K-12 Education
Creating a California where every student has both the resources to thrive and the power to shape the public school system according to their needs.
We are devoted to making the education rights of every California student real. We focus on students who have often been left behind or are members of marginalized communities such as students from lower income neighborhoods, BIPOC students, and English learners. We work with parents, students, teachers, and community groups across the state to make sure all students have the opportunities to succeed and marginalized communities have the power to change our public schools for the common good.
Our theory of change and our advocacy focus on ensuring:
Fully adequate and equitable resources for all students, with particular attention to historically marginalized students
A fully-prepared educator workforce–the single most impactful in-school resource–that also reflects the diversity of the student population
A robust and transparent accountability system that ensures both system resources and student outcomes are continuously improving toward a state of justice
The development and expression of community power in historically marginalized communities to shape the equitable and just education system they deserve
A network of K-12 schools, including community schools, that serve as powerful on-the-ground exemplars of educational justice delivered
statewide policy
Public Advocates pioneered bringing community and student voices to state education policy making. Since 2000, through a regular presence in the state Capitol, we have established a strong reputation through one of the longest and most successful track records in education equity advocacy. We work alongside partner organizations, community organizers, and students and families to ensure and safeguard investments that meaningfully address the needs of low-income students, students of color, English learners, and foster youth.
Our Priorities
Full and Fair School Funding
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Access To Quality Teachers, Textbooks, and Facilities (Williams)
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Transformative Community Schools
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Diverse and Prepared Educators
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Closing Opportunity Gaps
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Multilingual Learners
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Reimagining School Safety
Learn Moreour work with Local School Communities
Our local power building team partners with grassroots organizations, families, students, and educators across the state to build power in local schools and school districts, so that all students can succeed. We provide community education, research, and campaign support on our priorities around building stronger public schools with diverse and prepared teachers who see and support the gift of every student. The student needs that local organizations identify in their schools inform the changes we advocate for locally and on the state level.
We build power with educators and parents in a specific school or school district by:
- Educating BIPOC and low-income families and students to understand their rights
- Translating state policy changes into opportunities for local communities
- Supporting historically ignored families and students to change the conditions at their schools and in their school districts
- Bringing our local partners and their voice to the state policymaking process
- Helping community members understand what new programs and services are being built out in their neighborhood schools
Learn about our work in:
Statewide Coalition and Power Building
We are key members of coalitions that speak for more than a half a million students and parents from across California:
National Coalitions
We proudly partner with education equity organizations who share our vision, but work at the national level:
Litigation and enforcement TIMELINE
Human rights, civil rights, and legal rights are all just words on a page until they are enforced. For more than 50 years, Public Advocates has worked on making rights real for low-income communities, and students and families of color by litigating cases that created new rights, transformed parts of the education system, and provided power-building opportunities.
Public Advocates litigated three seminal cases that shifted California’s public school funding from district-based to state-based, reducing wealth-based funding disparities between districts. Issue: Education Topic:…
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When Governor Gray Davis called to impose “tough” new accountability measures including a punitive high school exit exam, our advocacy led to the creation of…
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Public Advocates and our partners sued the State of California in a fight for students’ rights to basic resources, including teachers, textbooks, and clean and…
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Each parent should be able to find out how much their child’s school spends per student compared to other schools. In 2005, Public Advocates helped…
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Working with community leaders, we advocated for the creation of the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), an educational finance system that works to ensure funds…
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LAUSD, using a loophole, improperly double-counted hundreds of millions of dollars of special education expenses. The California Department of Education agreed and ordered a halt…
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LBUSD was misspending more than $40 million in LCFF supplemental and concentration funds. Public Advocates and our partners took action and won a settlement to…
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Alongside parents and students, Public Advocates fought to have WCCUSD release data on student outcomes that would allow community members to hold the district accountable…
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After a strong Public Advocates campaign, the Community Engagement Initiative was established to ensure community voices are heard and considered by their school districts. In…
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Public Advocates filed a complaint on behalf of Los Angeles parents Elvira Velasco and Ana Carrion against LAUSD because its LCAP was not transparent to…
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Public Advocates campaigned for Assembly Bill 1219 (the “Teacher Credentialing Act”) which established the California State Assignment Accountability System (CalSAAs) in 2019, which was followed…
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Public Advocates and ACLU Southern California filed a complaint against the San Bernardino County Superintendent and Office of Education alleging that more than $300 million…
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We won $3 billion in state funds to establish and expand the bold experiment around creating and sustaining racially just community schools—where stakeholders including students,…
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Following school closures, lost instructional time, the social-emotional impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, and uprisings against racism, Public Advocates worked urgently to reimagine our education…
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Public Advocates filed a Williams complaint with the San Francisco Unified School District to address Marina Middle School’s failure to provide students with the qualified…
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On October 23, 2025, Public Advocates and pro bono counsel Morrison Foerster, filed a landmark constitutional challenge on behalf of students, families, and educators against…
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Resources
DECLARATION OF MATTHEW R. STEPHENS IN SUPPORT OF PLAINTIFFS’MOTION FOR PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION in Miliani Rodriguez v. State
PLAINTIFFS’ NOTICE OF MOTION AND MOTION FOR PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION in Miliani Rodriguez V. State
[PROPOSED] ORDER GRANTING PLAINTIFFS’ MOTION FOR PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION in Miliani Rodriguez v. state
PLAINTIFFS’ APPENDIX OF supporting declarations in support of its motion for preliminary injunction in Miliani Rodriguez v. state
DECLARATION OF BRUCE D. BAKER in support of plaintiffs’ motion for Preliminary injunction in Miliani Rodriguez v. state