Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Tilden PTO meeting Thursday Sept 24 at 7:00 p.m.
Tilden will host its first PTO meeting for the 2009-10 school year this Thursday Sept 24th at 7:00 p.m. in the school cafeteria.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Special Ed in 3rd grade this Fall?
I have it from reliable sources that at least one continuing student with an IEP will be enrolled in 3rd grade at Tilden this Fall. This information conflicts with what I was to understand was the be the makeup of the joint 2-3 grade class for 2010.
Steve Asztalos
Steve Asztalos
Sunday, August 2, 2009
A Tilden Update
Hi Tilden Parents and Friends.
This blog has transitioned over to the Tilden 2010 Parent and Teacher Group.
Stay tuned for updates on our recent meeting with the Superintendent and OUSD Staff. Feel free to propose topics of interest, concerns and other ideas for this community space.
Hope you're all having a great summer!
- Steve Asztalos
This blog has transitioned over to the Tilden 2010 Parent and Teacher Group.
Stay tuned for updates on our recent meeting with the Superintendent and OUSD Staff. Feel free to propose topics of interest, concerns and other ideas for this community space.
Hope you're all having a great summer!
- Steve Asztalos
Thursday, March 19, 2009
General Education Families: Tilden is Still an Option!
Help us get out the message that families with General Education students can still change their OUSD placement options to request Tilden.
Families can stop by Tilden to pick up an options appeal form and submit it to the Placement Office in order to attend Tilden next year.
Tilden offers a great general education program. Here are just a few of the reasons why:
Small classroom sizes
Individualized instruction for ALL students
On-site garden
Dance programs from Luna Kids Dance
P.E. programs from Sports 4 Kids
Extra support staff in every classroom for a rich student/teacher ratio
Small, friendly welcoming community
Spread the word about Tilden!!
Families can stop by Tilden to pick up an options appeal form and submit it to the Placement Office in order to attend Tilden next year.
Tilden offers a great general education program. Here are just a few of the reasons why:
Small classroom sizes
Individualized instruction for ALL students
On-site garden
Dance programs from Luna Kids Dance
P.E. programs from Sports 4 Kids
Extra support staff in every classroom for a rich student/teacher ratio
Small, friendly welcoming community
Spread the word about Tilden!!
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
We Did It!!
Tilden Teacher Jodi Brooks sent out this message via email after the OUSD Board Meeting tonight.
Hello Tilden Supporters,
Well, we did it!! The Board made a unanimous decision to delay the closure of Tilden for one school year! We got what we wanted - more time for the parents and staff to work with the district to find the best possible solution to the challenges at Tilden (facilities and ratio of special education to general education students).
Thanks again for your time, speeches, letters, support, and dedication throughout this struggle to fight for our children. I am inspired and humbled by each one of you. I am awed at the passionate support that I have seen emerge out of this process. Words cannot express how much I appreciate the community of Tilden and it's supporters. Thank you.
I am so proud of us.
~Jodi
Thanks, Jodi. I could not have said it better!
Hello Tilden Supporters,
Well, we did it!! The Board made a unanimous decision to delay the closure of Tilden for one school year! We got what we wanted - more time for the parents and staff to work with the district to find the best possible solution to the challenges at Tilden (facilities and ratio of special education to general education students).
Thanks again for your time, speeches, letters, support, and dedication throughout this struggle to fight for our children. I am inspired and humbled by each one of you. I am awed at the passionate support that I have seen emerge out of this process. Words cannot express how much I appreciate the community of Tilden and it's supporters. Thank you.
I am so proud of us.
~Jodi
Thanks, Jodi. I could not have said it better!
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Great Progress to Report
The Teaching and Learning Sub-Committee AND the Facilities Sub-Committee have recommended that our school stay open another year so that a better plan can be developed to serve our children and preserve the successes and culture of Tilden.
But the struggle is NOT over!
There is still the OUSD Board Meeting on March 11th at 5:00 p.m. at 1025 2nd Ave. Oakland (Board Room on the 1st floor). Please join us to show how strong the support for Tilden is.
Also, please come to a PTO Meeting to hear the latest news (and to help make posters of support for Tilden) on Monday, March 9 in the Tilden Cafeteria at 6:30 p.m.
Thank you all for your support, enthusiasm and passion!
But the struggle is NOT over!
There is still the OUSD Board Meeting on March 11th at 5:00 p.m. at 1025 2nd Ave. Oakland (Board Room on the 1st floor). Please join us to show how strong the support for Tilden is.
Also, please come to a PTO Meeting to hear the latest news (and to help make posters of support for Tilden) on Monday, March 9 in the Tilden Cafeteria at 6:30 p.m.
Thank you all for your support, enthusiasm and passion!
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Mills College - Tilden School Partnership
Mills College is a close neighbor to Tilden School and the strong connections between Mills students and faculty and Tilden staff are just one of the many things that make Tilden's programs unique. Special Education Professor Vicki Van Steenberg wrote to us with this letter of support.
I am writing to acknowledge the Tilden staff and families in their conscientious effort to continue the best possible support for Tilden children’s development and learning. I have had the fortunate opportunity to work with Tilden staff in our joint Mills College – Tilden School Partnership Project the past two years. Additionally, Tilden teachers have supervised Mills College Student Teachers in their classrooms for semester internships in ECE Special Education since 2005.
The Tilden teachers are exemplary teachers who mentor beginning teachers with professionalism and thoughtful direction. The proximity of Tilden to Mills College has been a great advantage to student teachers for supervision and communication between Mills and Tilden staff. The students see the best of both worlds, bringing their experiences at the Mills College Laboratory School and their Masters coursework in Early Childhood Education to real children and experienced professionals in ECE Special Education classrooms.
Through our connection, Tilden teachers have visited the Mills Laboratory School and participated in courses we offer at Mills. The partnership enhances staff development for beginning and seasoned teachers. We have now designed our Special Education curriculum class with Tilden in mind. 15-20 students in this ECE Special Education course volunteer at Tilden each year, supporting instruction in Tilden classrooms and learning from this great opportunity to bring practice to theory under supervision of Tilden teachers.
The Tilden staff has been welcoming, supportive, and truly helpful to both undergraduates in Child Development and graduate students in Education. I appreciate the many contributions of the Tilden teachers to children, college students deciding on future careers, and to new teachers in the field.
I support the thoughtful continuation of service to the children and families at Tilden.
Vicki Van Steenberg
Professor, ECE Special Ed.
Mills College
I am writing to acknowledge the Tilden staff and families in their conscientious effort to continue the best possible support for Tilden children’s development and learning. I have had the fortunate opportunity to work with Tilden staff in our joint Mills College – Tilden School Partnership Project the past two years. Additionally, Tilden teachers have supervised Mills College Student Teachers in their classrooms for semester internships in ECE Special Education since 2005.
The Tilden teachers are exemplary teachers who mentor beginning teachers with professionalism and thoughtful direction. The proximity of Tilden to Mills College has been a great advantage to student teachers for supervision and communication between Mills and Tilden staff. The students see the best of both worlds, bringing their experiences at the Mills College Laboratory School and their Masters coursework in Early Childhood Education to real children and experienced professionals in ECE Special Education classrooms.
Through our connection, Tilden teachers have visited the Mills Laboratory School and participated in courses we offer at Mills. The partnership enhances staff development for beginning and seasoned teachers. We have now designed our Special Education curriculum class with Tilden in mind. 15-20 students in this ECE Special Education course volunteer at Tilden each year, supporting instruction in Tilden classrooms and learning from this great opportunity to bring practice to theory under supervision of Tilden teachers.
The Tilden staff has been welcoming, supportive, and truly helpful to both undergraduates in Child Development and graduate students in Education. I appreciate the many contributions of the Tilden teachers to children, college students deciding on future careers, and to new teachers in the field.
I support the thoughtful continuation of service to the children and families at Tilden.
Vicki Van Steenberg
Professor, ECE Special Ed.
Mills College
Update: 3/2 OUSD Sub-committee meeting outcomes
On March 2nd, about 20 Tilden parents and supporters participated in the OUSD Teaching and Learning Sub-Committee meeting.
Based on the concerns that were presented, the sub-committee recommended that the Tilden closure be postponed to June 2010 to allow for more inclusive discussions between the district and the community. The motion was brought forth by Director Hodge and seconded by Director Dobbins.
Thanks to everyone who participated directly and indirectly in voicing concerns about the relocation and expressing strong support for the Tilden community.
The next step is to present our concerns before the Facilities subcommittee meeting tonight, March 3rd.
The meeting is at 5:00 p.m. at 1025 2nd Ave. in Oakland (in the Board Room).
Check back for more updates!
Based on the concerns that were presented, the sub-committee recommended that the Tilden closure be postponed to June 2010 to allow for more inclusive discussions between the district and the community. The motion was brought forth by Director Hodge and seconded by Director Dobbins.
Thanks to everyone who participated directly and indirectly in voicing concerns about the relocation and expressing strong support for the Tilden community.
The next step is to present our concerns before the Facilities subcommittee meeting tonight, March 3rd.
The meeting is at 5:00 p.m. at 1025 2nd Ave. in Oakland (in the Board Room).
Check back for more updates!
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
A letter from a Tilden Alumni parent
Tilden Alumni Families know firsthand about Tilden's success rate. Children who started preschool at Tilden have gone on to success in mainstream classrooms throughout the district and throughout the Bay Area. One parent, Julie Wolters, wrote this letter about her son's experience:
Tilden School was an absolute life changing educational experience for my son. Tilden provided a central location with many services concentrated for my son and many other special needs children. My son was able to attend an autism preschool class, mainstream into a speech-delay class, mainstream into a Head Start preschool class, receive OT and speech, have integrated playgroups with some typically developing students at Tilden, have art, PE, and music classes with specially trained teachers, use the OT room, which at the time was beautifully equipped, and many other wonderful advantages.
Another precious thing about Tilden was the supportive school-wide culture, where my son and many others found acceptance and felt so much at home, where everyone in the school understood what their needs were and how to best communicate with them. My son was the star of a number of Tilden concerts and was celebrated for his language skills there, when he was less developed than his peers and didn’t receive that kind of recognition elsewhere.
My son has since successfully joined the mainstream in education, attending 1st grade in Danville, and I give Tilden School, with the excellent teachers and staff who worked with my son, full credit for this accomplishment.
I tell many people in the San Ramon school district about the fine, creative work that is being done for special needs children at Tilden School in Oakland. I think Tilden is a model for the rest of the nation in how to best educate young children with special needs. In fact, often times I don’t need to further explain about Tilden, because it has such a good reputation among many service providers, practitioners, and special ed teachers.
It is a complete shame and such a waste to trim Tilden out of the Oakland school district. Furthermore, I doubt OUSD will save money in the long run. I would have been perfectly willing to go to due process and demand a private school education for my son, at OUSD’s expense, if Tilden had not been such a fantastic experience for us. I urge you to reconsider this plan and, instead, why not send some of the children from the under-enrolled, poorly maintained, low-API schools, to Tilden? Why mess with one of the jewels of the OUSD system?
Sincerely,
Julie Wolters
Tilden School was an absolute life changing educational experience for my son. Tilden provided a central location with many services concentrated for my son and many other special needs children. My son was able to attend an autism preschool class, mainstream into a speech-delay class, mainstream into a Head Start preschool class, receive OT and speech, have integrated playgroups with some typically developing students at Tilden, have art, PE, and music classes with specially trained teachers, use the OT room, which at the time was beautifully equipped, and many other wonderful advantages.
Another precious thing about Tilden was the supportive school-wide culture, where my son and many others found acceptance and felt so much at home, where everyone in the school understood what their needs were and how to best communicate with them. My son was the star of a number of Tilden concerts and was celebrated for his language skills there, when he was less developed than his peers and didn’t receive that kind of recognition elsewhere.
My son has since successfully joined the mainstream in education, attending 1st grade in Danville, and I give Tilden School, with the excellent teachers and staff who worked with my son, full credit for this accomplishment.
I tell many people in the San Ramon school district about the fine, creative work that is being done for special needs children at Tilden School in Oakland. I think Tilden is a model for the rest of the nation in how to best educate young children with special needs. In fact, often times I don’t need to further explain about Tilden, because it has such a good reputation among many service providers, practitioners, and special ed teachers.
It is a complete shame and such a waste to trim Tilden out of the Oakland school district. Furthermore, I doubt OUSD will save money in the long run. I would have been perfectly willing to go to due process and demand a private school education for my son, at OUSD’s expense, if Tilden had not been such a fantastic experience for us. I urge you to reconsider this plan and, instead, why not send some of the children from the under-enrolled, poorly maintained, low-API schools, to Tilden? Why mess with one of the jewels of the OUSD system?
Sincerely,
Julie Wolters
Tilden in the News: The OakBook
The OakBook: Daily Oakland Dispatches is a local news blog that recently ran a story by Alex Gronke on Tilden's future and the pros and cons of converting to a charter school.
You can check it out here.
You can check it out here.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Join Us! Become a Friend of Tilden
If you haven't done so already, we hope you'll consider adding your voice to the many, many people who have spoken out in an effort to try to preserve the high quality services and warm, nurturing environment that Tilden provides.
You can tell the Oakland Unified School Board that you stand with the Tilden Parent Teacher Organization as a Friend of Tilden by submitting a letter of support.
There are a couple of ways to do this:
1) Download this letter. Save a copy and add your name and information to the bottom. Then email it back to christajdahlstrom@gmail.com.
2) Copy the text below into a new document, provide the relevant information and email it to the same address listed above.
Either way, feel free to add your own comments and stories about what Tilden means to you and why you want to see it continue.
Thanks for your support!
+++++++++++++++++++++
I / our organization stands with the Parent Teacher Organization of Tilden School in NOT supporting the proposal to close Tilden and relocate its students until OUSD demonstrates that the new schools can provide the same or better instruction, services, and environment as Tilden.
Name of organization or individual:
Affiliation with Tilden:
Contact person (if an organization):
Address:
Your comments (optional):
You can tell the Oakland Unified School Board that you stand with the Tilden Parent Teacher Organization as a Friend of Tilden by submitting a letter of support.
There are a couple of ways to do this:
1) Download this letter. Save a copy and add your name and information to the bottom. Then email it back to christajdahlstrom@gmail.com.
2) Copy the text below into a new document, provide the relevant information and email it to the same address listed above.
Either way, feel free to add your own comments and stories about what Tilden means to you and why you want to see it continue.
Thanks for your support!
+++++++++++++++++++++
I / our organization stands with the Parent Teacher Organization of Tilden School in NOT supporting the proposal to close Tilden and relocate its students until OUSD demonstrates that the new schools can provide the same or better instruction, services, and environment as Tilden.
Name of organization or individual:
Affiliation with Tilden:
Contact person (if an organization):
Address:
Your comments (optional):
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Community members speak out
Many community members are starting to speak out about the the possible closure of Tilden. Here's one heartfelt letter we received this week from one such individual:
Oakland needs Tilden School. For decades, it has been a flagship school within Oakland Unified, always leading the way in setting up innovative programs serving students with an incredible array of learning needs. It is a unique and invaluable community resource.
Although the programs developed at Tilden can and should be replicated on a smaller scale at sites throughout Oakland Unified, Tilden itself should remain intact. Oakland needs a school where the community is willing to explore new ways to effectively educate students with varying learning styles, providing rich and rigorous educational programs tailored to the needs of individual students.
Tilden is that school.
There is nothing else like it in Oakland and likely nothing else like it anywhere in the country. The Oakland community needs to do all it can to keep Tilden afloat and allow it to navigate the challenging water of finding new and better ways to reach each and every student.
The stated reasons for closing Tilden (a minimally maintained forested rambling campus, too many special needs preschoolers, too many special education students, and not enough general education students) are problems that can be addressed. It is possible to fix the facility and balance the student population, allowing Tilden to continue its mission, while simultaneously developing programs modeled on Tilden programs at other campuses throughout OUSD.
If Oakland loses Tilden, it loses one of the best things that OUSD has ever provided for the community it serves.
Another Friend of Tilden
Oakland needs Tilden School. For decades, it has been a flagship school within Oakland Unified, always leading the way in setting up innovative programs serving students with an incredible array of learning needs. It is a unique and invaluable community resource.
Although the programs developed at Tilden can and should be replicated on a smaller scale at sites throughout Oakland Unified, Tilden itself should remain intact. Oakland needs a school where the community is willing to explore new ways to effectively educate students with varying learning styles, providing rich and rigorous educational programs tailored to the needs of individual students.
Tilden is that school.
There is nothing else like it in Oakland and likely nothing else like it anywhere in the country. The Oakland community needs to do all it can to keep Tilden afloat and allow it to navigate the challenging water of finding new and better ways to reach each and every student.
The stated reasons for closing Tilden (a minimally maintained forested rambling campus, too many special needs preschoolers, too many special education students, and not enough general education students) are problems that can be addressed. It is possible to fix the facility and balance the student population, allowing Tilden to continue its mission, while simultaneously developing programs modeled on Tilden programs at other campuses throughout OUSD.
If Oakland loses Tilden, it loses one of the best things that OUSD has ever provided for the community it serves.
Another Friend of Tilden
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Upcoming Meetings
Here are some upcoming events regarding the relocation of Tilden for next year. Mark your calendars.
OUSD Teaching and Learning Subcommittee Meeting
Monday, March 2nd at 6:30 p.m.
1025 Second Ave. Oakland - Board Room
OUSD Facilities Subcommittee Meeting
Tuesday, March 3rd at 6:30 p.m.
1025 Second Ave. Oakland - Board Room
A note about Subcommittee Meetings: The subcommittees meet to discuss issues and then have to approve them to go to the board.
So, our voice at the subcommittees is very important. These subcommittees are a time for discussion and an opportunity for us to propose alternative solutions and also help us understand each board member's thought process and questions, which helps us have a more comprehensive understanding of the issue.
These sub-committees have to agree that this plan is appropriate to present to the Board before it even makes it on the agenda on March 11th.
OUSD School Board Meeting
Wednesday, March 11th at 5:00 p.m.
1025 Second Ave. Oakland - Board Room
This is a CRITICAL meeting where the school board will decide if Tilden will be closed next year. We hope to have a large turnout to show strong community support for keeping Tilden open.
OUSD Teaching and Learning Subcommittee Meeting
Monday, March 2nd at 6:30 p.m.
1025 Second Ave. Oakland - Board Room
OUSD Facilities Subcommittee Meeting
Tuesday, March 3rd at 6:30 p.m.
1025 Second Ave. Oakland - Board Room
A note about Subcommittee Meetings: The subcommittees meet to discuss issues and then have to approve them to go to the board.
So, our voice at the subcommittees is very important. These subcommittees are a time for discussion and an opportunity for us to propose alternative solutions and also help us understand each board member's thought process and questions, which helps us have a more comprehensive understanding of the issue.
These sub-committees have to agree that this plan is appropriate to present to the Board before it even makes it on the agenda on March 11th.
OUSD School Board Meeting
Wednesday, March 11th at 5:00 p.m.
1025 Second Ave. Oakland - Board Room
This is a CRITICAL meeting where the school board will decide if Tilden will be closed next year. We hope to have a large turnout to show strong community support for keeping Tilden open.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Welcome to the Friends of Tilden School blog!
Welcome!
The Tilden Parent Teacher Organization and other supporters of Tilden School will be posting news, information and event details on this site on an ongoing basis.
Let's build a strong community of support for the children and teachers of Tilden!
The Tilden Parent Teacher Organization and other supporters of Tilden School will be posting news, information and event details on this site on an ongoing basis.
Let's build a strong community of support for the children and teachers of Tilden!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
