School Safety Means We Keep Us Safe
This fall has brought renewed concerns about campus safety. But while we all want to see our students safe, we know that pro-police policies will only cause more harm. Having cops on campus doesn’t work. Having police present on campus means Black and Brown students, API students, Native students and students with disabilities are all…
Read More
A new year and a new office in San Jose!
More than 15 years ago we moved to our office on Las Plumas Avenue. Since then we haven’t stopped fighting for justice and building youth power in Eastside San Jose. Luckily over the years our work, staff and base has grown leading us to search for a new home. We didn’t have to look far…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
Time for Radical Revision of what Public Education Can Look Like for Black Students & Families
Black History Month offers an important time to examine issues of racial justice in communities and our education system. When public education was dreamed up by its founders, Horace Mann and Thomas Jefferson, neither person envisioned Black students attending integrated schools. That much is evident when we look at the history of schooling in America…
Read More
Californians for Justice winning victories for Student Voice & Relationships in districts across the state
This past school year, CFJ organizers and student leaders made real progress in the campaign to transform California public schools into Relationship Centered Schools. This framework emphasizes student voice, relationship building, and professional development for teachers and staff, making it essential to the success of Black, Brown, Asian, Native American and Pacific Islander students. By…
Read More
The Path Toward Racial Justice In Our Schools: Challenges & Collective Visions
Envisioning a Racially Just Education Conversations focused on five issues that are key levers to advancing racial justice: School Funding, School Climate, Teaching & Learning, Intersectional Issues, and Youth & Parent Voice. Download the full summary.
Read More
LCFF Community Engagement & School Climate Bill Introduced
LCFF Mend & Defend Coalition In July 2017, 15 grassroots organizations representing over 40 districts across the state came came together to “defend and mend” the Local Control Funding Formula. We held an “LCFF is working” press conference centered on the powerful testimonies of students, parents and advocates on the importance of LCFF. Since the “LCFF…
Read More