In Oakland schools, more yearning than learning

02-17-2010

By Katy Murphy/Oakland Tribune

Wesley Sims pulls a lifeless crayfish from a tub and brings it to his seat, next to a blank sheet of paper. Seven other teenagers who have made it to physiology class on time after lunch do the same. Their task for the next 45 minutes is to draw the creature from three angles: dorsal, ventral and sagittal. The teacher explains, when Sims asks, that the activity is meant to sharpen their observational skills. Some might consider it a creative, hands-on lesson. Sims, 18, is not impressed. "Just think about it. I'd rather be learning something than drawing," he said in a low, emphatic voice. "Why am I just drawing this? It's easy work. That's why I get 4.4s." Most students grumble about teachers they don't like or school in general. Sims, a senior at East Oakland School of the Arts and student representative on the Oakland school board, is speaking louder than that. (more...)

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In Oakland schools, more yearning than learning

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