GRASSROOTS COALITION SUES CALIFORNIA OVER SCHOOL FUNDING

Says State Violating Fundamental Right to Education by Shortchanging Students

(July 12, 2010)

Oakland—A coalition of grassroots groups and individuals representing thousands of low-income students and parents from across California is suing the State of California over a school funding system that the Governor’s own Committee on Education Excellence said is “not equitable;…not efficient; and…not sufficient for students who face the greatest challenges.”

The lawsuit calls on the State to live up to its constitutional responsibility and “provide all California public school students with a new school finance system that sufficiently and equitably supports its public schools, so that every child has a reasonable opportunity to obtain a meaningful education that prepares them for civic, social, and economic success in the 21st century.”

Plaintiffs in the case include the Campaign for Quality Education (CQE), Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE), Californians for Justice (CFJ) and San Francisco Organizing Project (SFOP), plus more than 20 individual students and parents. They are represented by Public Advocates Inc., a San Francisco-based public interest law firm and advocacy group that also served as a lead counsel in Williams v. California and Serrano v. Priest, as well as Howard Rice, and Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP, two prominent national law firms serving as pro bono counsel.

To read the entire press release or learn more about the historic CQE et al v. California lawsuit, go to www.fairschoolsnow.org

(July 3, 2010)

School's out and summer is here!  While others may be out relaxing and vacationing, CFJ's student leaders and staff are busier than ever in our struggle to improve California's public schools.

SYLA
Imagine over forty talented future movement builders picked to be together in one summer program.  No it's not MTV's "Real World," it's SYLA, CFJ's Summer Youth Leadership Academy.  On June 21, CFJ kicked off its 8th annual summer program that will train the core of CFJ--chapter presidents, campaign chairs, board members--across California.   SYLA runs from June 21 – August 13, culminating in a student-led action about a local issue such as decreasing the dropout rate or getting access to healthier foods on campus.


(CFJ San Jose's 2009 SYLA class on a rafting trip after graduation)

Lawsuit: CQE v. CA
As part of the statewide Campaign for Quality Education alliance, CFJ will be part of a lawsuit against the state of California due to the inadequate and inequitable funding of schools, particularly in low-income, immigrant, communities of color.  Here is the opening text of a press release from Public Advocates,  a public interest law firm that is a part of the CQE and the lead attorney in the lawsuit:

 San Francisco-The State of California faces an onslaught of further litigation if it does not immediately agree to fix its school finance system, promised the Campaign for Quality Education (CQE) in a demand letter being delivered to Governor Schwarzenegger today. The coalition of grassroots groups, representing thousands of low-income students and parents from across California, is offering the State one final chance to agree to transform a system that the Governor's own Committee on Education Excellence said is "not equitable;…not efficient; and…not sufficient for students who face the greatest challenges."

To read the full press release, click here .  For coverage of the lawsuit in California Watch, click here , and in the Sacramento Bee, click here .

New media: CFJ on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube
CFJ can now be found all over cyberspace.  In addition to our comprehensive CFJ website, we are socializing on Facebook, tweeting on Twitter, and posting original videos on YouTube.  Please click on the icons to the right  to check out our new sites, then subscribe, become a fan, or follow along.  We look forward to staying in touch with you and updating you on our work for educational justice.

CFJ Media Coverage

Check out CFJ Fresno's candidate forum as covered by YO! Youth Outlook:

On Thursday, May 20, 2010 the Boys & Girls Club of Fresno county, Stone Soup of Fresno, The kNOw Youth Media and a handful of other youth based organizations hosted the We Wanna Know: Youth Candidate Forum at the Zimmerman Boys & Girls Club in Fresno.

The event was organized and hosted by the youth of Fresno in an effort to connect some of the candidates in the district elections in Fresno to the youth that live there.

To read the full article, click here

CFJ Actions Across the State (Recap)

For the last few weeks, the voices of Californians for Justice have echoed from Long Beach to Sacramento. In addition to our statewide rally on May 11th, each CFJ region carried out their local campaign event as well. Here's a recap of all the excitement:

ACTIONS

CFJ Statewide: On May 11, our four regions as well as our allies in the Campaign for Quality Education united at the State Capitol building for "M.I.A.:  California Ditching Schools" to speak out and offer solutions to California's poor performance in education from 2000 to 2010.   Following the speakout, members of CFJ and the CQE met with over 40 legislators to share our concerns and solutions. Click here to read CFJ student leader Jolene Rodriguez's op-ed about the day.

CFJ Fresno: On April 28, students from CFJ Fresno, dressed in graduation gowns, marched in downtown Fresno, to rally against the high drop-out rate among low-income youth and youth of color. In front of the school board that night, student leaders and lead organizer Ernesto Saavedra presented their recommendations, including more transparency and uniform discipline policies throughout the district. 

CFJ Long Beach: On May 8, CFJ Long Beach kicked off a new campaign called "Food For Thought" with a community heatlh forum at the Long Beach Main Library.  The new campaign will look at the intersection of racial, educational, and environmental justice, especially near Cabrillo High which is surrounded by freeways, the port, and oil refineries.  About 40 community members and allies attended the forum, which featured powerful speeches, strategy sessions, and creative solutions. 

CFJ San Jose: Najla Gomez and Miguel Ortiz took the stage to emcee San Jose's rally entitled "A-G Graduate with Me." Over 50 student leaders, allies, alumni, and supporters attended to defend the education budget and to support the A-G requirements.  The push for the A-G Subject Requirements would mean implementing CSU and UC requirements as high school graduation requirements, which would ensure all graduates are eligible to apply for a UC or CSU.

CFJ Oakland: CFJ Oakland is currently gearing up for their June 4th event - an ice cream social for Laney College and Oakland High to celebrate their success in getting students to become more engaged and active in school. Oakland organizer, Hannibal Caldwell, explains the social will also motivate students to continue "putting issues in their mind into art." During the social, attendees will graffiti poster paper, which will be posted around the school to create visibility for soulful art and to recruit members for this year's SYLA.

JUSTICE LEAGUE CAMPAIGN

CFJ would like to thank everyone who supported our annual Justice League Campaign.  Whether it was  listening to updates, making a one-time donation, becoming a new member, or upgrading your support, YOU make  our work possible.  This year's campaign reached hundreds of CFJ supporters and raised over $5,000!  If you haven't donated, there's still time.  Please click here to do so.  

SYLA

Lastly, as summer is approaching, our lead organizers are excitedly preparing for SYLA, CFJ's intensive 7-week Summer Youth Leadership Academy, which will train over thirty future movement leaders across the state. As a SYLA graduate myself, I found that the intensive training in public speaking, media advocacy, community outreach, fundraising and event planning prepared me well to be a committee chair the following school year. I honestly had so much fun in the program in addition to how much I learned .  The friends and mentors I gained from this program made that summer one to remember. 

(Written by CFJ Communications Intern Michelle Thai)

CFJ Featured in WireTap Magazine and The District Weekly

(February 1, 2010)

Californians for Justice was recently featured in WireTap Magazine for our pioneering work in passing a resolution in Oakland Unified that would make an A-G Curriculum standard for all students.  (A-G courses are the classes that allow a student to be eligible for CSU/UC).   Instead of racially-motivated trackin and deadend classes, all students in Oakland will now have the option to have an education that guidees them to college and career prep.

Student leader Jolene Rodriguez was chosen by The District Weekly as one of eight people by to know in Long Beach for standing up to Mayor Bob Foster and for clean air at the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles.  To read either article, please click on the magazine title above. 

 

We Want You!  CFJ is Currently Hiring

(July, 2010)   Californians for Justice currently has an opening for a Statewide Campaign Director.

For detailed job descriptions, please go here.