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Oakland School for the Arts

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Oakland School for the Arts

Meet The Executive Director
mike oz

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
mike oz

With a multi-generational family history in the Oakland arts community, I have a strong sense of pride as a long standing member of the OSA team. Soon after joining OSA in 2006, I made a commitment to ensuring an inviting school culture and equitable educational experience for all students.  I started as a member of the leadership team in 2009 serving for 6 years as Dean of Students, 6 years as Principal, and have been in the role of Executive Director since February of 2022.
 
Through each of these roles my focus has been on developing pathways that provide career and college preparation for all OSA students. I feel strongly that art should not be optional and I am humbled by the opportunity to ensure OSA students bring the essential value of the arts into the career paths of their choosing.

Strategic Plan Financial Years 2024 to 2026

As a part of OSA’s continuing metamorphosis, it is time for 10 to 20-year thinking.  OSA is committed to the three pillars of our three year strategic plan:
 
  • Joyful School
  • Creative Career Preparation
  • The OSA - and Oakland - Way

Our leadership team is activated by the direction that this strategic plan provides by creating a sustainable future for specialized public arts education in Oakland. We review our progress through quarterly metrics and report out annually to the public in a  board meeting setting. The plan can be viewed here.

Key initiatives for the 24-25 school year include the following:
 
  • Restructured leadership with introduction of a middle school specific assistant principal to focus strategically on strengthening student culture
  • Increased parent involvement through our PTSA
  • Continued focus on strengthening all school programming to support our anticipated 820 students, which is OSA’s highest enrollment to date
  • Finalized negotiations with COSATS (teachers, counselors, and classified employees union) to ensure competitive pay for OSA employees while maintaining financial sustainability for the school.
  • Attainment of our $1,200,000 fundraising goal to support our specialized programming and protect against any programmatic cuts in the years ahead
  • Continued fundraising to develop OSA Uptown Art Park at 1911 Telegraph, a specialized  44,000 sq. ft. outdoor space to support OSA student physical education, public performances and community gatherings
  • Identification and progress towards a purchase for facility expansion through a secondary building in the nearby vicinity of our main campus to serve as the home of our specialized arts spaces
  • Further establish strong community partnerships throughout Oakland and beyond 
 
Implementation will take intention, collaboration and focus. I invite you to join us in building the next iteration of Oakland School for the Arts - a vibrant, resilient, creative community, set to serve many future generations of young artists.
 
Mike Oz
Executive Director
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