Find our latest publications, court documents, briefs, demand letters, and other material related to our projects.
Report: Building Our Future: Grassroots Reflections on Social Housing
As housing costs continue to skyrocket across California and the United States, a recently released new report “Building Our Future: Grassroots Reflections on Social Housing” examines [...]
Educator Diversity Roadmap
California has not yet established a clear vision and comprehensive action plan to recruit, prepare, and sustain an educator workforce whose diversity reflects that of California’s students. To [...]
Understanding Educators’ Experiences Teaching Multilingual Learners
Public Advocates Education Equity Team Senior Staff Attorney, Shilpa Ram, authored a policy brief that illuminates the accomplishments, passion and struggles of bilingual educators and educators [...]
Report: How Districts Planned for Pandemic Learning
Public Advocates co-authored a report that examined how the state spent billions of dollars in new education funding during the pandemic. Click here to see the report “How Districts Planned [...]
Press Release: New Complaint Claims LAUSD Not Accounting for Billions in Funds Earmarked for High Need Students
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 11, 2019 Contact: Isabel Alegría, Public Advocates; ialegria@publicadvocates.org, 415.431.7434; 510.541-5428 Duc Luu, [...]
Network of California Districts to Explore the Enigma of Engaging Parents
EdSource’s John Fensterwald reports on the inclusion in the state budget of $13.1 million to support community engagement with the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF). This is the 2013 [...]
Public Advocates Letter to LACOE Regarding Pomona USD
This is a letter written by Public Advocates to L.A. County Office of Education regarding Pomona Unified School District’s LCAP. PA Letter to LACOE regarding Pomona USD
Remembering Miguel Angel Méndez, former Chair and Member of Public Advocates’ Board of Governors
On May 25, 2017 our dear friend and colleague Miguel Angel Méndez passed away at his home in San Carlos, California, with his family at his side. We at Public Advocates deeply mourn the loss of [...]
Making Progress Towards an Equal Playing Field: A Follow Up to the ACLU of Southern California and Public Advocates’ Report on Charter School Admissions Policies
For a PDF of this statement, including a chart of schools that have not reported back on action to correct exclusionary policies, click here; for a press release on the statement, click here. By [...]
Spanish language version of the AB 686 Bill Fact Sheet (the CA Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Bill)
Click here to read the fact sheet.
Help Fuel the Resistance to Donald Trump
More than ever, we need your support to help create progressive change in California. Help fuel the resistance against the incoming Trump administration by making a tax-deductible gift to Public [...]
Urban Habitat v. Bay Area Rapid Transit
In 2009, three San Francisco Bay Area organizations brought this complaint against the Bay Area RapidTransit District (“BART”) under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Executive Order [...]
Unequal Access: How Some California Charter Schools Illegally Restrict Enrollment
Unequal Access: How Some California Charter Schools Illegally Restrict Enrollment From the Report: The original vision of charter schools in the 1990s was to provide new opportunities to improve [...]
LCFF Equity Coalition Comments on the Revised LCAP Template
October 14, 2016 Comments from the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) Equity Coalition on the revised Local Control Accountability Plan Template addressed to: Karen Staph Walters, Executive [...]
Investing in Mobility and Equity
Investing in Mobility and Equity: Strengthening California’s Low Carbon Transit Operations Program Within the first two years of its implementation, the Low Carbon Transit Operations [...]
Comments to US Dept of Transportation on Circulars on Title VI & Environmental Justice
In December of 2011, thirty organizations (national, statewide, and local) and scholars who specialize in social justice issues in transportation submitted comments to the U.S. Department of [...]
Equity Coalition Comments on Evaluation Rubrics
This is a letter to State Board of Education President Mike Kirst regarding the new school accountability system, dated September 2, 2016. Equity Coalition Comments on Evaluation Rubrics [...]
Public Advocates E-Newsletter Archive
Every month, Public Advocates distributes its E-Newsletter to subscribers. The Newsletter contains updates of our work in education, housing, climate justice and transportation justice as well as [...]
Best Practices for Parent Engagement in LCFF
Best Practices for Parent Engagement in Local Control Funding Formula best_practices_for_parent_engagement_-_lcff
Charging for Access: How California Charter Schools Exclude Vulnerable Students by Imposing Illegal Family Work Quotas
Public Advocates released this report on Nov. 20, 2014, documenting the extent of required “service hours” in California’s charter schools. The report explains why the practice is illegal and [...]
We support the EEJ Scenario
More than forty groups have called upon MTC and ABAG to incorporate key elements of the “Equity, Environment and Jobs” Scenario into the final Plan Bay Area. On September 23, 2015 wrote a letter [...]
Metro Equity Program Update June 2016
This is Metro Equity program update of advocacy and litigation prepared in June 2016. Metro Equity Program Update June 2016
Benner Karner Facebook DEIR Comments
This is a comment letter on the Facebook Campus Expansion DEIR. BennerKarner_FacebookDEIR_Comments
Report Card on Plan Bay Area 2012
This is the 2012 Report Card on Plan Bay Area issued by the 6 Wins Coalition rtp_scs_report_card_6_wins_network_may_2012
Urban Habitat v. Metropolitan Transportation Commission
Urban Habitat vs. Metropolitan Transportation Commission Issue: Transportation Justice Topic: Community & State Campaigns Case Date: March 7, 2014 BACKGROUNDThe legislation that created the [...]
Marin Voluntary Compliance Agreement
This is a copy of the Marin Voluntary Compliance agreement voluntary_compliance_agreement_with_full_attachments
California’s Answer to Plaintiff’s Petition for Review in CQE v.California
Issue: Education Topic: School Finance Date: June 20, 2016 File: s234901_apr_state State’s Answer to CQE/Robles-Wong Plaintiffs’ Petition for Review to the California Supreme Court.
Public Advocates and ACLU Letter Regarding LCAP Requirements
Issue: Education Topic: School Finance Date: June 17, 2016 File: pa-aclu_letter_regarding__lcap_requirements A letter sent to school district and county superintendents throughout California [...]
West Contra Costa Unified School District Signed Settlement Agreement
Issue: Education Topic: School Finance Date: June 16, 2016 Signed Settlement Agreement (SR193564xD9697) Agreement between parents represented by Public Advocates and Mayer Brown LLP and the West [...]
6 Wins NOP Comment Letter
Issue: Climate Justice Topic: Bay Area SCS Date: June 15, 2016 By: David Zisser File: 6_wins_nop_comment_letter On June 15, 2016, Public Advocates submitted comments on behalf of the 6 Wins [...]
Oakland Public Lands Policy Sign-On Letter
Issue: Affordable Housing Topic: Equitable Development Date: June 15, 2016 By: David Zisser File: oakland_public_lands_policy_sign-on_letter On June 15, 2016, Public Advocates, the Public [...]
Joint Letter Concerning the “By Right” Development Budget Trailer 707
Issue: Affordable Housing Topic: Equitable Development Date: June 8, 2016 File: jointletterjune8_2pm Letter from more than 50 organizations with members and roots in racially diverse urban [...]
CQE-RW Petition for Review
Issue: Education Topic: School Finance Date: May 31, 2016 File: cqe-rw_petition_for_review CQE-RW Petition for Review
LAUSD Investigation Report
Issue: Education Topic: School Finance Date: May 27, 2016 File: lausd_investigation_report This document contains the determination and order by the California Department of Education regarding a [...]
Letter to Martinez Regarding Proposed Transportation Expenditure Plan
Issue: Transportation Justice Topic: Community & State Campaigns Date: May 27, 2016 File: letter_to_martinez_regarding_proposed_tep Letter to cities of Contra Costa County raising hard [...]
Appendix A – Non Concentrated District Table
Issue: Education Topic: School Finance Date: May 20, 2016 By: Rigel S. Massaro File: appendix_a-_non-concentrated_district_table This table provides details on the 15 school districts studied for [...]
Civil Rights Law and the Displacement Crisis in the Mission District
Issue: Affordable Housing Topic: Fair Housing Rights Date: May 18, 2016 File: fair_housing_framework_for_san_franciscos_mission_district Fair housing framework for San Francisco’s Mission [...]
Fair Political Practices Commission Advice Letter on the Oakland Renter Protection Act
Issue: Affordable Housing Topic: Equitable Development Date: May 17, 2016 By: David Zisser File: fair_political_practices_commission_advice_letter_on_the_oakland_renter_protection_act On May 17, [...]
Plan Bay Area Interim Report Card
Issue: Climate Justice Topic: Bay Area SCS Date: May 12, 2016 File: plan_bay_area_report_card Do the Bay Area’s regional agencies make the grade in creating a Plan Bay Area for all? The 6 [...]
AB 1550 Visual Fact Sheet by the SB 535 Coalition
Issue: Climate Justice Topic: State Climate Policy Date: May 12, 2016 File: AB1550 Updated Factsheet_6_23_2016 AB 1550 (Gomez), introduced on January 4, 2016, would build on the successes of SB [...]
Comments on Mountain View’s Draft Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice
Issue: Affordable Housing Topic: Fair Housing Rights Date: April 29, 2016 File: comments_from_the_law_foundation_of_silicon_valley_and_public_advocates On April 29, 2016, Public Advocates and the [...]
Regional Letter Regarding Santa Rosa Rent Stabilization
Issue: Affordable Housing Topic: Equitable Development Date: April 29, 2016 By: David Zisser File: regional_letter_regarding_santa_rosa_rent_stabilization Letter from 6 Wins members and allies in [...]
Report: Keeping the Promise of LCFF Executive Summary
Public Advocates is pleased to announce the release of “Keeping the Promise of LCFF: Key Findings & Recommendations After Two Years of LCFF Implementation.” This report grows out of our staff’s [...]
Public Advocates Keeping the Promise of LCFF Report
Public Advocates is pleased to announce the release of “Keeping the Promise of LCFF: Key Findings & Recommendations After Two Years of LCFF Implementation.” This report grows out of our staff’s [...]
PA-ACLU Comments to State Board of Education Regarding LCAP Issues & Recommendations
PA and the ACLU of California submitted this comment letter to the State Board of Education summarizing key findings based on the organizations’ review of LCAPs as well as recommendations to [...]
Cover From Voices of Conscience 2016
Date: March 2, 2016 File: cover_from_voc2016-sponsor-document-c-april-with-link.pdf Cover From Voices of Conscience 2016
Housing, Transit and Climate Justice Updates March 2016
Date: March 2, 2016 File: housing_transit_and_climate_justice_updates_march_2016.pdf Housing Transit and Climate Justice Updates March 2016
Cover from Voices of Conscience Sponsor Form
Date: March 1, 2016 File: cover_from_voc2016-sponsor-document-c-april.pdf Cover from Voices of Conscience sponsor form — April deadline.
Voices of Conscience Celebration 2016 Sponsor Document April
Date: February 24, 2016 File: voc2016-sponsor-document-april.pdf Voices of Conscience Celebration 2016 Sponsor Document April
Voices of Conscience Celebration 2016 Sponsor Form
Date: February 24, 2016 File: voc2016-sponsor-document-april-program.pdf Voices of Conscience Celebration 2016 Sponsor Form
Richard Marcantonio Remarks at Legislative Hearing on Transportation
Issue: Climate Justice Topic: State Climate Policy Date: February 23, 2016 By: Richard A. Marcantonio File: [...]