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In Oakland, we are enacting a bold vision: the creation of a system of equitable small schools is well under way. This citywide effort is being driven by the community, implemented by Oakland Unified School District, and supported by the Bay Area Coalition for Equitable Schools. The small schools movement begun here has required a commitment to establishing the kind of sustained relationships among school people, parents, and the community that lead first to mutual understanding and respect and then to collaboration in educating each child fully. As of September 2001, six new small autonomous schools have opened in Oakland. Each school represents a solid teacher-parent-child partnership from its inception. Meanwhile, educators, parents, and community activists are designing plans for more new schools to be developed throughout the city in collaboration with community-based organizations, educational support providers, and city officials. This strategy has potential for activating authentic and deep community-school partnerships. When community organizing groups like Oakland Community Organizations (a faith-based community organization affiliated with 35,000 families) are deeply involved in starting new schools, powerful alliances to support change become possible. Building relationships among teachers and families across race, class, language, and culture can also bring dramatic results. Ultimately, achieving system-wide change will require not only creating new schools, but also converting our large high schools into equitable, small schools. This work has begun. Two of Oakland's six comprehensive high schools have started the conversion process into smaller learning communities. I believe our ultimate success or failure in this complex endeavor is directly linked to continuing the community leadership and involvement in the visioning, designing, and creating of small equitable schools.
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Sometimes, when I'm in a school for just a few moments, the thought flashes through my mind, "I wish my kid could go to this school!" I try to push it aside, eager to keep my mind open and ask questions, not wanting to jump to conclusions. But each time, experience bears out intuition-by the end of the day, I'll have a list of specific, palpable examples of how the school in which I've had the honor to be a guest engages kids' minds and hearts, lifting them up as they grow and learn. High expectations, security, hope, respect, and pride imbue these schools. Thousands of social interactions that happen in school buildings every day demonstrate the quality of the relationships between adults and children, and within a few moments, visitors intuit that flash of vitality and feel a powerful desire to stay for as long as possible. Such was my experience in Oakland's new small schools, born out of a community's fierce love for its children, immeasurably hard work, and sustained cooperation among families, political activists, the school district and advocates for personalized, rigorous education. I am so happy to thank the staff of Oakland Community Organizations, the Bay Area Coalition for Equitable Schools, and the Oakland Unified School District. I am deeply grateful to all of the students, teachers, school leaders, parents, community organizers, district officials, school coaches, and funders who so thoughtfully told me about their schools and who are striving to ensure that every family in Oakland can know-with pride, relief, and excitement-that their kids can go to these schools.
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Victor Cary, 
Jill Davidson,
Horace Editor