Excellence for ALL Oakland Students — Support Oakland Public Schools!

May 2010

Dear Fellow Supporters of Oakland Public Schools,

When we last wrote, at the turn of the year, then-Executive Director Holly Babe Faust was looking forward to our "becoming OSF." With that exciting transition now official, I want to thank Holly for leading the Oakland Schools Foundation, in her dynamic way, to where we now stand. Holly's commitment to OSF's mission put me in position to hit the ground running as we continue supporting excellence for all students in Oakland.

In my first month as Executive Director, I have learned so much. During OSF's recent inspiring Principal Fishbowl and Tour of Schools, it struck me how often we find Oakland schools painted in a defeatist light. But when you talk with one of our principals or step through the doors of a school, you see a spirit not just unbowed, but growing.

As OUSD Superintendent Tony Smith said in his keynote speech before our Principal Fishbowl, "This district is leading the way in so many different ways. We've got to pull together, though, and we have to tell a different story."

When we think of our schools, we see the energetic and resilient educators and kids who are living these different Oakland stories. They are stories about internships (like 9th-grader Angelica's in the enclosed newsletter), oratorical champions, organic gardens, college scholarships, family involvement, and more.

Unfortunately, these successes come in the face of escalating state cuts that wear our schools' budgets thinner each year. Since 2003, the Oakland Schools Foundation has worked to secure resources for its member schools — all of which serve predominantly low-income students — and support their innovative and essential programs.

You can help us support excellence for all Oakland students.

When you donate to OSF, your money supports field trips, after-school programs, and many other key activities that our schools struggle to pay for on their own. More than 85 percent of our operating budget directly funds our work with and for OSF's clients: 42 Oakland public schools serving more than 14,000 kids. By 2010-11, these numbers will grow to 50 schools and more than 18,000 students.

Please think of OSF, and these 50 schools, when you plan your charitable giving. Consider a recurring gift – a dollar a day helps us raise almost $2,000 for schools by year's end. Ask at work about a matching gift program. You can give online here, or send a check to the address below.

Sincerely,

Dan C. Quigley
Executive Director

Oakland Schools Foundation
P.O. Box 20238
Oakland, CA 94620