Prescott School

Prescott is a public elementary school located in West Oakland. The school's vision is that all students will achieve academically when they are active, social, and creative learners. The teachers are dedicated to the idea that an inquiry-based approach to instruction will develop the higher-order thinking skills and academic literacy needed for our students to become life-long learners. We know that it is equally important to foster the development of personal and social responsibility of every student by instituting structures that promote self-respect, positive social interactions, and community involvement. In order to realize this vision, Prescott faculty and staff always focus their efforts on what is best for the whole child.

Prescott believes the following essential components form the theoretical foundations of the educational program and propel the educational practices. These components are based on the Prescott theories of action.

- Habits of Mind

- Efforts-Based Theory

- Service Learning

- Project-Based Learning

- Learning as an active process

- Motivation is key to learning

- Learning requites students take control of their own learning

- Learning should involve cultural pedagogy

The more you learn about the legacy of learning on the Prescott campus in West Oakland, the more you come to see it as a vital piece of Oakland history. Ida Louise Jackson, Oakland’s first African-American teacher, taught here starting in 1925 -- 13 years before any other school hired a black teacher. The campus itself has been home to students for well over a century, since 1869.