THE WHY
As your School Board Director, I will prioritize:
RESULTS FOR STUDENTS - I know first-hard that educational excellence and equity is achievable. I will fight to ensure that all students have a high-quality education.
ENSURING EQUITY - Our schools must be inclusive spaces. I will work hard to ensure equitable opportunities and outcomes for all students.
SUPPORTING EDUCATORS - As a seasoned Oakland principal, I know that paying, developing, supporting, and retaining great teachers and principals is the foundation of student success.
Dear Neighbor,
I am running for school board after spending the last ten years as principal of ACORN Woodland Elementary School in deep east Oakland. I’ve spent the past two decades as a teacher and principal, union leader and director of an education non-profit.
I have hands-on educational experience to be a successful school boardmember in Oakland. At ACORN Woodland, I helped build a team of educators and parents. Because of our work together, ACORN Woodland was named a “California Distinguished School,” and we consistently outperformed other Oakland public schools serving Black and Brown children. It was a testament to this team that I was named OUSD’s Principal of the Year.
I am honored to have been endorsed by over two-dozen current and past Oakland principals.
I love Oakland, and I see much of myself – an Afro-Latino immigrant – in Oakland’s children. At its core, the job of OUSD Director is to improve the lives of Oakland’s 49,000 students. In a district where a large majority of students are failing both English and math, educational equity is achievable, and I will fight every day for all of our children to have real access to
a high-quality education.
Oakland deserves a leader who can make our schools better. I have a proven record of working effectively with communities, teachers, staff and school leaders to implement a shared vision of educational equity that eliminates academic gaps and embraces the gifts our kids bring to school every day.
I hope I’ve also earned your support – and your vote.
Leroy Gaines