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The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of Oakland and asked of all candidates for this office.
See below for questions on
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Click on a name for candidate information. See also more information about this contest.
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1. (Teacher recruitment and retention) What should be done to support the recruitment and retention of qualified and experienced teachers in Oakland public schools?
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Answer from Benjamin Lang:
Step one: Elect to the Oakland School Board members who have real world public education experience. Board members with professional public education experience can relate and empathize with teachers and administrators.
Step two: Assure that Oakland teachers are paid to at least the average of Alameda County.
Step three: Assure that every teacher has the appropriate tools to do his or her job.
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2. (Training for skilled trades careers) Not all Oakland students will opt to go to college or a university after high school. How will you use your position as a School Board Member to support training for careers in the skilled trades?
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Answer from Benjamin Lang:
We continue to assess / evaluate students on skills that are no longer valued in the contemporary workplace. The job market today is looking for people with Twenty-first Century Skills. I refer to them as the four C's:
Collaboration
Communication
Critical thinking
Creativity
(I would personally add another "C" + Compassion)
A re-visioning of how we assess our students will facilitate students finding their appropriate and fulfilling vocation in life.
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3. (Disparities among ethnic groups) What specifically can and should be done about the disparity of academic achievement among various ethnic groups in Oakland, and what can and will you do as a school board member to address these disparities?
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Answer from Benjamin Lang:
As a School Board member, I would work closely with the Superintendent to assure equal opportunity among all students in Oakland. One primary way to achieve this is through staff development.
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4. (Criteria for approvals and closures) Do you support the opening of new Charter Schools at a time when traditional public schools are being closed or threatened with closure? What criteria should be used in deciding what schools should be closed and which new ones be approved?
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Answer from Benjamin Lang:
My primary mission is to support the achievement and wellbeing of all students in Oakland. If I see reasonable proof that a proposed or existing charter school can achieve this, then I will support it. It should be noted that the Oakland School Board is not the final say in the approval or disapproval of charter schools. They can be approved through Alameda County or the State.
Responses to questions asked of each candidate
are reproduced as submitted to the League.
Candidates' responses are presented as submitted. Direct references to opponents are not permitted.
The order of the candidates is random and changes daily. Candidates who did not respond are not listed on this page.
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League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
