[4] OUSD was among the first school districts in the country to implement restorative justice practices to limit or eliminate suspensions.

[8] In 2015 and 2016, OUSD forged partnerships with and secured grants from a number of technology companies, including Salesforce, Intel, Code.org,[9] and Google,[10] and set a goal to make computer science a graduation requirement for the freshman class that begins school in 2017.

The first school in Oakland opened in the 1850s and was located in a rented room in the back of a fandango at Second and Washington Streets.

Connected with the High School is a completely equipped observatory, in which the study of astronomy is made effective and interesting with the aid of the most modern instruments.

This, the Technical High School, with forges, machine shops, a great auditorium seating 1600 people, chemical laboratories and many other education features which prepare young men and women for an active and useful life, is one of the finest structures of its kind in the United States.

They include Allendale, Claremont, Cleveland, Dewey, Elmhurst, Emerson, Franklin, Frick, Fruitvale, Lincoln, Manzanita, McClymonds, Melrose, Peralta, Piedmont, Prescott, Sequoia, Santa Fe, Fremont High, Oakland High, and Oakland Tech.

High school departments included English, History, Foreign Languages, Mathematics, Science, Commercial, Home Economics, Physical Training, Shop and Drawing.

He also emphasized the need for art programs, team sports, and school activities that reflected the life circumstances of the students.

[19] In 2003, OUSD Superintendent Dennis K. Chaconas was fired and Governor Gray Davis approved a $100 million emergency loan, the biggest school bailout in California history.

[21] Kimberly Statham was named Ward's permanent replacement, but she resigned suddenly on September 17, 2007, ostensibly under pressure from state officials.

[24] Smith resigned suddenly in April 2013 after four years leading the district, citing family health issues.

[26] After just two years at the helm, Wilson resigned in November 2016 to become chancellor of the District of Columbia Public Schools.

[29] In August 2024, OUSD, in partnership with transportation startup company Zum, introduced the first all-electric school bus fleet in the United States.

[30] Oakland Unified School District has experienced ongoing financial difficulties in recent years.

The report also criticized "system-wide failures" including "no accountability, lack of trust, and high teacher and administration turnover.

"[32] Another Alameda County Civil Grand Jury Report published a year later that financial instability was due to "the district's poor business practices and broken culture," rather than just outside pressures like declining enrollment.

[33][35] Oakland Unified teachers went on strike for seven days, beginning on February 21, 2019, for fully funded public education, higher wages, and smaller class size.

The strikes were part of the RedforEd campaign and were organized by the Oakland Education Association (OEA)--a union for teachers—and East Bay Democratic Socialists of America (EBDSA).

[37] Rallies continued as teachers from all around the Bay Area took a sick day on January 18, 2019, and gathered at Oakland Technical High School to march to city hall in the name of public education.

[39] When asked if they had enough resources to succeed, three Oakland Tech students replied "No, we don't even have paper in some of the class rooms.

The East Bay Times reported, "One of the school's secrets to success is what (Principal Nancy) Bloom calls the morning intervention acceleration model.

[50] In 2015, Coliseum College Prep Academy (CCPA), located on the Havenscourt Campus in East Oakland, achieved a 91 percent graduation rate.