Back to School Night at Oakland Tech

100 Black Men member Langston Walker greets students and parents as they enter  the AAMA Manhood Development Class in portable classroom TP8

An Unguided Tour of AAMA Manhood Development Classroom 

On Back to School Night

Tuesday, September 19, 2017 was back to school night. Aspire and Achieve Members along with
100 Black Men Members were on hand to lend support to Manhood Development Teacher, Mr. Harris, and to speak to the students and parents about our organizations. We spoke about the work we do, the resources we offer and the support we give to our Kings.

We were happy to be visited by former AAMA teacher Lamar Hancock, who is now in charge of Literacy in the OUSD Office of Equity. And Principal Staci Ross-Morrison stopped by to meet our members and thank us for the support we offer.

When you step inside our portable classroom, TP8, you can't help but be impressed by the scope of the curriculum Mr. Harris has, and the ways he seeks to support, encourage and challenge our Kings to not only be empowered, but to also help the other Kings in the class. We are thrilled with the new teacher and the new class and we look forward to making 2017-2018 our best year yet!

Our Aspire and Achieve  tutor, Maxwell Shapiro, talks with Derrick Nesbit, who is both an Aspire and Achieve member and 100 Black Men Member

100 Black Men leaders, Langston Walker and  Darryl Richardson,  part of the many dedicated leaders who provide  mentoring, discussions, school and business visits and food at every meeting. Aspire and Achieve is proud and honored to be working with such outstanding leaders. 

Former AAMA Manhood Development Teacher.  Lamar Hancock. Although  Mr. Hancock is very busy developing his work at the OUSD Office of Equity, he works on many assignments and his heart is still with, and will always be with,  the Kings he taught and the new Kings.

A visit to Manhood Development Classes at Oakland Tech

Call and response at beginning and end of Manhood Development Class

Thursday, September 14, members of Aspire and Achieve, 100 Black Men and College Prep visited the AAMA Manhood Development Classes. We were all impressed by the way Mr. Harris engages, encouraged and excited his students. He is emphasizing each student helping all students. He has assigned group leaders and they keep track of everyone's classes and the progress each student is making. We are all excited about the classes and eager to show our support and share our resources.

Keeping track of progress

Thinking critically

Towards the end of each class, our organizations spoke about our support, resources, help and fun available to our Kings. We begin in earnest next week. The space is yet to be determined,  but we are determined to make it work. We ask for prayers and blessing for our Kings and our work. Aspire and Achieve is grateful and honored to be supported by these organizations and we are honored to support their efforts as well. 

The Freshmen Class

From left to right: Philip Barnett, 100 Black Men,  A&A student  Rickey Jackson, now in his second year at Cal State East Bay, Marcus McGhee, College Prep, and Jude Onwuemeka, 100 Black Men

Aspire and Achieve Tutor Maxwell Shapiro and  Lamar Hancock, former Manhood Development  Teacher and now head of Literacy at OUSD Department of Equity

New School Year, New Teacher, New Classroom and New Possibilities

The 2017-2018 School Year began on August 21st.

Our former AAMA teacher, Lamar Hancock, is now working at OUSD in charge of Literacy in the Office of Equity. (Hope I got the title right). Lamar will be missed, but he has left our Kings in very good hands. Our new teacher in the Manhood Development Class is Mr. Sekou Harris. And he will be teaching in a different classroom. Portable Classroom TP8.

I met Mr. Harris on Thursday, August 31. I was impressed by his plans for the class, the books to be used in class, including a book on investment, and most impressed by the way he worked with our Kings and Max and I could see the positive, encouraging way he worked with our Kings. It's going to be an exciting year. 

Max, of course, had already met Mr Harris the week before and this Thursday he was again working with students in two different classrooms. 

Turning in Incompletes

On May 23, 2017 Aspire and Achieve Tutors, Tom Demerath and Max Shapiro held a workshop for our students. While the focus was on writing, students could also bring in any academic problems they has as they prepared for their final exams the following week. It was a successful workshop and tutors were able to use two classrooms. 

II. Aspire and Achieve Meeting with OUSD School Board President James Harris, Reverend H. Jim Hopkins and Jessie Lucas