Capitol Hill may be buzzing about the president’s new education bill, and state governments across the nation are struggling to meet the newly announced education standards while working around budget cuts. The future of our youth depends heavily on decisions about education policy that are being made now. Youth should have their say regarding education. Parents, teachers, administrators and policy makes should listen to the wisdom of youth. Across the United States, youth are actively involved in reforming and changing education.
The Boston-area Youth Organizing Project (www.BYOP.org) is a youth-led, adult-supported organization that organizes high school students across the Boston Metropolitan area. There are chapters in 22 high schools. These students are fighting for educational justice and positive social change. They built alliances with other youth and community organizations to campaign for improved bathroom facilities in school, as well as $1.0 million dollars for textbooks.
Californians for Justice (www.caljustice.org) organizes youth, immigrants, low-income people and communities of color to improve social, economic and political conditions. Youth members of CFJ developed the Vision for Education which fights for access to quality education. CFJ worked with Youth in Focus, Youth Together and other youth organizations to research the issue of college access and readiness and presented their findings and demands to the Oakland United School District school board. Despite skeptics, the school board passed a resolution adopting college and career readiness standards which will go into effect in fall of 2011.
The Philadelphia Students Union (www.phillystudentunion.org) works to build the power of young people to demand a high quality education in the Philadelphia public school system through organizing, campaigns, actions and programs. PSU has successfully lobbied for increases in basic education funding, better qualified teachers, improved school culture, among other issues. Over 3500 youth have completed the PSU leadership development program.
Citizens for Quality Education/Southern Echo (www.southernecho.org) uses an intergenerational model of community organizing. Younger and older people work together as peers to develop the skills and tools of organizing work. Citizens for Quality Education has fought for and won revision of the district’s disciplinary policies, created an after-school math enrichment program and published a report, Schoolhouse 2 Jailhouse which sheds light on the poor education and criminalization of youth in Holmes County, Mississippi. They continue to work on improving school funding and culture, teacher quality, drop-out prevention and college/career readiness.
These are just a few examples of how youth are getting involved and making a difference in their schools.
What can you do?
• Get involved! There are many youth-led activism and organizing groups throughout the country who are involved in school reform. Fight for the reforms you know are needed. See list below.
• Can’t find a group? Form one. Several of the groups featured above were started by young people who were tired of feeling cheated. They wanted to bring about change. Recruit your fellow students and a sympathetic teacher, parent, or guidance counselor.
• Write your local or state board of education asking for changes to improve education. Better yet, go to a board of education meeting. Let the board know that you aren’t satisfied with the condition of education at your school. Make sure that you identify specific problems and have specific solutions in mind.
• Remember…if you don’t control your future, someone else will!
Directory of Youth Organizing Groups Involved in School Reform
Boston-area Youth Organizing Project (Boston, MA)
www.byop.org Californians for Justice Education Fund
www.caljustice.org Chicago Youth United (Chicago, IL)
www.blockstogether.org/about/cyu.asp Citizens for Quality Education/Southern Echo (Jackson, MS)
www.southernecho.org The Free Child Project
www.freechild.org Indianola Parent Student Group (Indianola, MS)
www.southernecho.org Kids First (Oakland, CA)
www.kidsfirstoakland.org Make the Road by Walking (Brooklyn, NY)
www.maketheroad.org Philadelphia Students Union (Philadelphia, PA)
www.phillystudentunion.org Seattle Young People's Project (Seattle, WA)
www.sypp.org Sistas and Brothas United (Bronx, NY)
www.northwestbronx.org/sistasandbrothas.html Sound Out/Freechild Project
www.soundout.org/ South Central Youth Empowered through Action/The Community Coalition (Los Angeles, CA)
www.ccsapt.org Student Activist Alliance (Portland, OR)
503-236-4387
Student Advocates for Freedom and Equality (New Hampshire)
www.safeaction.org Students Against Testing
www.nomoretests.com Padres and Jovenes Unidos (Denver, CO)
www.padresunidos.org Tunica Teens in Action/Concerned Citizens for a Better Tunica County (Tunica, MS)
www.tunicateensinaction.org United Students (East Los Angeles)
www.innercitystruggle.org Urban Youth Collaborative (New York City)
www.urbanyouthcollaborative.org Youth in Action (Providence, RI)
www.youthinactionri.org Youth Making a Change/Coleman Advocates for Children and Youth (San Francisco, CA)
www.colemanadvocates.org Youth Organizing Communities (California)
www.innercitystruggle.org Youth Together (San Francisco Bay Area)
www.youthtogether.net/ Youth United for Change/Eastern Philadelphia Organizing Project (Philadelphia, PA)
http://yuc.home.mindspring.com/
Posted By: Paul Adams
Wednesday, April 14th 2010 at 10:30PM
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