a half-day conference held April 24 at Mills College. 

It all started with a conversation between a school administrator and a representative of the mayor's office about doing something tangible to decrease youth gang violence in East Oakland.