Dear Madame President,

As a student advocating for a change in the education system in the United States, I have noticed this system as a series of devious stratagems that has flourished throughout the beginning of this country, till now.

History has shown the progressiveness of students and parents voices who have spoken up to make a change from the mistakes that were first developed to segregate those who were of color, but we are still a long way from it to be considered as a guarantee system for all to be heard. For example, the decision that was made by the Supreme Court in Plessy v Ferguson establishing the “separate but equal” doctrine. This meaning that laws separating races were constitutional so long as they were “equal” for both races. Crazy, right! This showing that the education system has been f*** up since the creation of our own country's history. Thankfully later on in 1954 in the Brown v Board of Education the Supreme Court unanimously decided and order that public schools that were segregating blacks and white students were not equal were unconstitutional. Common this is great, now we are able to see some people kicking ass to the system!

You have now heard me talk about some pretty serious facts throughout our country, but let me tell you some series of events in our history of children and adults advocating for themselves. For example, in 1966, the Rough Rock School was established on the Navajo reservation and controlled by Native Americans, a victory following long struggles for control over their children's education in order to study their own culture and traditions and making English as a second language. This showing you that it’s not even an issue for Latinos and African Americans, but as well with Native Americans. Then in 1968, when Mexican American/Chicano students in East Los Angeles organize a series of walkouts protesting unequal conditions in schools on the East Side. Mainly protesting that the curriculum being taught was largely ignoring Mexican-American history and where counselors and schools officials steered Chicano student toward menial labor and away from college. As someone who is culturally connected to this, it has given me a different perspective of how I as a kid could make a change and impact. Then to the Lau v. Nichols, in 1968, a civil rights case brought by Chinese American students living in San Francisco who limited English proficiency. Then from 2007-2013, parent, youth and community organizing efforts, school districts in California began passing discipline reform and “restorative justice” resolutions that help to focus discipline on alternatives to suspension and zero tolerance that was brought to attention during the Reagan presidency and the War on Drugs. These all examples showing that it’s not only a problem within the Latinos and African Americans race, but as well with Native Americans and Chinese Americans. Within all these different races, they all are able to focus on changing the education system..

Now you maybe asking what can we do, why should we focus on it? Well, I have shown you that we care for education, and want a better outcome for our children so on and on, but it’s now time for the president to recognize the corrupt education system that has been laid upon us. We are tired of being fooled and looked as shit, thinking that we don’t care for a higher education. For example, rather than electing board member like those within LAUSD, it’s time to have students representing us and showing that we can make a change. Then another thing is making reforms focusing on helping students actually meeting with their counselors and helping them reach a college education. Along with making it available for high schools to have more college curriculum like Advance Placement classes or community college classes. We need to have programs funding education within the education districts throughout the whole country rather than focusing on putting people in prison and spending the money on it. In reality we just need you to take a stand and make a change within the American education.

Sincerely,

Alejandro Salas