Value. Uplift. Honor.
Welcome to the Parent Teacher Student Association for Oakland School for the Arts. Our school is about nurturing the incredible talents of young artists and making sure they receive a well-rounded education as well as formal training in the performing and visual arts. We'd love to have you join us in support.
About OSA
OSA : Where Creativity Meets Excellence
At Oakland School for the Arts, we pride ourselves on our outstanding academic achievements and our commitment to fostering artistic talent. OSA is a charter school within the Oakland Public school system.
With ten different visual and performing arts pathways, we offer a diverse range of programs and a dedicated faculty. OSA provides students with the tools and opportunities they need to succeed in both their academic and artistic pursuits.
Students at OSA
Across both the OSA Middle School and High School programs.
OSA's Annual Budget
$4m in Arts Funding for OSA's students comes from contributors like you
Matriculation to Four-Year Colleges
2023 OSA Graduating Class
Volunteer Programs
Pick a Cause. Make a Difference.
Our goal for the OSA PTSA is to increase engagement and the sense of community for those we serve within the school community. Our volunteer positions are all one-year commitments, and we typically meet remotely and in-person a few times a month.
If you don't see a committee here that you would like to help with, feel free to propose your own. We would love to help support your vision for the future of OSA.
1. Events Committee
From sidewalk coffee to our large, school fundraisers, the Events Committee helps with the logistics, planning and execution.
2. Gratuity Committee
This committee ensures that the faculty and staff of OSA is feeling both acknowledged and appreciated through gifts and donations.
3. Advancement Committee
We provide assistance to the full-time employees in the Advancement Department of OSA to help ensure arts funding continues to grow.
4. Communication Committee
Help OSA to keep the discussion healthy and positive for the announcement of school events, driving attendance for OSA and their students.
Board Members
Your Points of Contact
We are all parents and volunteers willing to invest our time and resources in making our student's experience at OSA the best it can be.
Gillian Bowley
Marcie Gutierrez
Alicia Goodbeer
Carmen Martinez
Hawkin Chan
Nick Cawthon
Mike Janson
Stephisha Coy-Walton
Rebecca Graham
Alison Casey
History of OSA and PTSA
Key Milestones in our journey
Heading
Calendar
Upcoming PTSA Events
Stay informed about the latest events happening for the PTSA. Events on the Oakland School for the Art's main school calendar can be found here.
Locations
Explore the various OSA locations where classes and events are held.
OSA Main Campus
530 18th Street, Oakland, CA 94612
Black Box Theater
530 19th Street, Oakland, CA 94612
Sweets Ballroom
1933 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94612
Newberry Building
1932 Telegraph Avenue, Oakland, CA 94612
FAQs
Find quick and clear answers to common questions about our programs, schedule, enrollment, and requirements.
What are the OSA Pathways?
OSA students complete a challenging academic curriculum with an emphasis in one of ten artistic fields: Audio Production and Engineering, Dance, Digital Media, Fashion Design, Instrumental Music, Literary Arts, Production Design, Theatre, Visual Arts and Vocal Music.
Do you have to audition for OSA?
OSA has phased out all auditions, students are now admitted through a lottery-based system with different weighting for priority. For more information on enrollment, visit OSA's Enrollment Page.
What about OSA academics?
In 2017, OSA students taking AP exams scored with a higher pass rate (74%) than both the California average (63.7%) and the national average (61.3%). On average, 25% of our students received a 5 (top score) on AP exams compared to the 15% California average.OSA has a 98% graduation rate with students gaining admission to 2 and/or 4-year universities including: Carnegie Mellon University, Spelman College, Columbia University, Tufts University, Wesleyan College, Middlebury College, Amherst College, New York University, Scripps College, University of California at Berkeley, The Ailey School, Barnard College, DePaul University School of Theatre, Pratt Institute, Marymount Manhattan’s BFA Acting Program, Berklee College of Music, Fashion Institute of Design and Marketing, The New School (Parsons and Eugene Lang), Sarah Lawrence, California College of Art, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, UCLA, Rhode Island School of Design, California Institute of Arts and the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre and Dance.
Our faculty is comprised of state-credentialed academic teachers. Our arts teachers have, or are in the process of obtaining, the Career Technical Education (CTE) Preliminary Credential in the industry sectors of Arts, Media, and Entertainment and Fashion Design and Merchandising.
Student to Teacher Ratio
Grades 6-8: 20 to 1 academic faculty & 12 to 1 arts faculty
Grades 9-12: 25 to 1 academic faculty & 15 to 1 arts faculty
Where do my OSA PTSA membership dues go?
Due to inflation, Coffee and Cookies are one of our top expenditures each year.
We use your membership dues to help stand-up the PTSA in hosting parents for sidewalk coffees and PTSA events. Our goal for the 2024-2025 school year is to have more than 50% of all OSA families having at least one member enrolled in the PTSA.
Still have questions?
If you have any additional questions about our volunteer programs, feel free to reach out to us. We're here to help!