Matin Abdel-Qawi

Matin has been an equity centered educational leader in Oakland USD for over 20 years. As the OUSD High School Network Superintendent, Matin is responsible for supervising the schools supported by the high school network and the Linked Learning office. Matin started his career in education as a teacher at Claremont Middle School. It was there that he realized the need to bring Oakland’s legacy of social activism to the classroom. He advocated for all scholars, not just the scholars from the neighborhood, to have access to Algebra in the 8^th grade. Matin is the founding principal of East Oakland School of the Arts (EOSA). On the Castlemont campus, Matin created a small autonomous school founded on the belief that all students will perform at high levels when given the love and support needed. After leading EOSA for seven years, Matin took his experience of advocating for African American male students and became the director of African American Male Achievement’s Manhood Development Program (MDP). In that role he designed and started several MDP programs at schools around the district. In 2013, Matin became the principal of Oakland High School where he created systems and programs that are rooted in equity, diversity, and access for all students.