Jennifer Inez Ward on Small School "Phase Out" in Oakland.

For decades the Oakland Unified School District has been struggling with high dropout rates, low test scores and scarce funding. Seven years ago, with the help of private foundation money,the district launched the small school reform movement, converting many of it large traditional schools into smaller theme-focused academies. Oakland was to be a test case: if it could work in Oakland, it could work anywhere. By most accounts the reform was a success and it the small school model has been emulated in districts across the country. But today many of the schools that opened with such fanfare just a few years ago are slated to be closed, and many Oakland families are feeling betrayed and confused. Reporter Jennifer Inez Ward has been covering the phase out of small schools in Oakland. She sat down with KALW's Holly Kernan to share what she's found.