Last weekend, we had the opportunity to thank advocates in Sacramento for their incredible and influential efforts during the Stand for All Students campaign.

Our “Season of Thanks” event welcomed over 60 advocates—spanning generations and backgrounds--to our Sacramento office to celebrate how their voices led to dramatic changes in AB 1505 and 1507. By speaking out for months, these charter school champions put intense pressure on lawmakers in Sacramento, secured important protections in the bills, and ultimately ensured that quality charter public schools are here to stay in California.

A highlight of the event was the Grassroots Awards ceremony, which honored stand-out advocates Janesse “Dolly” Hunt, Jamani Jenkins, and Tak Allen Pearson. These three consistently raised their voices during some of the most critical moments of the SFAS campaign.

As the awards ceremony got underway, Pearson and Hunt spoke about the power of advocacy and the positive impact of charter public schools on our education system.  

“Advocacy is something that everyone is capable of. You just have to find that inner strength,” Pearson said.

Hunt remarked about how attending a charter school opened the doors of opportunity for her.

“Education can shape and change the avenues of your life,” she said.

With the ceremony winding to a close, Hunt issued an important reminder to CharterNation about the work still to be done to ensure greater educational equity in our state.

“I know that this fight is not over. I will continue to fight for education. I will continue to fight on behalf of Black and Brown students, our impoverished families, for the right to choose a quality charter school education.”