For hundreds of Oakland families, there was only one place they needed to be to find the right public charter school for their child: Lazear Charter Academy at the Oakland Enrolls School Fair last Saturday.
With over 30 public charter schools present, the event was a one-stop shop designed to demystify school choice by allowing families to speak with school representatives and students and get their questions answered before the February 13th on-time application deadline.
The fair was an event in partnership with National School Choice Week that included a raffle, food, face painting, a photo booth, and a DJ. We are also grateful to have had Families in Action and SEO scholars at our fair.
The Reyes family learning about charter school options in Oakland
The Reyes family came to learn more about one particular school but discovered many more. Mia, an incoming 6th grader, was interested in Oakland School for the Arts.
“But once I got here, I started to notice all the other schools, a huge array of programs, like technology, military, art, and other enrichments,” said Mia’s father, Pete. “I thought that was pretty interesting. Not what I expected, but actually a lot better than what I expected.”
Another parent, Cassandre, was at the fair with her son William, an 8th grader ready for high school. William wanted to determine which sports were offered at the different schools. Cassandre’s priority was a school with “discipline and structure,” so the Oakland Military Institute (OMI) booth caught her attention.
“I like [the fair] because we have a choice, and we can look into the different programs and choose from there,” she said.
OMI students and staff at the Oakland Enrolls Enrollment Fair
For many families, choosing a school can feel overwhelming. “A lot of families typically don’t even know where to start,” Oakland Enrolls Senior Director Daisy Padilla told KTVU Fox Channel 2. “This is the perfect place… This is a chance to get to talk to 30 different school representatives. They’ll have some students, they’ll have families, they’ll have staff members, and they can get all your questions answered.”
For school leaders, the direct connection with families was invaluable.
“It’s been fantastic to see so many families engaged and asking thoughtful questions about our programs,” said Areli Porras-Pozos, Student Recruitment Manager for Education for Change Public Schools. “Events like this are crucial for connecting directly with our community and showing what makes each of our schools unique.”
At the Oakland Military Institute (OMI) booth, student volunteers were the stars. “They tell our school’s story better than I can,” Michael Traver from OMI said of the students. “Having someone of their age here seems to help families out a lot.”
He was impressed by the partnership and turnout. “It’s nice to see all the families come out and get to enjoy the music and the food as well,” he said.
For the Reyes family, the value of the fair was in the direct comparisons between schools they could now make. Instead of conducting her own research and scheduling time to learn more about her options, Mia’s mother, Michelle, said she valued the ability to visit one room.
“It’s phenomenal, to be honest,” she said. “I’m from an era where you went to the school that was in your neighborhood, and that was about it. You didn’t have choices. Now my daughter has so many choices. As a parent, being able to come to one place to talk to all the schools in an organized manner was really amazing”.
