Fuller's Peace and Justice Advocates (PJA) will be hosting a discussion on educational justice on Wednesday, May 25 from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. in the Garth. (Please note this date change.)  This is part of a weekly discussion series about various justice and advocacy issues hosted by PJA.

Title: "Educational Justice for ALL of California's Children"
Speaker: Rev. Dr. Frank Alton

Bishop Jon Bruno the Episcopal Church made education justice a key priority for the Diocese of Los Angeles, calling "public education... one of the greatest social-justice issues before us as a nation." When we break this down for California, the statistics speak loudly:

• Per-pupil spending in California ranks 46 among the 50 States.
• Only 30% of all California 4th graders were proficient or above in reading., 14% for African-Americans, 15% for Hispanics,  16% for low income. 
• Only 23% of 8th graders achieved proficiency in mathematics, with African-Americans at 11%, Hispanics at 12% and low-income children at 13%. 
• 25% of California’s 9th graders fail to graduate four years later.  
• 40% of African-Americans and 30% of Hispanic students fail to graduate.

Prepare the Future has a two track strategy to address this situation: online advocacy and parent engagement. Frank will share more about these ways you can get involved in education justice.

Rev. Dr. Frank Alton is the Executive Director of Prepare the Future California, which seeks education justice for ALL of California's children. Prior to working with Prepare the Future, Frank was the pastor of Immanuel Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles for over 15 years. Under his leadership, Immanuel became an urban, inclusive, bilingual, multicultural congregation at the intersection of spirit, cultures and justice. He has been actively involved in many areas of community life in Los Angeles, and has served the church and community locally and nationally. Prior to becoming pastor at Immanuel, Frank lived and worked for nine years in a squatter community in Mexico City. He facilitated a community transformation project that is now in the hands of local residents, taught in two seminaries, and founded an organization called Partners in Hope, which offered travel seminars for seminary and church groups, and partnerships between US churches and marginal communities in Mexico.