Next week the ground breaking civil rights lawsuit, Vergara VS. California, will be heard in Los Angeles Superior Court. The stakes could not be higher: Does California’s Constitution ensure all our children have a fundamental right to equality in education?
This court case challenges five statutes of California’s education code which prevent many of our students, particularly African Americans and Latinos, from enjoying equal education opportunities in our public schools.
But the lawsuit is more than a civil rights case. A positive verdict will benefit all of California’s children who are enrolled in public education by allowing school systems to hold all those involved in educating our kids — administrators and teachers — accountable for results.
Students Matter, the group backing the lawsuit, says the current system is failing our most vulnerable students and undermining our sacred value of “opportunity for all.” This is simply unacceptable, which is why I support this legal action. I believe all children, regardless of race or economic situation, have a right to a quality education. I hope you agree.