Text Thread W/ Deshae Lee: Featuring the Students of CFJ
This week, we spoke with Deshae Lee, a student activist in Fresno, CA. Deshae joined Californians For Justice 1 year ago as an incoming high school senior, and is already a central leader within our organization. Every week Deshae is in our Fresno office, setting up meetings with school officials, preparing to speak on behalf…
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Celebrating 5 Years of The Incredible Journey of The Student Voice Campaign
A legacy in the making turns 5 today— the Student Voice Campaign. Five years ago, the Student Voice Campaign transformed the perception and role of students as “essential” stakeholders in local decision-making processes in California’s public schools giving a voice to 4.5 million students. Today Californians for Justice celebrates an incredible historic victory in the…
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From the Archives: Lupe Navarro & How Students Can “Reach New Heights”
Above: Lupe Navarro (back row, third from left) with her fellow statewide student leaders in Californians for Justice. Last year, Lupe Navarro stood before the East Side Union High School District Board of Trustees and called on decision-makers to continue their commitment to East San Jose’s students and families. Her public comments came at a…
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Why we need Integration for Liberation
Last month student leaders, elected officials, researchers, educators and community organizers from California and beyond gathered in San Jose to discuss “Integration for Liberation.” While our conversation was rooted in our schools, we quickly saw that transformation and liberation must also ripple out to our communities. Schools today in New York and California are more…
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This Tax Day It’s Time for Big Corporate to Pay Their Fair Share!
This tax day we urge you to take a moment and think about where your money is going. Like most taxpayers in our communities, your money goes to help our schools — but big corporations like Shell and Chevron, benefit from property tax loopholes that allow them to skip their part. The effect is our…
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Students and Parents Speak: OUSD strike should be red flag for all school districts in CA
The following piece was originally published as an Open Forum in the San Francisco Chronicle online on March 6, 2019. By Belize Gonden-Cruz and Zaineb Alomari There is a crisis in Oakland Unified School District — educators are leaving our classrooms at an alarming rate. Each year, we lose more than 300 teachers from Oakland schools. At…
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CFJ mobilizing Oakland Unified students and parents
Last week, Californians for Justice staff and student leaders in Oakland organized our community to lift up their voice and call for district and education leaders to protect students and protect our schools! We hosted a joint press conference with Oakland Community Organizations and Public Advocates to show that our students and families are clear:…
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Elections are Over; What Does it Mean for California’s Schools?
After a lengthy election cycle that saw mass mobilization of youth and voters of color, Californians for Justice is eager to see how Governor-Elect Gavin Newsom will continue efforts to fully fund our public schools. We are looking to Newsom to be a governor who can lead together with youth, parents, educators and other elected…
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Supreme Court Ruling Deals a Blow to CA Teachers, Students and Communities of Color
The Supreme Court’s ruling last week in Janus v. American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees dealt yet another blow to our communities. The decision means anti-worker politicians and corporations have one more weapon to silence the voices of youth and communities of color on the ground. By ruling that government workers no longer…
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