We periodically feature people from Oakland school communities whose work positively impacts students every day. This month, we’re featuring Sam Berg, Computer Science Coordinator for the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD).
Name and Title
Sam Berg, OUSD Computer Science Coordinator
What is your background?
I grew up in eastern Montana and was academically unprepared for college. Computer science was new at the time, so I wasn’t behind like I was in everything else—it was new to everyone. I liked the sense of accomplishment when something worked. I hope our students can have an experience like that.
What led you to your career path?
Some of my friends graduated a year ahead of me and worked in cubes to debug software. That seemed boring, so I decided to teach instead. I spent 13 years in the classroom. At the time, computer science was taking off in the K-12 space. Then this position opened up, and I was hired to build out a middle school program. We’ve expanded a lot since then.
What do you do in your work at OUSD?
I work all over the district and plan how we offer Computer Science from transitional kindergarten through grade 12. I help support teachers, build program levels, explore robotics, tech repair, and other computer science-related things that aren’t necessarily in the classroom. We’re doing a lot that kids can get excited about. Our program helps them see themselves doing cool things in the future—like robotics, computer programming, or STEM work. These programs give kids opportunities to learn practical skills and be inspired to explore more. I’m happy to do what I do to keep them going.
What is your proudest accomplishment?
I’m most proud of two things. First, I’m proud of planning and growing the middle school computer science program. The year before I started, computer science was offered in two middle schools. Now it’s in all but one of the 6-8 middle schools in OUSD. Plus, high school students have the opportunity to take Advanced Placement Computer Science classes, potentially earning college credit. That’s a lot more kids getting the chance to do something cool. Second, I’m so proud of the Tech Repair Program that came out of the pandemic. We needed to figure out how to fix thousands of student computers when the pandemic ended. Through the Tech Repair Internship, we train and pay students to do computer repairs. Since the beginning, we’ve been refining the program. It keeps getting better each year.
The kids are enthusiastic to be part of it. They invite their friends, who invite their friends, and so on. It’s been pretty exciting going from the moment of pure panic when the pandemic started, when it felt like we were scrambling every day. We didn’t have time to make a plan ahead of time and had to figure it out later. Now we have a much better handle on how to manage technology and offer our students hands-on experiences to build valuable technology skills.
How did you connect with the Oakland Public Education Fund?
I’ve worked with the EdFund since I started in OUSD. They are instrumental in the Salesforce grant that funds much of this work. They help find volunteers for computer science events and have supported writing grants for our tech repair and robotics programs. Computer Science teachers have received grants for their classrooms. The Ed Fund is also a place where I go for advice on strategy and other issues—plus our student employees are paid through the Ed Fund..
Do you have any specific program needs? Is there a way people can support the program?
Both Tech Repair and Robotics are funded through grants and donations. People can donate through the Ed Fund, and those donations are much appreciated. Right now we’re focused on having stable, consistent funding.
How do you spend your free time?
I hang out with my kids, ride my bike, and play board games.
Learn more about the OUSD Tech Repair Hub here.
OUSD Computer Science by the Numbers
- 10,127 Computers Repaired by Students Since 2021
- 131 Student Employees Since 2021
- 3,235 Students Taking Computer Science
- 19 Schools with CS Programs
- 1 Computer Science AP Classes Offered