The days of leaders in district-run and charters schools acting in isolation, as a splintered set of public schools with insufficient resources, must end to better serve our students. As we look ahead, there are several things that we must do to chart a better path forward here in Oakland.

The reality of public education in Oakland is that we have a mix of public schools, district-run and charter. And within those schools are wide ranges in the quality of education each child receives.

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New Oakland schools superintendent ready to lead The Oakland Achieves Partnership recently released an unprecedented report that provides a comprehensive look at all of our city’s public schools — both district-run and charter.

Two key findings from the report were that by some measures, though not all, charter schools in Oakland are serving a significantly lower number of students of need and that Oakland charter schools appeared to have $1,400 less per student to invest in student learning. Also of note was the wide range of students served and resources-spend within district schools compared to one another and charter schools compared to one another.

The reasons for these patterns are complicated. Now that we have the data and facts, it’s on us to intentionally change course to improve the public education of our children — or we will be abdicating our responsibility as adults.

We cannot ignore the systemic issues raised in the report and their implications for students. The release of this report is the beginning of our work — not the end. We need to reimagine approaches to policy, practice, and resource allocation.

Indeed, resource allocation in public education to best meet the needs of all students presents an urgent challenge.

The report provides insight into how Oakland allocates its limited — and frankly inadequate — resources. It makes clear that our city has not used its limited resources in the most equitable and efficient way possible to ensure equity and quality in education for students.

It shows that there are wide variations in the amount schools spend per student among both district-run and charter schools. Contributing to this was the significant range in the concentration of student need, as higher concentrations of need call for a higher concentration of resources.

Charter schools were also hampered by state law that caps the amount of need-based funding they could receive, causing those serving a needier population than district-run schools to receive less funds to educate the students they serve than their need would otherwise provide for. The study also found that district-run schools spent $1,400 more per student than charter schools were able to spend.

The reality today is that our resources are allocated in oversimplified formulas that are driven by outdated policies and practices. Our approach to resource allocation has to change. Our school board must articulate a deliberate strategy for allocating our limited resources toward increased quality, equity, and sustainability, across all district and charter schools.

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Right now, not every student in Oakland has equitable access to a high-quality education. No type of school is doing enough, and every school has room for improvement. Our most pressing public education issue is not the type of schools our city has, but the quality and equity among our schools. We must keep students and families at the center of our education conversations, decisions, and actions.

These are deeply complicated problems, and we don’t expect easy answers. But this study provides a foundation for action. It’s up to us to use it as a driver for change for a better 2020.

Ash Solar is executive director of GO Public Schools Oakland and is a member of Oakland Achieves Partnership.