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ADVOCACY DAYS - Tomorrow marks the kickoff of Advocacy Days 2025, and a powerful delegation of over 30 students, parents, educators, and community leaders from Los Angeles is heading to Sacramento with one shared mission: to fight for a more equitable education system that works for California’s highest-need schools.
Representing the voices of Boyle Heights, South Los Angeles, and Watts, this coalition is backed by the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools, working in collaboration with Community Coalition, Communities in Schools of Los Angeles, InnerCity Struggle, and Promesa Boyle Heights.
For many, this three-day journey to the state capitol isn’t just about policy — it’s personal. It's a turning point in their evolution from concerned community members to lifelong education advocates.
“It’s important that our elected officials hear directly from me and others in my community,” said Nathan Cabrera, a senior at MSTMA at Roosevelt High School and a member of Partnership’s Policy Advisory Board. “This year, I know what to expect and plan to take it up a notch.”
From April 22 to 24, participants will meet face-to-face with lawmakers to push for policies and funding that put equity at the center of public education. Their advocacy agenda focuses on three critical pillars:
Equitable Staffing
Advocates are rallying behind ACA 7 (Jackson), a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow California schools to consider race and ethnicity in K-12 programs and hiring practices — a crucial change that could expand programs like the Black Student Achievement Program and promote teacher diversity across the state.
Strategic Budget Investments
The delegation is urging lawmakers to:
- Allocate $50 million in the 2025–26 state budget to support the Golden State Teacher Grant Program, which trains and places teachers in the highest-need schools.
- Invest $500 million over the next four years to hire literacy and math coaches in schools that need them most — a key recommendation in the Governor’s proposed education strategy.
Protecting Immigrant Students’ Right to Learn
Participants are advocating for a suite of bills aimed at shielding students and families from immigration enforcement on school campuses:
- SB 48, AB 49, SB 98, AB 419, and AB 1348 would block unwarranted access to schools, ensure community notification, require rights-posting, and prevent funding losses for student absences caused by immigration activity.
Advocacy is a Family Affair
Students aren’t the only ones stepping up. Members of United Parents for Educational Justice — a program that trains parents in grassroots advocacy — are joining their children in Sacramento, ready to speak with lawmakers about the needs of their neighborhoods.
“The Advocacy Days are not a standalone event,” said Leea Driskell-Garcia, Senior Director of Advocacy Campaigns at the Partnership. “They culminate months of preparation. Participants are eager to put their knowledge and advocacy skills to practice.”
A Call for Policy Grounded in Reality
With California’s budget in flux and equity still a promise unfulfilled in many districts, these advocates are not asking for favors — they’re demanding justice, transparency, and smarter investment in the students who need it most.
“Policy must reflect the realities of our classrooms and communities,” the Partnership noted in a statement. “That’s why we are showing up and speaking out.”
The message from Los Angeles to Sacramento is clear: Equity in education is not a political slogan — it’s a necessity.
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