Oakland Technical High School
Encyclopedia
Oakland Technical High School, known locally as Oakland Tech, or just simply "Tech", is a public high school in Oakland, California
, and is operated under the jurisdiction of the Oakland Unified School District
.
, Rockridge
and Temescal
.
Tech received the maximum 6-year accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges in 2009.
The mascot is Bobo the Bulldog.
Tech was displaced for earthquake retrofitting in the 1970s, to 5714 Martin Luther King Jr. Way (formerly Grove Street). This location, known as "Old Tech" was actually the campus of the now defunct University High School (1923–1948). That campus then served as Merritt College
from 1954 to 1966 and is considered the birthplace of the Black Panthers.
Paideia is an advanced History and English program directed by Maryann Wolfe and Marietta Joe. Together they both teach grades 10–12. In the sophomore year, students have the option to take English 2 Paideia and World Cultures, taught by Douglas Stubblefield and Marietta Joe. In 11th grade, students, based on their grades, have the option to enroll in AP English/AP US History or HP English/HP US History, taught by Elizabeth Haugen and Nathan Gong. In 12th grade, students who are recommended may take the advanced senior block, consisting of AP Government, AP Literature, and HP Comparative Government, taught by Marietta Joe and Maryann Wolfe, in which they analyze works of art and compare them to the government. Recently this year, another sub section has been added to Paideia. In senior year, students, according to grades will also be able to take AP Government and AP English 4.
The Engineering Academy is a rigorous academy that focuses on Mechanical Engineering. Starting in 10th grade, the students in this academy take Engineering, Physics—focused on mechanics, AP Physics, drafting, etc. Students in this academy routinely win state-wide awards in various competitions. Students can be jointly enrolled in the Paideia and the Engineering programs.
The Engineering Academy and the Paideia program routinely send students off to top-tier public and private universities. In 2007 the Engineering Academy sent more girls to the freshman class at MIT than any other school west of the Mississippi. In 2008, over half of the advanced senior block was accepted to the prestigious UC Berkeley
. Students regularly score 4’s or 5’s for AP classes taken in the Paideia program.
starring James Belushi
and Louis Gossett Jr. The Principal was filmed at what is locally referred to as "Old Tech"- located at 5700 Martin Luther King Way- nee Grove Way, site of the old University High School.
In 1993, Tech, at its current location, was featured in the movie Made in America
featuring Will Smith
, Nia Long
, Whoopi Goldberg
and Ted Danson
.
mandates that every school publish a public record of their standing on a variety of standardized tests and other quantitative analyses.
To view more data on Oakland Tech's scores, see:
Executive Summary School Accountability Report Card, 2005-06.
. During the 1970s when many California schools were being demolished and rebuilt for earthquake safety, Tech's main building was determined to be too historic to tear down. Instead, it was gutted and rebuilt on the inside, while its historic exterior was preserved. The school was declared a historic landmark by the city of Oakland on July 23, 1985.
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
, and is operated under the jurisdiction of the Oakland Unified School District
Oakland Unified School District
Oakland Unified School District is a public education school district which operates elementary schools , middle schools , and high schools in Oakland, California.-History:...
.
Background
Oakland Tech is one of six comprehensive public high school campuses in Oakland. Oakland Tech's attendance jurisdiction includes several neighborhoods, including Oakland ChinatownChinatown, Oakland, California
The Chinatown neighborhood in Oakland, California, is a pan-Asian neighborhood which reflects Oakland's diverse Asian American community. It is frequently referred to as "Oakland Chinatown" in order to distinguish it from nearby San Francisco's Chinatown...
, Rockridge
Rockridge, Oakland, California
Rockridge is a residential neighborhood and commercial district in Oakland, California. Rockridge is generally defined as the area east of Telegraph Avenue, south of the Berkeley city limits, west of the Oakland hills and north of the intersection of Pleasant Valley Avenue/51st Street and...
and Temescal
Temescal, Oakland, California
Temescal is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Oakland, California. It is located in North Oakland, centered on Telegraph Avenue, and bordered by Broadway and State Route 24 to the east and west. MacArthur Boulevard is to the south...
.
Tech received the maximum 6-year accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges in 2009.
The mascot is Bobo the Bulldog.
Tech was displaced for earthquake retrofitting in the 1970s, to 5714 Martin Luther King Jr. Way (formerly Grove Street). This location, known as "Old Tech" was actually the campus of the now defunct University High School (1923–1948). That campus then served as Merritt College
Merritt College
Merritt College is a two-year community college located in the Oakland Hills in Alameda County, California. The school's enrollment is approximately 6,000 students. The college is named after physician Dr...
from 1954 to 1966 and is considered the birthplace of the Black Panthers.
Academies
Students at Oakland Technical High School have the option of enrolling in one of the school's academies, which operate as small subsets of the school. Students take one class within their academies, and spend the rest of the day in normal classes.Paideia is an advanced History and English program directed by Maryann Wolfe and Marietta Joe. Together they both teach grades 10–12. In the sophomore year, students have the option to take English 2 Paideia and World Cultures, taught by Douglas Stubblefield and Marietta Joe. In 11th grade, students, based on their grades, have the option to enroll in AP English/AP US History or HP English/HP US History, taught by Elizabeth Haugen and Nathan Gong. In 12th grade, students who are recommended may take the advanced senior block, consisting of AP Government, AP Literature, and HP Comparative Government, taught by Marietta Joe and Maryann Wolfe, in which they analyze works of art and compare them to the government. Recently this year, another sub section has been added to Paideia. In senior year, students, according to grades will also be able to take AP Government and AP English 4.
The Engineering Academy is a rigorous academy that focuses on Mechanical Engineering. Starting in 10th grade, the students in this academy take Engineering, Physics—focused on mechanics, AP Physics, drafting, etc. Students in this academy routinely win state-wide awards in various competitions. Students can be jointly enrolled in the Paideia and the Engineering programs.
The Engineering Academy and the Paideia program routinely send students off to top-tier public and private universities. In 2007 the Engineering Academy sent more girls to the freshman class at MIT than any other school west of the Mississippi. In 2008, over half of the advanced senior block was accepted to the prestigious UC Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
. Students regularly score 4’s or 5’s for AP classes taken in the Paideia program.
Appearance in films
Tech was featured in the 1987 film The PrincipalThe Principal
The Principal is a 1987 action film, starring James Belushi and Louis Gossett, Jr. It was written by Frank Deese and directed by Christopher Cain, and filmed in Oakland, California.-Plot:...
starring James Belushi
James Belushi
James Adam "Jim" Belushi is an American actor, comedian, and musician. He is the younger brother of comic actor John Belushi.-Early life:Belushi was born in Chicago...
and Louis Gossett Jr. The Principal was filmed at what is locally referred to as "Old Tech"- located at 5700 Martin Luther King Way- nee Grove Way, site of the old University High School.
In 1993, Tech, at its current location, was featured in the movie Made in America
Made in America (film)
Made in America is a 1993 comedy film released on May 28, 1993 by Warner Bros. starring Whoopi Goldberg and Ted Danson, and featuring Nia Long, Jennifer Tilly and Will Smith.-Plot:...
featuring Will Smith
Will Smith
Willard Christopher "Will" Smith, Jr. , also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor, producer, and rapper. He has enjoyed success in television, film and music. In April 2007, Newsweek called him the most powerful actor in Hollywood...
, Nia Long
Nia Long
Nia Talita Long is an American actress and occasional music video director. She is best known for her roles in the television series The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Third Watch, and the films Boiler Room, Soul Food, Love Jones, The Best Man, Big Momma's House, Big Momma's House 2, Are We There...
, Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg is an American comedian, actress, singer-songwriter, political activist, author and talk show host.Goldberg made her film debut in The Color Purple playing Celie, a mistreated black woman in the Deep South. She received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress and won...
and Ted Danson
Ted Danson
Edward Bridge “Ted” Danson III is an American actor best known for his role as central character Sam Malone in the sitcom Cheers, and his role as Dr. John Becker on the series Becker. He also plays a recurring role on Larry David's HBO sitcom Curb Your Enthusiasm and starred alongside Glenn Close...
.
Test scores
After being sued for refusing to do so, the Oakland Unified School DistrictOakland Unified School District
Oakland Unified School District is a public education school district which operates elementary schools , middle schools , and high schools in Oakland, California.-History:...
mandates that every school publish a public record of their standing on a variety of standardized tests and other quantitative analyses.
To view more data on Oakland Tech's scores, see:
Executive Summary School Accountability Report Card, 2005-06.
Building
Oakland Tech's main building, built in 1914, resembles the main science building of the Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyMassachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
. During the 1970s when many California schools were being demolished and rebuilt for earthquake safety, Tech's main building was determined to be too historic to tear down. Instead, it was gutted and rebuilt on the inside, while its historic exterior was preserved. The school was declared a historic landmark by the city of Oakland on July 23, 1985.
Demographics
According to 2008-2009 statistics, Oakland Tech enrolls approximately 1,800 students. The school's approximate racial makeup is 52% African American, 18% Asian, 10% White, 15% Hispanic and 5% others.Notable alumni
- John BrodieJohn BrodieJohn Riley Brodie is a former professional American football quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, and had a second career as a Senior PGA Tour professional golfer.-Early years and education:...
- Gabriel Carroll
- Ron DellumsRon DellumsRonald Vernie "Ron" Dellums served as Oakland's forty-fifth mayor. From 1971 to 1998, he was elected to thirteen terms as a Member of the U.S...
– former U.S. Congressman, mayor of Oakland, California - Clint EastwoodClint EastwoodClinton "Clint" Eastwood, Jr. is an American film actor, director, producer, composer and politician. Eastwood first came to prominence as a supporting cast member in the TV series Rawhide...
– actor, movie producer, movie director - Mistah F.A.B.Mistah F.A.B.Stanley Petey Cox , better known by his stage name Mistah F.A.B. , is an American rapper. He attended Oakland Technical High School and Emery High School. He is signed to Bay Area rap legend Mac Dre's label, Thizz Entertainment and Atlantic Records. Mistah F.A.B...
– rapper - Curt FloodCurt FloodCurtis Charles Flood was a Major League Baseball player who spent most of his career as a center fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals. A defensive standout, he led the National League in putouts four times and in fielding percentage twice, winning Gold Glove Awards in his last seven full seasons...
- baseball player, known for challenging the Reserve clauseReserve clauseThe reserve clause is a term formerly employed in North American professional sports contracts. The reserve clause, contained in all standard player contracts, stated that, upon the contract's expiration the rights to the player were to be retained by the team to which he had been signed... - Bernie HamiltonBernie HamiltonBernie Hamilton was an American actor.Hamilton was born in East Los Angeles and attended Oakland Technical High School, where he first became interested in acting. In films from 1950, he laboured in bit roles for years before getting noticed in the film One Potato, Two Potato , the story of an...
- Rickey HendersonRickey HendersonRickey Henley Henderson is a former Major League Baseball left fielder who played for nine teams from 1979 to 2003, including four stints with his original team, the Oakland Athletics. Nicknamed The Man of Steal, he is widely regarded as the sport's greatest leadoff hitter and baserunner...
- hall of fame baseball player - Ted LangeTed LangeTheodore William "Ted" Lange is an American actor, director, and screenwriter best known for his role as the bartender, Isaac Washington, in the 1970s TV series The Love Boat...
- Cookie LavagettoCookie LavagettoHarry Arthur "Cookie" Lavagetto was a third baseman, manager and coach in American Major League Baseball. He is most widely known as the pinch hitter whose double ruined Bill Bevens' no-hitter in Game 4 of the 1947 World Series and gave his Brooklyn Dodgers a breathtaking victory over the New...
- baseball player - Marshawn LynchMarshawn LynchMarshawn Terrell Lynch is an American football running back for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. In his rookie year, Lynch became the Bills' first 1,000-yard rookie rusher since Greg Bell in 1984...
– football player - Tony MartinTony Martin (entertainer)Tony Martin is an American actor and singer.-Career:Tony Martin was born on Christmas Day, 1913 as Alvin Morris in San Francisco, California to Jewish immigrant parents. He received a saxophone as a gift from his grandmother at the age of ten. In his grammar school glee club, he became an...
- Rod McKuenRod McKuenRod McKuen is an American poet, songwriter, composer, and singer. He was one of the best-selling poets in the United States during the late 1960s. Throughout his career, McKuen produced a wide range of recordings, which included popular music, spoken word poetry, film soundtracks, and classical music...
- Abbas MilaniAbbas MilaniAbbas Malekzadeh Milani is an Iranian-American historian and author. Milani is a visiting professor of Political Science and the director of the Iranian Studies program at Stanford University. He is also a research fellow and co-director of the Iran Democracy Project at Stanford University's...
- Huey P. NewtonHuey P. NewtonHuey Percy Newton was an American political and urban activist who, along with Bobby Seale, co-founded the Black Panther Party for Self Defense.-Early life:...
- The Pointer Sisters – R&B group
- Leon PoweLeon PoweLeon Powe, Jr. is an American professional basketball power forward who last played for the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association . Drafted in 2006 by the Denver Nuggets, Powe grew up in Oakland, California and played college basketball at the University of California, Berkeley...
– basketball player - YukmouthYukmouthJerold Dwight Ellis, III, better known by his stage name Yukmouth, is a Grammy-nominated American rapper from East Oakland, Oakland, California. He is the founder of The Regime, Smoke-A-Lot Records and Godzilla Entertainment.-Career:He is a member of the platinum-selling rap duo Luniz along with...
– rapper - Jim Pollard
- Josh JohnsonJosh Johnson (American football)Josh Johnson is an American football quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He played college football quarterback for the University of San Diego Toreros. He was selected by the Buccaneers in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
- football player - Rodney Joseph JohnsonRodney Joseph JohnsonRodney Joseph Johnson was a decorated Houston Police officer who served 14 years with the agency prior to his death in the line of duty on September 21, 2006...
-Houston Police Officer - Frank OzFrank OzFrank Oz is a British-born American film director, actor, voice actor and puppeteer who is known for creating and performing the characters Miss Piggy and Fozzie Bear in The Muppet Show, Cookie Monster, Bert and Grover in Sesame Street, and for directing films, including the 1986 Little Shop of...
- Muppeteer
External links
- School website
- The Tech Scribe – School newspaper
- The Apollos A short film about the Oakland Technical High School class that helped get the MLK Day bill passed in California.
- http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/07/16/DD5C11NSO4.DTL Article from San Francisco Chronicle about "The Apollos."