MLA 2012 Winter Performance Expo
On January 25 and 26, the Melrose Leadership Academy community assembled for the Winter performance expo in Oakland, California. Students danced, sang and played instruments. Kindergarten students...
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One Hundred Days of School
When Melrose Leadership Academy students walk into kindergarten on the first day of school, teachers talk Spanish about 90% of the day. For the first few months, some students are confused, but quickly...
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Oakland May Day Education
As a former Oakland school teacher with two children in the Oakland public school system, I can sympathize with the families who protested on May Day. Five OUSD schools will close next year;...
View ArticleMaxwell Park Elementary Work Day
My children attend a school in our neighborhood. The school, Melrose Leadership Academy, belongs to Oakland Unified School District. Parents and educators have created a supportive community. So far,...
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Melrose Welcome Day
After I posted photos two weeks ago, many people wondered if Melrose Leadership Academy’s new site would be ready for the first day of school. MLA community members were at the school for the parent...
View ArticleMelrose Leadership First Day of School
Yesterday was the first day of school for Melrose Leadership Academy at our new school site. MLA has moved from one Maxwell Park neighborhood site to another. Despite the move, the first day was a...
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Melrose Leadership Academy Fall 2012 Dance-a-thon
How do you measure success? It seems that education reformers want innovation, but use outdated test scores to measure achievement. How do you measure parent involvement? Do you measure fundraisers by...
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Melrose Leadership Academy After School Assembly
When parents toured Melrose Leadership Academy during the current school year, many asked about our after school program. Parents, grandparents and guardians asked if our students learned about...
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The Writing Center at 826 Valencia
On Wednesday March 6, 2013, third graders from Oakland’s Melrose Leadership Academy traveled to 826 Valencia in San Francisco. MLA students attended 826 Valencia’s interactive Screenplay program,...
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Sausal Creek Trail Field Trip for Melrose Leadership Academy
I often tell my son, “Today is a good day. Do you know why?” He does. If he is having trouble, he reluctantly answers, “Because you get to spend it with me.” And it is true. Every day I spend with my...
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Melrose Leadership Academy Spring Performance
Besides learning Spanish and English, Melrose Leadership Academy students also learn presentation skills. In the four years of the Spanish dual immersion bilingual program, my daughter has participated...
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Melrose Leadership Academy Oakland PUBLIC School
My two children attend an innovative public school in Oakland. The school, Melrose Leadership Academy, is part of Oakland Unified School District. Many people believe that MLA is a charter school, but...
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The Dual Immersion Curriculum Development Institute
When I first became a parent, I felt as if I had joined a secret club. Membership included our own version of a secret handshake too. (It is a sleepy head nod.) New parents could identify each other...
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Melrose Leadership Kindergarten and First Grade Photos
Registration just started for the 2013-2014 school year. Kindergarten families and first graders register today. (I remember registering our first child before the Spanish immersion program started....
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Melrose Leadership Academy 2014 Community
My two children attend Melrose Leadership Academy in Oakland, California. MLA is a Spanish dual immersion K-8 school. Our school is part of Oakland Unified School District. In previous years, I have...
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With Love From Me to OUSD
The last time I attended an Oakland Unified School Board meeting, I taught at an OUSD elementary school. I was an active Oakland Education Association (OEA) union member. People read newspapers. Nobody...
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MLA Song and Dance
On Thursday March 5th, Melrose Leadership Academy held the first TK-5th Grade Choral Concert in Oakland, California. (You can view a photo gallery of The Choral Concert here.) Earlier this school year,...
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Mills Healing Plant Tour
On a standardized test, what does a leader look like? How do you build standardized assessments that reward collaboration and creativity? If you wanted to identify the next Julia Morgan, would you rely...
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The 2015 MLA Kindergarten Portraits
When my 11 year old daughter began kindergarten at Melrose Leadership Academy, I had a simple idea. I thought I could photograph each kindergarten class as long as my children attended the school. I...
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Melrose Leadership Performance Expo
The Melrose Leadership Academy after school program students presented the 2016 Winter Performance Expo on January 20, 2016. I believe that I have photographed each performance expo since my daughter...
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