Oakland Board of Education unanimously instituted a student dress code, prohibiting students from wearing to school expensive jewelry, jogging suits or clothing that might be considered gang related. Angela Williams, a Tech student, calling this measure a “Band-Aid” approach, commented that “if a student is going to bring a gun to school, it doesn’t matter what they wear.”
1991
In the midst of the Persian Gulf War, Oakland parents , concerned that military recruiters were bombarding their students, led a movement to halt the practice in Oakland. Other schools throughout the country continued to allow such solicitation from the military to their students. Paul Luu, a Tech senior who received 8 calls from various military branches, went to the recruiting offices to advise the recruiters he would be studying architecture and didn’t consider the military as an alternative.
1993
A walk through Tech introduces author Scott Winokur to Madelyn Pyeatt, the teacher who cradled a dying Tech student in her arms. Ms. Pyeatt referred to the slaying as a revenge killing as the victim had beaten the shooter twice before. That year, there had been 5 weapons incidents at Tech, more than any other high school in Oakland.
1995
1779 Oakland Teachers went out on a two-day strike; about 43,000 Oakland students were absent in support of the strike with 6,000 students in attendance for the district. Tech teacher Susan Denault, an 11 year veteran teacher, stated, “This is about respect. The kids and the teachers are the school and the district does not get it.”
1998
In 1985, Tech was in terrible shape; with one-third of its students not graduating and those graduating only getting a 9th grade education. The district opted to try a career academy, offering classes in a specific field linked to paid internships. Patricia Clark, a teacher at Oakland Tech, saw health care as a great potential field and created the Health and Bioscience Academy. The Academy has yielded impressive results, sending 87 of the Health Academy’s 93 graduates on to college. At the time of the article, Tech, where 18 languages were spoken, had nearly doubled in size, and had changed from an all-black student body to a racial mix of 72% black, 20% Asian and 8% white. Tech was sending 45% of its students on to college. When asked if schools would be able to afford additional academies in more schools, Ms. Clark responded, “We can’t afford not to do this.
Madelyn Pyeatt, an English teacher at Oakland Technical High School who collaborated on the media literacy curriculum, addressed the pitfalls of stereotyping youth as a self-fulfilling prophecy. “If what you expect from kids is a bunch of bad behaviors, that’s what you are likely to get. But if your expect great things from kids, that’s what you are going to get.” In a simple two part exercise, Pyeatt introduced media literacy to her students by asking them to cut out paper figures and to inscribe them wit h words that stereotype teenagers. The students listed words such as “in gangs, thieves, in jail before age 18, baggy clothes, no food, disrespectful, alcoholics, rude punks, insensitive, peace destroyers, immature, macho, uneducated, illiterate or close to it, violent, stupid beliefs, sells drugs, drop out, wears a beeper.”
For the second part of the exercise, Pyeatt asked the students to cut out another figure and to inscribe it with words that represent how they perceive themselves. The students listed “respectable, smart, caring, friendly, nice temperament, non-ignorant, lovable, peaceful, helpful, cautious, safe, good.”
Their responses in part two indicate their desire to challenge and change those depictions to represent the positive attributes of youth in Oakland.
(From Performing Pedagogy: Toward an Art of Politics by Charles Garoian, 1999
“Ceramics with Mr. Easterday, Crash studying with Nikki Lethridge, Walking home with Ray, Being embarrassed by the English teacher who used to say “Ahem, Time will pass, will you?”! Many more of my favorite memories would include lunch time with the crew: Barbara, Kutina, Percy, Chautsy, Carmin and Carla.”
Homecoming was a real event for us. Each year every class would design a unique shirt for their class and would wear it to the rally. The stands would be divided into classes and it would be clear separations from class to class. The Homecoming Kings and Queens would be driven around the track in convertible cars like a parade with formal introductions. It was a true celebration. We would have the powder puff games as well. After the football game there was always a dance that was held in the cafeteria, all clean fun!
Upper class men tried gave you a hard time but it was not to ridicule you; it was to prep you for what your responsibility was going to be when you became an upper class man. They really taught you lessons, about teachers, politics, sports etc. I take that back. Sometimes they did embarrass you a little but it was honest fun.
Four teachers still teach at Tech that were there when my wife (Vonncile, ’92) attended, and our kids have had their classes at one point. Very interesting! They are: Mrs. Keeran, Mrs. Joe, Mrs. Snyder, and Mr. De Leeuw. My wife and I met in Ms. Snyder’s Spanish class. I remember I got in trouble for passing Vonncile a note.
Our kids graduated from Tech in 2008, 2009, and 2011 and the last one will graduate in 2016.
As a baseball coach, it means a lot to me to give back to the school because I truly enjoyed my time at Tech, every year. My coaches invested in me, pushing to get the most from me and talking about life.
The teachers, counselors, and sports coaches at Oakland Tech all had a significant impact on my success. I was a student from 10th through 12th grades.
I entered Oakland Tech after struggling with my father having abandoned my siblings, my mother, and me. We were homeless for quite some time and when I entered, my sole purpose was trying to keep my head above water. I struggled with making the grades, but I tried my best. The administration – people like Mr. Ellis Ore (my counselor), Elizabeth Lay, (English), and Mr. Herman Lee (basketball coach) all saw something in me and encouraged me not to quit. My participation on the basketball team (for all three years) not only kept me off the streets, but it helped build up my confidence.
I learned about teamwork and good sportsmanship. In my senior year, I was Senior Class Vice President and Homecoming Queen. In my senior year, with the Oakland Tech’s administration’s support, I received enough scholarships to fund the first two years of college! I graduated college, went on to receive my graduate degree, and have forever been grateful for the support I received from Oakland Tech.
Rockmond Dunbar is an actor perhaps best known for his roles as Kenny Chadway on the Showtime television drama series Soul Food, and as Benjamin Miles “C-Note” Franklin on the FOX television drama series Prison Break. He studied at Morehouse College and the University of New Mexico before making the move to Hollywood. Making his film debut in “Misery Loves Company” (1998), the actor followed it up with a string of television appearances, on sitcoms like “The Wayans Brothers”, “Two Guys, A Girl, and a Pizza Place”, and an unforgettable guest appearance on “The Practice”. His film projects include Punks (which debuted at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival), Misery Loves Company, Sick Puppies, Whodunit, Dirty Laundry, All About You and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.
In 2011 he joined the cast of FX’s hit show Sons of Anarchy as the new Sheriff of Charming, Eli Roosevelt.
In 2013, Dunbar joined the role in the CBS crime drama The Mentalist as FBI agent Dennis Abbott.
Born in Vallejo, raised in Captain Cook, Hawaii by grandparents, orphaned at 11, and emancipated at 15, Mahal Montoya graduated form Tech in 1992. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in English from UC Berkeley and a law degree from the University of Iowa. She also holds a Master of Library and Information Science form San Jose State University. Mahal made her theatrical debut as Hazel Niles in the Role Players Ensemble Theater Production of Eugene O’Neill’s Morning Becomes Electra in the fall of 2011. In addition to having many theatrical credits, Mahal has been a fashion model and has appeared on television and in movies, most recently appearing in Steve Jobs, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, and Fruitvale Station.
She is currently writing a documentary and practicing law in Oakland. Her law firm focuses on Business, Family, Employment, and Entertainment Law.
My great-grandma came to West Oakland by bus from Lewisville, Arkansas with my mama after my grandma died in childbirth at age 20. Growing up, I lived in Berkeley until 8 years old upon which I moved to East Oakland. I went to Tech because I wanted to go the same high school that my mother graduated from and also because I heard it was a great school.
The good things I remember are getting the big gold button from Ms. McGee, which I still have, that read “Count On Me To Succeed, Oakland Tech,” being supported by students and the administration to do fun events that made Tech, as we use to say, “poppin’ the most.” I loved the smell of cheese fries in the cafeteria. I recall the clink of the humongous key chain of the security guard we affectionately called “Grandpa” as he told us to hurry to class. The hard things I remember were being on the brink of losing our library accreditation which would have made our high school diplomas invalid, teachers walking out for higher wages, and not having the personal resources to dress trendy or visit a hair salon.
Things I participated in were: leadership class, reading the morning announcements over the PA system, Grad Nite, Junior & Senior Prom, Student Government as the ASB President 1993-1994 & Publicity Commissioner 1992-1993, the PTSA, Food Drives, Spirit Week, Homecoming Week Activities, and Lip Sync with the rapper Money B as a guest judge. I won 2nd place singing Smoove’s song “Female Mack.”
Three teachers I really remember are Mrs. Susan Drexler, Mr. David Christano and Mr. Hamner. Mrs. Drexler and Mr. Christano co-taught Interlinks for my 10th and 11th grade. They inspired me to later become a playwright and actress by allowing me to act out book assignments like “The Bride Price” in class, as well as paint large-scale backdrops and portray characters. I had no idea at the time that this would be a firm foundation for me to become an award-winning actress and playwright. I also could have never imagined that Mr. Christano and Mrs. Drexler would someday be in the audience to see me perform my shape “Mama Juggs” in Oakland or that Mrs. Drexler would fly in from Mexico to see me on stage in San Francisco!
Mr. Hamner, my 9th grade Drama teacher, is memorable because he helped me write my first play. We reconnected over 15 years later on Facebook and to my surprise, he still has the copy! He’s now my mentor in all things drama, improvisation, negotiating contracts and life. We even went on the road together to Los Angeles to debut my new play, “The Men In Me,” and he played guitar with me and operated my lights. We had an incredible time! I also remember Mr. Brooks, Mr. O’Keith, Ms. Lay and Ms. Pyatt as they all inspired and prepared me to work for Tech Scribe, our school newspaper, and become an award-winning journalist in both radio and television, working for CNN, NPR, NBC, CBS, FOX and PBS.
Anita Shontel Morgan (Woodley) , Grandpa, and Mawi Williams, 1994
After high school, I was fired up and ready to succeed, so I jumped right into the workforce, full-time college and the profession of journalism. While in college at Humboldt State University I studied journalism, won writing contests, was awarded grants to put on one-woman shows that I performed on campus about black history. While a student at San Francisco State University, I studied broadcasting in radio and television and worked for the NBC/KRON-TV in San Francisco, first as an intern then moving up to a production assistant to a cable-cut in writer and producer overnight. I also worked at KMTP-TV in San Francisco hosting my own newscast called “Newsnight with Anita Morgan,” covering Pan-African and local news. Shortly after graduating SFSU, I got married, got a job at CNN’s Headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia as an Associate Producer and at FOX 5 News as an overnight writer. The year I was at CNN, we won an Emmy for Exceptional News Coverage on 9/11, and I resigned a month after the World Trade Center event. Upon moving back to Oakland, we decided to have our only child in 2002 named Xavier Leo Woodley. We relocated to North Carolina where I worked 7 years for WUNC-FM, an NPR Affiliate, on a show called “The Story with Dick Gordon.” I won numerous awards until resigning to become a full-time artist in drama and literary arts. I have since been an entrepreneur winning numerous accolades in drama and theatre arts for my performance in the one-woman shows I wrote called, “Mama Juggs: The Breast Health Show” and “The Men In Me: Our Fathers, Our Brothers, Our Sons,” which covers HIV and urban male issues. You can learn more about all of my works on my website www.anitawoodley.com.
Now, some 15+ years later, on the social network Facebook, I have become good friends with many of my high school classmates from Tech.
I am extremely proud to be a Tech alumnus! My time at Tech taught me to speak up for myself and take risks, to formulate my ideas and put them out there in the world, and to assist in improving my community.
Tech turning 100 reminds me of how many changes it has withstood since 1969 when my mama attended. Now my nephew will graduate with class of 2014. Tech is a staple in the community that will be there for years to come and if we lived in Oakland, our son would likely attend Tech as well.
To today’s Tech students, I’d say, volunteer to learn everything you want to know in a career before graduating. Take advantage of the programs and college prep activities offered to you. Also do not be afraid to try college out. I did not want to go to college, but I filled out the applications anyway and got accepted to two 4-year schools. Once I went to Humboldt State University for a summer bridge program to try it out, I fell in love and stayed for the long run, graduating in top 8% of my class, in the top 15% of the country, and magna cum laude. My time at Tech redefined my life. I know I can do anything, but not everything at once. That’s what Tech Bulldog pride is all about. Woof!
The finances and reputation of Oakland schools were way down. But at Tech, we were bent on proving that wrong, being better. It was like the school had a chip on its shoulder and was bent on proving we were greater than what you may have thought. I rode the bench for the basketball team! I was a writer and editor for Scribe News and served as ASB president as a senior. Teachers that stand out: Mrs. Matthews. She raised the standard for us. She was the first teacher who wasn’t happy I turned in the work. Turning in poor work was just as unacceptable. I love that woman for caring so much to not accept less. Madeline Pyeatt. She didn’t seem to care about the stereotypes attached to our demographic. There were some things she thought kids our age should know. I loved that she refused to dumb it down or keep our perspectives limited. Mr. O’Keith. Some people are just made to work with young people. You could tell he knew many of us were probably victims of hard lives and made his class a place you wanted to be.
Marcus is currently a Sports Columnist for the Bay Area News Group.
Students from my Oakland Tech graduating class attended Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, Barnard, NYU, Occidental, Berkeley, which coming from an inner city public school, was a feat in itself. I ended up marrying a fellow Tech classmate, Jonah Weber. After Tech, we went off to the East Coast for college (me to Harvard, he to Columbia). We ran into each other at an A’s baseball game the summer after college, and eventually got married.
To fundraise for our Close-Up trip to Washington DC, students would sign up to sell food during lunch in the hallway by the main office. My mom would cook up a batch of fried rice, chow mein, and/or egg rolls, and we would sell them for $1 a plate. We also walked around the hallways with boxes of candy bars and sold them for $.50 each to fundraise.
Days leading up to deadlines for county and state fair project submissions, many of us would stay at school until 9pm or 10pm in the Engineering Academy classrooms behind the bleachers, working on our engineering drawings. It wasn’t until my adult life that I realized that we were extremely lucky to have dedicated teachers like Mr. Merrill and Mr. Hertenstein. They were willing to stay extra hours after school to give their students opportunities to complete their projects. Needless to say, our engineering projects did very well in the county and state competitions, earning many top places in their categories.
Jonah Weber, Class of 1997
During my junior year, the OUSD teachers went on strike. It lasted several weeks. Our US History AP teacher, Ms. Wolfe, didn’t want us to get too far behind in our studies; otherwise we would be unprepared for the AP exam at the end of the year. She arranged for us to meet her at a church a few blocks away, where she continued to hold class. That year, our class had the largest number of students pass the US History AP exam in the school’s history.
From Jonah’s memory (paraphrased by Hoa):
At the time of the teacher’s strike in ’96, Jonah was on the men’s basketball team. The school had a rule that if you didn’t attend class, you could not play in the games. Jonah did not want to miss his games, but he also did not want to cross the picket line in support of his teachers. So he went to his parents for advice. His dad told him that he didn’t want to have to tell him not to cross the picket line, that it should be a decision Jonah makes on his own. When Jonah asked his mom, his mom told him point blank, “Don’t you dare cross the picket line.”
Oakland Tech Alum (Class of 1997) and Two Star Michelin Chef James Syhabout is donating 5% of diners’ bills at his restaurants – Commis (two Michelin stars), The Dock, & Hawker Faire – to Oakland Public Schools.
Enjoy delicious food, support a local Oakland business owned by a Tech alum, and contribute to Oakland’s public schools.
Syhabout’s Dine Out and Give Back fundraiser goes through the end of the January.
James Syhabout was born in a refugee camp in Ratchathani, Thailand in 1979 and settled in California when he was two years old. Syhabout’s interest in cooking came from his mother, a chef at a Thai restaurant in Oakland.
Following graduation from Tech, Syhabout went to the California Culinary Academy, from which he graduated in 1999 and went straight to the well renowned restaurant Manresa.
After working at other notable restaurants and making appearances on Chef America, Syhabout opened his first restaurant, Commis, which is the only restaurant in Oakland to receive a Michelin star, a feat it received after being open for only a few months.
Since opening Commis, Syhabout has opened Hawker Fare in Oakland’s Uptown, which serves family-style Southeast Asian street food inspired by Syhabout’s Thai heritage, with a particular emphasis on the cuisine of Isaan, in the country’s northwest. He opened a second Hawker Fare in San Francisco’s Mission District in early 2015.
James was inducted into the Inaugural Class of Oakland Tech’s Hall of Honor at the Centennial Gala in May of 2015.
Photo Gallery
1991
appearances, on sitcoms like “The Wayans Brothers”, “Two Guys, A Girl, and a Pizza Place”, and an unforgettable guest appearance on “The Practice”. His film projects include 
Three teachers I really remember are Mrs. Susan Drexler, Mr. David Christano and Mr. Hamner. Mrs. Drexler and Mr. Christano co-taught Interlinks for my 10th and 11th grade. They inspired me to later become a playwright and actress by allowing me to act out book assignments like “The Bride Price” in class, as well as paint large-scale backdrops and portray characters. I had no idea at the time that this would be a firm foundation for me to become an award-winning actress and playwright. I also could have never imagined that Mr. Christano and Mrs. Drexler would someday be in the audience to see me perform my shape “Mama Juggs” in Oakland or that Mrs. Drexler would fly in from Mexico to see me on stage in San Francisco!
