Urban Strategies Council

Our mission is to eliminate persistent poverty by working with partners to transform low-income neighborhoods into vibrant, healthy communities


Education Excellence in Action


What and Why

The Council’s Education Excellence Program works to reduce persistent poverty by increasing educational achievement.  Our work is focused on improving academic achievement and social development of students through parent and community engagement, universal afterschool programs and education research to support action. 



We view schools as

important community institutions.

We believe that increasing the engagement and decision making authority of parents and community at the school site level will lead to:

  • Improved academic achievement for students.
  • Greater opportunities for positive youth development.
  • Better outcomes for communities.

Current Projects

OUSD-Strategic Planning

The Council facilitated a series of four strategic planning workshops for the OUSD Board and Superintendent which culminated on June 19th in the adoption of a new strategic direction, OUSD’s first since returning to local control from state receivership.

Parent Engagement and Education Project

The Council is working with the East Bay Community Foundation and OUSD to pilot a series of Board and school convenings to implement Board policies for regularized interaction between board members and the school neighborhoods they represent. 

Oakland Community After School Alliance (OCASA):

The Council is a founding member and serves as fiscal and administrative agent for the Oakland Community After School Alliance.

Proposed Projects

Strengthening Representative Bodies at the School Site

The Council proposes to work with the school district to increase the capacities of parents & families to make significant choices about how their children are educated.

Improving District Communication about School Restructuring

The Council proposes to work with the school district and community partners to develop a warning system and communication tools about Program Improvement status. 

Education Research to Support Action

The Council will be conducting analysis of student achievement, attendance, discipline, graduation and mobility as well as school closures and virtual school models.

Education and Economic Development

The Council proposes to conduct research that explores the relationships between local public education and the city’s economic development activities and to develop information on promising polices and practices that provide support to families and the schools.

For More Infromation about our Education Excellence Program, Please contact:

Liz Vance, Program Coordinator

(510) 893-1377 education at urbanstrategies.org

A History of Partnership with the Community

  • to develop understanding of the challenges facing public education in the city
  • to engage stakeholders in dialogue and analysis of promising policies and practices
  • to mobilize community support for action
Urban Strategies Council
672 13th Street
Oakland, CA 94612.1240
Phone: 510.893.2404  |  Fax: 510.893.6657  
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