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Oakland Technical High School

Coordinates: 37°49′56.07″N 122°15′14.64″W / 37.8322417°N 122.2540667°W

Oakland Technical High School
Address
4351 Broadway
Oakland, California, 94611
U.S.
Information
Type Public
Established 1914
School district Oakland Unified School District
Principal Sheilagh Andujar
Grades 9–12
Enrollment 1800 (as of 2008-2009)
Color(s) Purple and Gold         
Mascot Bobo the Bulldog
Nickname Tech, Oakland Tech
Newspaper The Scribe
Information (510) 879–3050
Website OaklandTech.com

Oakland Technical High School, known locally as Oakland Tech, or just simply "Tech", is a public high school in Oakland, California, and is operated under the jurisdiction of the Oakland Unified School District.

Background

Oakland Tech is one of six comprehensive public high school campuses in Oakland. Oakland Tech's attendance jurisdiction includes several neighborhoods, including Oakland Chinatown, Rockridge and Temescal.

Tech received the maximum 6-year accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges in 2009.[1]

The mascot is Bobo the Bulldog.

Tech was displaced for earthquake retrofitting in the 1970s, to 5714 Martin Luther King Jr. Way (formerly Grove Street). This location, known as "Old Tech" was actually the campus of the now defunct University High School (1923–1948). That campus then served as Merritt College from 1954 to 1966 and is considered the birthplace of the Black Panthers.

  • "Old Tech"- University High School

Oakland Technical High School

Academies

Students at Oakland Technical High School have the option of enrolling in one of the school's academies, which operate as small subsets of the school. Students take one class within their academies, and spend the rest of the day in normal classes.

Paideia is an advanced History and English program directed by Maryann Wolfe and Marietta Joe. Together they both teach grades 10–12. In the sophomore year, students have the option to take English 2 Paideia and World Cultures, taught by Douglas Stubblefield and Marietta Joe. In 11th grade, students, based on their grades, have the option to enroll in AP English/AP US History or HP English/HP US History, taught by Elizabeth Haugen and Nathan Gong. In 12th grade, students who are recommended may take the advanced senior block, consisting of AP Government, AP Literature, and HP Comparative Government, taught by Marietta Joe and Maryann Wolfe, in which they analyze works of art and compare them to the government. Recently this year, another sub section has been added to Paideia. In senior year, students, according to grades will also be able to take AP Government and AP English 4.

The Engineering Academy is a rigorous academy that focuses on Mechanical Engineering. Starting in 10th grade, the students in this academy take Engineering, Physics—focused on mechanics, AP Physics, drafting, etc. Students in this academy routinely win state-wide awards in various competitions. Students can be jointly enrolled in the Paideia and the Engineering programs.

The Engineering Academy and the Paideia program routinely send students off to top-tier public and private universities. In 2007 the Engineering Academy sent more girls to the freshman class at MIT than any other school west of the Mississippi. In 2008, over half of the advanced senior block was accepted to the prestigious UC Berkeley.[2] Students regularly score 4’s or 5’s for AP classes taken in the Paideia program.

Appearance in films

Tech was featured in the 1987 film The Principal starring James Belushi and Louis Gossett Jr. The Principal was filmed at what is locally referred to as "Old Tech"- located at 5700 Martin Luther King Way- nee Grove Way, site of the old University High School.

  • The Principal

In 1993, Tech, at its current location, was featured in the movie Made in America featuring Will Smith, Nia Long, Whoopi Goldberg and Ted Danson.

  • Made in America

Test scores

After being sued for refusing to do so[3], the Oakland Unified School District mandates that every school publish a public record of their standing on a variety of standardized tests and other quantitative analyses.

California Standard Tests Scores, proficiency rate [1]
English Mathematics Science History/Social
30% 15% 27% 25%

To view more data on Oakland Tech's scores, see: Executive Summary School Accountability Report Card, 2005-06.

Building

Oakland Tech's main building, built in 1914, resembles the main science building of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. During the 1970s when many California schools were being demolished and rebuilt for earthquake safety, Tech's main building was determined to be too historic to tear down. Instead, it was gutted and rebuilt on the inside, while its historic exterior was preserved. The school was declared a historic landmark by the city of Oakland on July 23, 1985.[4]

Demographics

According to 2008-2009 statistics, Oakland Tech enrolls approximately 1,800 students. The school's approximate racial makeup is 52% African American, 18% Asian, 10% White, 15% Hispanic and 5% others.[5]

Notable alumni

References

[6]

  1. ^ School website announcement
  2. ^ Oakland Technical High School - Paideia Program
  3. ^ Channel 5 news, August 13, 2007
  4. ^ Oakland Landmarks (pdf)
  5. ^ greatschools.net, based on information from California Department of Education
  6. ^ http://ohsmemorial.com/OHS/history.htm

External links

  • School website
  • The Tech Scribe – School newspaper
  • The Apollos A short film about the Oakland Technical High School class that helped get the MLK Day bill passed in California.
  • [2] Article from San Francisco Chronicle about "The Apollos."
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