Natalie talks about bootstrapping in public education. Time and time again, teachers work on and off the clock, and are not compensated for their efforts. Teachers deserve to be compensated now.

Alex recounts times of hardship and how a free lunch program would have alleviated stress for her and her family.

Marlenne tells us the story of her experience as a first-generation student and urges us to reform Prop 13 to support marginalized students with specialized needs.

Lynda shares about her time serving Berkeley High’s Multilingual Program and the support the program could have used.

Alex talks about her elementary school years at a public school.

Marlenne talks about the importance of funding public school teachers and how the interpersonal relationships between teachers and students will affect student futures and paths.

Natalie talks about her personal and professional experiences in California’s public education. Her experiences have shaped her perspective on the public education system, and she desires equity in education in order for there to be a fairer future for all.

Lynda talks about her experience in public schools where she encountered privatization of resources that should have been available to all students.

Morsal talks about her experience at Berkeley, opportunities, potential changes, and what to do to make Berkeley a more inclusive environment.

There is a huge gap in funding between public and private schools in California due to the way Proposition 13 changed the way our schools are funded. If we want to accurately compare public and private schools, we can’t cherry pick data. Public school students deserve just as many resources and support as anyone else.

Former Evolve Intern Neftaly describes her experience returning to her home of the Central Valley as a substitute teacher after college. She details how, on top of prior disinvestment, the Trump Era budget cuts are harming the Valley more than most.

Morsal talks about her experience of delayed graduation at UC Berkeley due to overcrowded classrooms and the underfunded UC system in California.

X laments on the end of free AC transit clipper cards for Berkeley students. Unaware that the program even ended, they raise frustrations with the constant cuts to public services. With cost rising everywhere, what relief are students given?

Morsal talks about her experience as an after-school program worker, where she came face to face with the reality of underfunding in the California public school system.

As Jules finishes her last semester at UC Berkeley, she's reflected on the queer spaces on campus where although they have found community here, she still believes the UC can do more to make BIPOC feel more accepted; especially in a time where queer identities are being under attacked.

X shares about their art school’s audition process as an equity issue. The elitist structure of prioritizing “talent” over accessibility wasn’t a sustainable model in a district where under-served students are denied access to arts education over non-local higher-income students.

Jules talks about how affirmative action helped her mom attend UC Berkeley, and ultimately paved the way for Jules. We need race-conscious admissions in California to be a truly equitable state.

X talks about their experience attending Oakland School of the Arts, a charter school which struggled to be fully-funded and often depends on the generosity of high-profile donors. When the money dries up, where does it leave the students?

Morsal talks about her experience as an After School Program worker, where she came face to face with the reality of underfunding in the California public school system.

Gillian talks about the years long struggle to fully-fund our public resources. She has worked to fully-fund our public schools since 2020. Read about her about her observations about her experience with the budget for at least four years.