| FEATURED HIGHLIGHTS | |
Thank you for helping make Public Advocates |
|
| FROM THE PRESIDENT July 2010 | |
Public Advocates’ strategic planning and fiscal year starts July 1, and it’s already off to a powerful start. On July 12, in Campaign for Quality Education v. State of California, we sued the State for failing in its constitutional duty to provide every student with an education that prepares them for college and career. The year just ended was one for the record books. We’ve shared our milestones with you along the way:
We’re grateful for your faith in us, and the tangible support that lets us take risks and be courageous. Thanks to you, we exceeded our fundraising goals and set records for both annual giving and annual event. We also broke through the $1M mark in grants from progressive, strategic foundations for policy, legal, coalition, and communication work. So it’s a very happy “new year” for Public Advocates, as we resolve to remain fearless in the pursuit of justice,
|
|
| PUBLIC ADVOCATES TAKES ACTION | |
MTC Failures Spark Federal Review of Fairness Practices |
|
State Report Reveals Large Numbers of Students in State's Worst Schools Still Being Taught By Unprepared Teachers August 5, 2010 — A new California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) report finds that large numbers of students in the State’s lowest-performing schools, especially English language learners (ELs), are still being taught by teachers who lack the appropriate training or credential. |
|
Advocates to Hold BART Accountable for Airport Tram Vote July 21, 2010 —With key civil rights and technology still unresolved, and greater financial risk to BART than had ever been discussed, BART’s Board of Directors will consider giving final approval to the Oakland Airport Connector project at its Thursday, July 22 meeting. Members of the community, civil rights and environmental groups will hold a Speak Out and Press Conference prior to the meeting to urge BART Directors not to green-light the project until all the facts are in. |
|
Grassroots Coalition Sues California Over School Funding July 12, 2010 —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.” Grassroots Groups Announce Plans to Sue California Over Inadequate, May 20, 2010 —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.” |
|
Transit Advocates to BART: Participation Plan a Good Start, Not Enough May 12, 2010 —The coalition of transit advocates that brought the landmark civil rights complaint to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) against the BART Oakland Airport Connector will present their response to BART's draft Public Participation Plan (PPP) at tomorrow's BART Board meeting. The plan is one of the requirements FTA placed on BART to rectify the numerous deficiencies uncovered by FTA's civil rights investigation of the agency last December. media advisory Response to BART's draft PPP more about this case |
|
Community Groups Respond to California Defense of Education Spending March 19, 2010 —The Schwarzenegger Administration continues to put its application for vital federal education funds at risk by failing to recognize and comply with its “Maintenance of Effort” requirements, according to Parents and Students for Great Schools and the Campaign for Quality Education's Coordinating Committee. Feds Hold up California's Application for Education Stimulus Funds Reaction to California Failing to Make Finalist List for Federal Education Funding Governor's Budget Imperils Federal Stimulus & RTTT Funds February 8, 2010 — The State of California is manipulating numbers in its attempts to qualify for federal stimulus and Race To The Top (RTTT) funding to avoid having to spend more on public education, according to a letter sent to Education Secretary Arne Duncan today by a coalition of community groups. |
|
Court Strikes Down Pleasanton Housing Cap, Orders Rezoning
For March 15, 2010 —In a major affordable housing victory, Alameda Superior Court Judge Frank Roesch has ruled that the City of Pleasanton’s Housing Cap violates state law. In the first ruling of its kind, the court also ordered the city to complete re-zoning that is required by state law so that it can meet its share of the region’s affordable housing. press release decision more about this case Pleasanton Lawsuit Press more on our Housing Element work |
|
On Eve of Stimulus Anniversary, February 16, 2010 —In the first action of its kind, the Obama Administration has pulled $70 million in federal stimulus funds from a proposed Oakland Airport Connector (OAC) project due to multiple civil rights violations by the Bay Area Rapid Transit district (BART). The strong action underscores a recent promise made in the President’s State of the Union address to continue “prosecuting civil rights violations.” |
|
In Landmark Action, Federal Transit Administration Withholds Stimulus Funds from Bay Area Rapid Transit District for
Cutting Corners on Civil Rights January 25, 2010 — Today at 1:00pm EST, civil rights advocates, transportation equity experts and local leaders held a telephonic press conference to discuss the decision by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), to withhold $70 million in stimulus funds from the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) agency. The FTA action was based on BART’s disregard of federal civil rights obligations. This marks the first time the Obama Administration has held back stimulus funds based on non-compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination by recipients of federal funds. National Transit Justice Press Conference (audio) speakers and resources speaker quotes |
|
Obama Administration Puts Hold on BART Stimulus Funds January 20, 2010 — In a major victory for Bay Area transit riders and workers the Federal Transportation Administration (FTA) has informed BART and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) that the agencies have put at risk $70 million in stimulus funding currently allocated to the controversial Oakland Airport Connector (OAC) project. The action, the first of its kind in the nation, comes as a result of a complaint filed last Fall by nonprofit law firm Public Advocates Inc. on behalf of Urban Habitat, TransForm and Genesis, charging BART with failing to comply with federal civil rights obligations press release FTA Letter to MTC MTC Certification Plan for reallocation Timeline November 12, 2009 — The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Office of Civil Rights will conduct an on-site compliance review of BART’s entire Title VI program “within the next several months,” based in part on a complaint filed by transit policy experts and community advocacy groups. That complaint charged that in the rush to build the controversial Oakland Airport Connector (OAC), BART officials were evading well-established civil rights obligations. As covered on KALW Radio, in Contra Costa Times, Oakland North and Living in the O. October 12, 2009 — The Federal Transit Administration has assigned an investigator to our civil rights complaint about BART’s Oakland Airport Connector project. The investigation will be completed within 180 days, starting October 1. FTA letter September 3, 2009 — Entering a new phase in BART's controversial Oakland Airport Connector (OAC) project, Bay Area transit policy experts and community advocacy groups have filed a Title VI Civil Rights administrative complaint with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) charging BART with failing to comply with federal civil rights obligations. |
|
USDA and School Districts “Flunking Lunch" Says New Report December 15, 2009 — The fundamental goals of the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) to ensure healthy meals are offered to all students regardless of means are being undermined in schools across the nation, according to a new report by Campaign for Better Nutrition. Public Advocates provided legal analysis for the report. “Segregating lunch lines for subsidized meals can be as damning as making these kids walk around with a scarlet “P” for poor,” said John Affeldt, Public Advocates Managing Attorney. “Congress intended the opposite—to preserve the anonymity of low-income children who participate in the school lunch program and to safeguard them from the stigma of poverty.” |
|
Statement in Support of ACORN November 23, 2009 — Public Advocates believes that real change and real justice only happen when disadvantaged and excluded communities organize, speak out together, and build their own power. That’s why we are proud to have worked for years with California ACORN as partners, friends, and lawyers. |
|
OP ED: School Matters: Obama’s Chance to Spark Real School Funding Reform October 7, 2009 — Op-Ed by Public Advocates Staff Attorney Tara Kini: President Barack Obama and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan have an unprecedented opportunity to lead real school
funding reform through the federal stimulus package. They can encourage states like California to fund public schools op ed our comments on the Race to the Top proposal more about our education work |
|
Federal Complaint Charges School District with Discrimination October 6, 2009 — The Centinela Valley Union High School District in Lawndale, California has unlawfully discriminated against its English Language Learner (ELL) students, according to a complaint filed today with the U.S. Department of Education by nonprofit law firm and advocacy group Public Advocates Inc. press release complaint more about our education equity work |
|
| PUBLIC ADVOCATES NEWS | |
Schott released report Yes We Can: Schott 50 State Report on Public Education and Dear Grantees, Allies and Colleagues: Today, Schott released the attached report titled, Yes We Can: Schott 50 State Report on Public Education and Black Males. This latest biennial report reveals that the overall 2007/2008 graduation rate for Black males in the U.S. was only 47 percent. The report shows that out of 50 states, half have graduation rates for Black male students below the national average. New York’s graduation rate of only 25 percent for Black male students is the lowest of any state. New York City, the district with the nation’s highest enrollment of Black students only graduates 28 percent of its Black male students on time. |
|
John Affeldt & Guillermo Mayer to Serve as Panelists at Center for American Progress event Lifting the Fog of Averages: California’s Unique Law Around School Expenditure Reporting May 26, 2010, 9:00am the Center for American Progress is hosting an event for the release of two new papers: "Lifting the Fog of Averages", which describes the motivation, passage, and enforcement of the the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009; and "Comparable, Schmomparable", which explores the data made available by it. The Act required that states furnish the Department of Education with a school-by-school report of actual expenditures by March 31, 2010. The data that emerge from this novel federal requirement promise to expose pervasive and substantial inequity, as foreshadowed by new research using data from California, which seized a leadership role in promoting transparency around school-level expenditure reporting with the passage of Senate Bill 687 in 2005. Affeldt and Mayer are featured panalists at the presentation. |
|
John Affeldt Participated in United Nations Human Rights Council Review Panel |
|
Guillermo Mayer was Panelist at Transportation Equity Network’s Annual Conference On March 15, 2010 Senior Staff Attorney Guillermo Mayer was a panelist at the Transportation Equity Network’s annual conference "A Seat at the Table." Joining him at the session, The Moment in FTA: Growing Awareness of Civil Rights, was Bob Allen from our close ally Urban Habitat. |
|
Staff Promotions |
|
Parisa Fatehi Participated in Clorox/Stanford Law School/Equal Justice Works Panel On February 19, 2010, Clorox General Counsel Laura Stein, Stanford Law School Associate Dean Diane Chin, and Equal Justice Works Fellow Parisa Fatehi held an evening of conversation and more as Equal Justice Works brought together some of the Bay Area's leading attorneys and the next generation of public interest lawyers. |
|
Studley was Participant in "Stimulating Equity? The Impact of the Federal Stimulus Act on Educational Opportunity" February 8 - 9, 2010 Teachers College, Columbia University held the first major national forum to analyze, |
|
Studley Named to Prestigious National Committee December 21, 2009— President and CEO Jamienne S. Studley was named by Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI). The Committee advises the Secretary on matters related to accreditation, including decisions to recognize accrediting organizations. |
|
Public Advocates' Sacramento Office Has Moved The Public Advocates Sacramento office has moved to a new suite within the same building. Please send all mail to: 1225 Eighth Street, Suite 210, Sacramento, CA 95814. The phone and fax numbers remain the same: 916/442-3385(o), 916/442-3601(f). |
 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. |
|
Public Advocates Inc. is a nonprofit law firm and advocacy organization that challenges the systemic causes of poverty and racial discrimination by
strengthening community voices in public policy and achieving tangible legal victories advancing education, housing and transit equity.
See below for Public Advocates Actions and News. Read our latest e-newsletter. |
 |
||||||
| About Us | Our Work | News | Donate | Jobs | Resources | Contact Us | |
