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Thea Chroman: The Teachers
Many of the students in East Oakland are living with stress factors that make staying in school especially tough. In Oakland, homicide is the leading cause of death for young people. One out of every four kids is either currently on probation or has been. In East Oakland, many administrators say a huge number of their kids have no parent at home—they are living with relatives or in foster care. So, some teachers say, school often becomes the main source of stability in a student’s life. And teaching isn’t just about math or science anymore. Some teachers say they are deeply satisfied by the work they do—they can make a real difference in students’ lives. But that kind of commitment requires energy and time, and in the Oakland Unified School District the teacher turnover rate is more than 30% per year, roughly three times the national average. From the Castlemont Community of Small Schools in East Oakland, Thea Chroman investigates what it’s like to teach in the city’s toughest schools.
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