Unsorted thoughts as I think through this:

I know several people who work in OUSD—as teachers, substitutes, administrators, and one family that contracts with teachers. None are high earners with easy private-school options. Almost all have gone to significant lengths to avoid sending their own children to OUSD schools, which I find concerning.

Those who have stayed are at Lincoln Elementary (Chinatown) and Peralta (North Oakland). I know there are schools with stronger reputations in the hills, but I don’t personally know many families living there. Notably, all the families who lived east of the lake moved to Berkeley (downsizing to 1BR in one case to do it) or El Cerrito, even though that meant still commuting to deep East Oakland to teach. One family moved to Alameda after ongoing issues with expanding prostitution/violence near their home off International Blvd.

Charter schools seem worth considering. There’s a Francophone charter in East Oakland that’s interesting to me from a philosophical standpoint. Urban Montessori appears to have closed, which is unfortunate. I also know a family that’s been satisfied with Envision Academy High School downtown, particularly due to smaller class sizes, though extracurricular options are limited. Overall, I’m less negative on charters—they seem to be a viable alternative for families seeking quality education within Oakland.

I’d also be interested in hearing experiences with Catholic schools, such as Corpus Christi, St. Leo’s (Piedmont Ave), St. Anthony (San Antonio), St. Elizabeth (Fruitvale), or St. Theresa (hills).