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Public Advocates challenges the systemic causes of poverty and discrimination by defending and expanding civil rights through advocacy, litigation, and partnership with low-income communities, people of color, and immigrants. See below for news and announcements. Read a summary of our work in the past year.	Public Advocates in the Press Police the Drug Dealers, not Section 8 Tenants Council Denies Charges of Police Bias Should New Teachers be Afraid to Speak up? Editorial: Time for Real Solutions at Hiram Johnson High Group Appeals Pleasanton Housing Ruling Hiram Johnson Works to Plug Teacher Gaps Report: California Dropouts Increase in First Year of Exit Exam PA Partners in the Press No Quick, Cheap Fix for States' Schools Other Related News 2008 California Report Card: The State of the State's Children
Public Advocates’ 37th Anniversary Celebration Thursday, May 29th 2008 5:30-9:00pm Metreon City View Become a sponsor or purchase tickets view the invitation see a list of sponsors more information
PUBLIC ADVOCATES TAKES ACTION
Court to Decide Whether U.S. Department of Education Violated NCLB by Lowering "Highly" Qualified" Teacher Standard April 23, 2008—A coalition of community groups, parents, and students, represented by civil rights law firm Public Advocates and pro bono attorneys from Goodwin Procter LLP, presented their case in federal district court to enforce the teacher quality provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). press release press materials 4/23/08 press conference materials 8/21/07
Court Filing Provides Evidence Of Discriminatory MTC Practices Against Minority Bus Riders UPDATE: MTC has a long-standing practice of funding the transit capital shortfalls, but not the operating shortfalls, that it identifies in its Regional Transportation Plans. Plaintiffs in Darensburg v. MTC filed a motion on April 1 asking the Court to rule that they have shown that this practice has a discriminatory impact on minorities transit riders. The hearing is set for June 24, and trial for October 1. court documents about the case
Use Report to Create Roadmap, Say Parents and Students March 14, 2008—Parents and Students for Great Schools, a coalition representing the voices of more than a half million low- and moderate-income California families, today issued the following statement responding to the release of the Governor’s Committee on Education Excellence (GCEE) report Students First: Renewing Hope for California's Future. press release
California Parents, Students Say Start Education Reform Now January 8 and 10, 2008—Parents and Students for Great Schools, a coalition representing the voices of more than a half million low and moderate income California families, issued statements responding to the State of the State address and the release of Governor Schwarzenegger’s 2008-09 budget. press release- January 8, 2008 press release- January 10, 2008
Investigation Reveals Antioch Police Team Interferes with Housing Rights of African-Americans December 18, 2007— In the midst of a foreclosure crisis that has hit Antioch harder than virtually any other city in the country, the local Police Department has engaged in a pattern of interfering with the housing rights of low-income African-American families who are renting homes that might otherwise sit vacant. That is the conclusion of a report issued today by Public Advocates Inc. and Bay Area Legal Aid detailing the outcome of their five month investigation. press release report supporting documents
UPDATE: Pleasanton Housing Cap and Other Exclusionary Zoning Measures Challenged in Court of Appeal November 9, 2007— Our lawsuit against the City of Pleasanton on behalf of Sandra De Gregorio and Urban Habitat has moved to the next stage with the filing of our Opening Brief in the California Court of Appeal. Read Plaintiffs’ opening brief Learn more about this case
ANNOUNCEMENTS
The Campaign for Quality Education Joins Thousands of Students from Across the State for a Day of Action Against the Governor's Attacks on Eduation Thousands of students, parents, community advocates and supporters will converge on Sacramento on Thursday, May 15th to demand the Governor keep his promise to make 2008 the"Year of Education." The Governor has proposed $5 billion in cuts to education. This will have a devastating impact on our already under-funded schools—CA already ranks 46th in the nation in per pupil spending. print the flier
Richard A. Marcantonio and Angelica K. Jongco Publish Transit Equity Article in American Bar Association Journal, Human Rights From the Back of the Bus to the End of the Line: The Discriminatory Funding of Public Transit in California, an article written by Managing Attorney Richard A. Marcantonio and Attorney & Law Fellow Angelica K. Jongco, was published in the American Bar Association Journal, Human Righs, Summer 2007, Volume 34, No. 3. read the article
Public Advocates President Studley to Moderate at Stanford-Carnegie Legal Curriculum Reform Conference Stanford Law School and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching are holding a significant invitational meeting following up on “Educating Lawyers” the Foundation’s report on the need to integrate professional values and preparation for professional practice more fully into legal education. Ten law schools actively involved in curricular reform will gather at Stanford December 7-8, 2007 to discuss these changes and plan a two year curricular initiative. Studley will be one of three facilitators for the conference. Learn more: The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching New York Times' article on the conference
Jamienne S. Studley to Serve on the Morris Dees Selection Committee The University of Alabama School of Law and Skadden Arps, which partnered to establish the Morris Dees Justice Award, invited Public Advocates' President Jamienne S. Studley to serve on the Award selection committee. First presented in 2006, this award honors civil rights attorney Morris Dees of the Southern Poverty Law Center, a graduate of The University of Alabama School of Law. The award will be given annually for five years to an attorney whose career has been devoted to public service in the spirit of Dees. The award ceremony will take place November 15, 2007, in New York City.
Campaign for College Opportunity Honors Studley Public Advocates President Jamie Studley was recognized as a “Champion of College Opportunity” by The Campaign for College Opportunity at its annual "Save Me a Spot in College" awards ceremony for students, their families, state legislators, funders and sponsors of the campaign, held at California State University--San Francisco on August 1, 2007. CCO is a nonprofit organization devoted to ensuring that the next generation of college-age students in California has the chance to go to college as promised by the state 1960 Master Plan for Higher Education. In congratulating the student winners of the Save Me a Spot contest, she talked about her grandparents’ tenacity in working their way through school and that she saw in the contestants similar courage, energy and commitment to education to benefit themselves and for their families and communities. Photos of the event