Welcome to UCLA. I am so glad to have students and parents and teachers from all over greater Los Angeles join us here today. We have students from the center of our city—Dorsey, Jordan, LACES, Jefferson, View Park; we have students from as far east as Logan Street and Belmont High School; we have students and parents from as far south as Inglewood and Lynwood; and we have students from as far west as Santa Monica. UCLA can only be a great university when it both serves and is made up of all of these communities. And so you honor us here with your presence.

We come together today to talk about the education that every student deserves. This is not a new topic. A couple weeks ago we marked the 48th anniversary of the Brown Decision. In that decision the United States Supreme Court said that every student deserves an equal education. The justices said "education is a right which must be made available to all on equal terms."

But while this is not a new topic, there is a new urgency today. We look at many of our schools and see run down and overcrowded buildings. We see too many teachers unprepared for their work. And we see classrooms that lack books or paper or desks. The promise of Brown is long overdue.

That is why we are here today—young people, parents, and educators—to raise our voices and demand the rights of students—to demand that education be made available to all on equal terms. But what does this mean? What exactly do students deserve and what steps must be taken to insure that all students receive the education they deserve?

Many of you in this room have been working to answer these questions over the last several months. I’ve had the privilege of working with teachers at most of your schools. We’ve met each month to talk about how young people can investigate educational equity and access. Many of these investigations have appeared this year in our journal, Teaching to Change LA.

• In December, Jordan High School students produced computer-generated maps highlighting the concentration of overcrowded schools in low income communities of color.
• In February, members of Parent-U-Turn conducted interviews with elected officials about what the State and Federal government can do to address the lack of quality teaches in Lynwood.
• In May, students at Santa Monica High School reported on student protests against high stakes testing.

Today, we will share the results of your investigations. Your presentations will be a catalyst for change. They will define—in the language and experience of urban youth—what every student deserves. Your data and analysis will inform our afternoon guests—Assemblymembers Goldberg and Chu—and help them recognize the need for state action that brings all students the education they deserve. When students and parents speak out, with information about their rights and the conditions of their schools, they represent a powerful force for democracy, education, and access.