"A novel partnership between the Oakland Unified School District and Oakland's Department of Violence Prevention three years ago introduced teams at seven city high schools dedicated to interrupting and preventing violence. After the first year, OUSD saw a reduction in students being suspended for violence, and the district expanded the program, adding two additional teams at Oakland Tech and Skyline high schools. But city funding runs out at the end of this school year, putting pressure on district leaders to identify a new funding source."
"Skyline has had a spate of violent incidents in the last few years, including a stabbing that injured a student in 2022, a shooting in 2023 with no apparent victims, and a shooting after graduation in 2024 that injured three people. Two weeks ago, the campus was locked down after what turned out to be a false report of a student with a weapon on campus."
Oakland Unified School District partnered with the city's Department of Violence Prevention three years ago to place violence-interruption teams at seven high schools. After one year, suspensions for violent incidents fell, prompting expansion to Oakland Tech and Skyline with two additional teams. City funding will end after this school year, requiring district leaders to find new funding. Youth Alive violence interrupters mediate student conflicts at Skyline. Skyline experienced multiple violent incidents between 2022 and 2024, including a stabbing, shootings, and a recent lockdown from a false weapons report. Many interrupters have criminal pasts and draw on lived experience in outreach work.
Read at The Oaklandside
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