One of the messes made in one of the messes made in Oakland Unified teacher Kira Billman’s classroom this year, where a student went around and pulled everything off the shelves.
Courtesy: Kira Billman
3 a.m., early October. I’m lying in my bed praying for help.
It is my first-year teaching in Oakland Unified School District, but I’ve spent four years teaching in private schools to prepare, because I believe deeply in integrated public schools. When I started in the district, I already had strong professional skills as well as a strong self-care routine.
Because of my experience I also knew what I was looking for in a school and found it. I thought I was ready.
What I didn’t know before starting was the district had been mismanaging the school for years. Almost half the staff left the prior year. Still, we were hopeful that this year we would turn the school around.
Less than a week before school…
