Please review the Oakland Tech School Parental Involvement Policy.
Illnesses & Absences


Attending School = Success
Daily attendance is critical to student success at Tech. In order to achieve and to earn credits, it is vital that students attend school every day, every class and be on time. However, please do not send your child to school if he or she is contagious. Consistent student attendance also generates money for paying teacher and staff salaries, buying books and keeping our school clean and safe. Attendance will be monitored on a daily basis. If your child is absent three or more days without clearing the absences, a truancy letter will be mailed to your home.

Clearing Absences
To clear an absence, a note written by a parent or guardian must be taken to the Attendance Office the first day upon returning to school. The note should state the reason for the absence and the date(s) the child was absent. Parents/guardians must sign the note and include a daytime phone number. The student will be given a pink slip, which then must be signed by all teachers. A pink slip will be issued by the Attendance Office before school from 8:00 am to 8:25am and at lunch ONLY.

The only excusable absences from school are:

  • Student is ill
  • Quarantine is required by the City or County health department
  • Student medical or dental appointment
  • Funeral of a member of the immediate family (1 day within California; 3 days if outside of the state)
  • Jury duty
  • Up to 5 days for failure to provide evidence of immunization
  • Participation in religious instruction or exercises
  • Court appearance
  • Religious observance/retreat
  • Student is incarcerated, awaiting a DHP, or on suspension
  • Advance parental notification (Administrative Bulletin 6005)

Please call the Attendance Office at 879-3050, ext. 153, 154, or 155 before 9 a.m. if your child will be absent from school. This will eliminate your receiving a message from the automatic attendance calling system later in the day.

Tardies

  • Students are expected to be in their seats by the 8:30 a.m. bell so that teaching may begin without disruption. Students who enter the classroom after 8:30 a.m. will receive a tardy. Students later than 15 minutes will be considered absent for that period.
  • Students who enter the building after 8:25 a.m. with a parent or guardian may receive a pink slip, which must be signed by their first period teacher. All pink slips should be saved by the student /parent.
  • Students who enter the building after 8:25 a.m. without a parent/guardian cannot receive a pink slip. Students who arrive late should go directly to their first period class. No late passes will be written.
  • Each week, the principal and her staff review the list of absentees and tardies and will contact parents and students with uncleared and excessive absences or tardies.
  • Students who are 30 minutes late without a valid excuse 3 or more times are considered truant and will be referred with their parents to the School Attendance Review Team (SART). Truancy is a serious offense and may result in a criminal complaint against a parent who fails to comply with the state attendance requirement. (Administrative Bulletin 6005)

Permits to Leave
During school hours, students can not leave school grounds without a Permit to Leave slip. A slip will be written when permission to leave has been verified by school personnel.

Medication & Minor Emergencies
Oakland Tech offers on-site health services through Techniclinic, managed by La Clinica de la Raza. If a student becomes too ill to remain in class, he or she must obtain a blue pass from the teacher and report to the Techniclinic.
Techniclinic staff will provide immediate care for minor emergencies.
Administration of prescription medication during school hours is also managed through the Techniclinic, provided a note from the child’s physician and parent is on file and the medication is in the original container.

Major Emergencies and Disasters
Oakland Tech has a School Site Safety Plan on file in the Principal’s Office. In a major disaster:

  • Students will only be released to individuals listed on the student’s Emergency Card.
  • Al Kyte Field (Tech’s football field) is the neighborhood Disaster Command Post.
  • All students will gather in the gymnasium. The school will contact parents to ask parents to pick up students.
  • In the event of a disaster, please do not call the school. As soon as possible, someone from the school will contact parents following a disaster, or information will be conveyed via emergency radio stations, such as KCBS (740 AM), KGO (810 AM) or KNBR (680 AM).

Academic Expectations

  • Students must maintain a 2.0 GPA in Core subjects (English, social studies, math and science) in order to be promoted to the next grade.
  • Students must earn 30 credits a semester (60 a year)
  • Each course equals 5 credits; students must pass each course in order to earn credit. Most students graduate with more than the required minimum, usually 240 or more credits.
    • 50 credits for 10th grade standing
    • 110 credits for 11th grade standing
    • 170 credits for 12th grade standing
  • Students must pass the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) by the end of 12th grade in order to earn a diploma. Students initially take the test in 10th grade. If they do not pass, students will have additional opportunities to take the test in 11th grade (fall and spring) and 12th grade (fall, spring and summer).
  • Ask your child’s counselor for a copy of the High School Success Guide, which contains a wealth of helpful information for high school students and their families. Senior Project (See page 13.)

Supporting Your Student

What about homework?

    • Students should expect 30 to 60 minutes of homework per day per subject (except PE).
    • If you are not regularly seeing your student doing homework, your student may be at risk of failing one or more courses. Please talk with your student, and feel free to contact your student's teacher(s) or counselor if you have questions. (See academic support services, below, and counseling staff, p.1)
    • If your child is absent, he or she is responsible for obtaining and completing any missed assignments. Teachers are obligated to provide any make-up work in a timely fashion for students who have an excused absence.

What about report cards?

    • Students receive report cards six times a year. Please be sure to review your child's progress and meet with the student's counselor or teachers as soon as possible if there are concerns. An F on a report card means that students will not earn credit for taking the course. Students need to keep up their grades or make up the work when they fall behind in order to earn the minimum credits that they need to graduate (230).
    • Check the latest school calendar for marking period end dates. You should expect to receive a report card in the mail within one week after the end of each marking period.

How do I set up teacher/counselor conferences?

    • Teacher's conference periods are the times teachers can meet or talk by phone with parents. Call the Main Office (510) 879-3050 and leave a message for the teacher.
    • If you need to meet with more than one teacher, contact your student's counselor who will make the necessary arrangements.

What academic support services are available for my student?

    • Tutoring at lunch and after school– many teachers provide tutoring support for their classroom students. Tutors are also available through UC's MESA program and through the financial support of Tech alumni called Friends of the Library, who provide stipends to tutors from other local universities.
    • Upward Bound at UC Berkeley– a college mentoring program to increase college enrollment by under-represented groups.
    • The library at Tech is staffed by a professional librarian and is usually open for quiet study and research between 8:00 AM and 4:30 PM except early release Wednesdays.
    • Computers and printers are available for student use free of charge in the library during regular hours..

What social support services are available for my student?


    In addition to our counseling department, Tech offers:
    • Conflict Resolution Coordinator— (ext. 156) available to talk confidentially to students about conflicts at school, work or home. All discussions remain confidential by law, unless the coordinator is legally responsible to report child abuse or any evidence that the child is hurting him or herself or someone else.
    • Techniclinic– an on-site clinic affiliated with La Clinica de la Raza for students. The clinic provides psychological counseling and confidential counseling on birth control, sexually transmitted diseases and other health matters.
    • Student / Family Services: Translators are available to meet your language needs: Spanish, Cantonese, Vietnamese and Cambodian. Please call 879-8703 for these services.
School Rules & Expectations


Please review the OUSD Parent Guide for district policies and expectations. Copies are available at Registration, in the School Office and from the OUSD Public Information Office at 1025 Second Avenue.

Rules specific to Oakland Tech:

Many of our safety concerns are a result of non-students being on our campus. It is unacceptable to have the safety of our community compromised by trespassers. As a result we are requiring all staff and students to wear picture identification badges. Every student must have his/her picture taken for this ID badge upon registration at Tech. Students must have their ID badges visible at all times while they are on campus. ID badges will be provided by Oakland Tech.

Books

Students are issued books during the first week of school. Students are expected to maintain the books in good condition during the school year. Students will be charged a fine for damaged or lost books and must pay the fine prior to the start of the next school year, in order to complete registration.

Dress Code

• Skirts, dresses and shorts must NOT be shorter than the student's extended arm (fingertips)
• No bare midriff. There should be NO skin showing between the bottom of the student's top and the top of the student's pants, skirt or shorts.
• NO halter tops; NO bare backs or shoulders; NO spaghetti strap tops without a shirt or jacket; no pajamas.
• Shoes or sandals must be worn at all times. No slippers or house shoes.
• Wearing of any attire, slogans, initials, colors or jewelry that advocate gang participation, use of drugs or vulgarity is prohibited. It will be confiscated or the student will be sent home to change.
• Clothing should not be revealing— undergarments should not be exposed.
• Headgear, hats, visors, sunglasses are not allowed in the classroom.
• Wave caps (“do rags”) hair nets and bandanas are not allowed on campus.
• Parents of students who do not comply with the above will be called to pick up their child so that he or she can change prior to returning to school.

Electronic Devices

Anything that interferes with the educational process will be confiscated for at least 24 hours (and possibly until the end of the school year) if brought to school during school hours, including:

  • Walkman radios, CD/MP3 players, boom boxes, etc.
  • Cellular phones, beepers and or PDAs (Palm Pilots, Blackberries) must be turned off during school hours.

Cell phones should not be seen or heard. The ear piece should not be on your head or around your neck. Ear pieces should not be seen or used in class. NO student is allowed to talk on a cell phone during class. A cell phone should not ring in class. Students are not allowed to go into the hall to answer phones during class time. Students not adhering to these rules will be subject to suspension and/or confiscation of the phone.

GROUNDS FOR DISCIPLINARY ACTION
All students are subject to disciplinary actions when involved in any of the following acts listed below, while on school grounds or at a school activity, during lunch time (on or off campus), or while going to or coming from school or any school activity.

  • fighting or threatening to fight
  • using force or violence upon another
  • possession of a dangerous object
  • possession, selling or being under the influence of a controlled substance
  • committing or attempting to commit robbery or extortion
  • causing damage to school or private property
  • stealing or attempting to steal school or private property
  • possessing or using tobacco or nicotine products
  • committing an obscene act or engaging in habitual profanity
  • possessing or selling drug paraphernalia
  • disruption of school activities or defiance of authority
  • knowingly receiving stolen property
  • possession of an imitation firearm that looks like a real gun
  • committing or attempting to commit sexual assault or harassment
  • harassing, threatening or intimidating a student who will be a witness at a DHP

School administrators will determine the appropriate disciplinary action after considering the severity of the infraction and other factors. If a sanction more severe than a five day suspension is considered appropriate, the administration may recommend expulsion to the Pupil Discipline Panel.

DISCIPLINE BY A TEACHER
For any acts of misconduct, a teacher can:

  • suspend a student from class for the day and the following day
  • keep a student after school for up to one hour
  • refer the student to the appropriate school administrator
  • following written notice, require a parent/guardian to attend a portion of the school day and accompany the student to class if the student disrupted school activities, willfully defied the valid authority of the teacher or other school personnel engaged in the performance of their duties.

Field Trips

Field trip forms are sent home with your student no less than two weeks prior to the field trip. Parents must sign the form, as must each of your child's teachers, in order for the student to participate.

Parents and Other Adults on Campus

Parents and other adults are welcome to observe classrooms and to volunteer on site. All visitors to the school must sign in at the School Office to obtain a visitor’s badge before proceeding on campus. Siblings or visitors under 21 years of age, unless accompanied by a parent or adult, are not allowed on campus.