BILL ANALYSIS Ó
ACR 30
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
ACR 30 (V. Manuel Pérez)
As Introduced March 5, 2013
Majority vote
EDUCATION 5-2
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|Ayes:|Buchanan, Campos, | | |
| |Nazarian, Weber, Williams | | |
| | | | |
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|Nays:|Olsen, Chávez | | |
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Recognizes the importance of engaging with young people
to influence decisions that affect their quality of life and
well-being and identifies the Student and Youth Bill of Rights as
a framework to guide and inform the youth of the state in
organizing and advocating policy issues on their own behalf.
Specifically, this resolution :
1)Makes findings and declarations about the circumstances of young
people and young people of color in California; for example, the
important role that supportive conditions in which youth can
thrive and grow, including safe and secure housing, safe
neighborhoods and communities, basic human services, healthy and
nutritious food, physical activity and recreation, art and
culture, dental and health care, among others, play in improving
these circumstances.
2)Makes findings and declarations about the Student and Youth Bill
of Rights; for example, that all students deserve safe and
secure public school facilities of equal quality, regardless of
whether it is a magnet school, a continuation school, or a
charter school or the public school is in a rural, urban or
suburban location.
3)Resolves that the Legislature recognizes the importance of
engaging with young people to influence decisions that affect
their quality of life and well-being.
4)Resolves that the Student and Youth Bill of Rights serves as a
framework to guide and inform the youth of the state in
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organizing and advocating policy issues on their own behalf.
5)Resolves that the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of
this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.
FISCAL EFFECT : None. This resolution is keyed non-fiscal by the
Legislative Counsel.
COMMENTS :
Background: According to the author, this resolution "stems from
more than a year's worth of work by community-based youth advocacy
organizations that in 2011 began a process of needs identification
to develop a 'California Student and Youth Bill of Rights.'" The
resulting California Student and Youth Bill of Rights (CSYBR)
"enumerates 19 areas of action to improve educational outcomes and
quality of life." ACR 30 "is the companion document - it is a
summarized declaration of the concerns and needs identified by
youth in the CSYBR."
This resolution makes numerous findings and declarations about the
current status of youth and young people of color in California.
It identifies overarching trends for these populations and
highlights the important role that young people play in the future
of California along with the challenging situations that face many
of California's young people. This resolution states that a
societal commitment is required to address these realities and
identifies the CSYBR as a framework for youth to be active
participants in surmounting these challenges. It summarizes the
findings of the CSYBR and resolves that the Legislature recognizes
the importance of engaging with young people to influence
decisions that affect their quality of life and well-being.
Further, it resolves that the CSYBR serves as a framework to guide
and inform California's youth in organizing and advocating policy
issues on their own behalf.
National Students Bill of Rights : The CSYBR is modeled after a
National Student Bill of Rights that was drafted by organizations
such as the Institute for Democratic Education in America. The
National Student Bill of Rights incorporates 14 rights that all
students must have. Included in these rights is the right to a
free, public, and equal education, the right to safe and secure
public school facilities, the right to free college education, and
the right to safe and secure housing, among others. The CSYBR
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shares many common elements with the national version, but was
modified and tailored to reflect the realities faced by youth in
California.
According to the author, student groups from across California
convened in early 2011 to draft and come to a consensus on the
CSYBR. These groups represented youth from the Central Valley,
the Los Angeles area and the San Francisco/Oakland Bay Area.
California Student and Youth Bill of Rights : In May of 2012, the
CSYBR was completed with consensus being reached. The CSYBR
begins with the main point that access to quality public education
shall not be denied or abridged on account of race, gender,
disability, ethnicity, religion, poverty, sexual orientation, or
place of residence, place of birth/immigration status, court
involvement or convictions. To ensure such access to a quality
public education, CSYBR specifies the following rights for
students and youth, including the right to:
1)Have safe and secure public school facilities;
2)Have access to a college education;
3)Study curriculum that acknowledges and affirms the on-going
struggle of oppressed people for equality and justice;
4)Be secure from arbitrary police pat downs, frisks, searches and
seizures, from excessive ticketing and fines, from
criminalization of truancy or lateness to school and from
arbitrary arrests and detentions without warrants;
5)Establish systems of restorative and transformative justice and
positive behavior intervention supports in schools and
communities and to not be charged for crimes as adults until the
age of 18;
6)Have safe and secure housing;
7)Have healthy, high quality food regardless of wealth, poverty or
place of residence;
8)Have access to health and dental care, including high quality
public health and preventive care;
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9)Have access to public transportation for purposes of education,
employment, and family needs, among others;
10)Have intervention workers/peacebuilders in schools and
communities who can address conflicts while preventing
suspension, expulsion and arrests;
11)Obtain employment to support themselves while in school and
college and to access employment, job training, education and
financial aid regardless of past convictions;
12)Have access to daycare for their children;
13)Have parents, including teen parents, who are incarcerated for
non-violent and non-sexual crimes visit, phone and maintain
contact with their children;
14)Have physical activity and recreation of high quality
regardless of wealth, poverty or place of residence;
15)Be able to participate in arts, music, dance, drama, poetry,
and technology of high quality regardless of wealth, poverty or
place of residence;
16)Develop, make mistakes and change without school, court or law
enforcement labeling and surveillance;
17)Receive their school records without prejudice and in a timely
manner;
18)Have schools and community centers that are humanizing,
encouraging and that celebrate youth identities and
possibilities; and,
19)Have equal education funding and a quality education that
adequately prepares them for college or a career regardless of
the school they attend.
The Youth Justice Coalition states, "California's young people are
tomorrow's workers, entrepreneurs, educators, public servants, and
community leaders. Unfortunately, many California youth lack the
basic opportunities and fair treatment that promote their
development and educational success. Many youth, particularly
young people of color, confront challenges to their safety and
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wellbeing and attend schools that lack the facilities, training
and funding that prepare them for higher education and a career.
ACR 30 outlines key concerns and needs identified by youth to
improve their educational outcomes and quality of life. It sets
forth a framework by which to guide and inform youth organizing
and public policy advocacy, empowering young people to engage and
influence decisions that will affect their future in California."
Analysis Prepared by : Sophia Kwong Kim / ED. / (916) 319-2087
FN: 0000507