I was raised in deep East Oakland near Eastmont Mall where I attended Parker Elementary School. I saw first hand the power of reading and literacy to lift up the students we are here to serve. I saw it in my friends and family.
Years later, I returned to Parker as a new teacher. For my first two years teaching, I had no reading curriculum but was lucky to have the guidance of Principal Deborah Davis. It also impressed upon me the need for systemic solutions. That’s why it’s my mission to ensure that all Oakland school district students, starting with our youngest, receive a strong reading foundation.
The literacy gap is rooted in racism, segregation and the fundamental belief that some students cannot achieve. It demands a systemic solution. While tests do not measure everything, on the 2019 Smarter Balanced exam, just 20 percent of Oakland’s Black students and 23 percent of Hispanic students met the standard in 3rd through 5th grade, compared with 76 percent of White Oakland students.
This cannot be our future.
That is why you will see early literacy in my forthcoming strategic plan. Our community partners have also identified early literacy as a top priority. A team of community and staff members is now developing a set of goals to guide our work.
That is also why we have been updating all our curriculum to support rigorous teaching and learning. In the next month, the Oakland Board of Education will vote to adopt a new elementary literacy curriculum. We have a teacher-led advisory committee and a two-year pilot program to ensure the curriculum is standards-based, challenging, rooted in science and provides enough support for our teachers.
Success in bridging the literacy gaps will come when we operate on shared values and understanding.
First, we must double down on what it means to be a strong reader. Students need to talk, read, write and learn to synthesize ideas, a district focus beginning with the first day of school. In a strong, literacy-focused classroom, students learn how letters and words fit together before diving deeper into reading.
Second, we must ground classrooms and decisions in equity. We must believe that our students — no matter their race or identity, current proficiency or disability — can become strong readers. And our students themselves need to feel they are strong readers. A strong literacy program must work for all students, with teachers tailoring instruction so that students can access books that challenge them.
Third, we must train and support our educators. With our multi-year commitment to literacy across the district, we can provide time, resources and support that teachers will need. After the Board of Education votes next month on adopting new elementary English language arts curricula, the district must support every teacher, every week.
Fourth, we must work with our families. I want to continue to work hand-in-hand with families to ensure students are strong readers and develop a deep love for reading in school and at home. We will continue to host monthly early-literacy summits and family workshops to provide resources for families .
Finally, we will enlist the support of the entire community. We need every part of the city to step up in this effort. As our students thrive, so does our town.
Our students deserve the opportunity to be successful in college, career and community. They are eager to understand the world and make it a better place. We owe it to Oakland’s students — and our future — to prepare them with the literacy skills to do so.
Kyla Johnson-Trammell is the superintendent of Oakland Unified School District and a third-generation Oaklander.