Parent involvement is widely seen as important to the success of students, particularly students from low-income families. Under the new school finance system, parents are expected to play a bigger role by participating in district financial decisions, particularly regarding the spending of extra dollars districts have received for high-needs students: low-income students, English learners and foster youth.
San Francisco is the only city in California where parents without U.S. citizenship are allowed to vote in school board elections, but only 49 registered, amid warnings that ICE could find their addresses.
The 2018-19 state budget includes $13.3 million to create a network in which teams of parents, teachers and district administrators will identify ways to listen to and act on advice from the community.
Activist Ben Austin founded the Kids Coalition to help parents and students obtain more input into the educational policies of the Los Angeles Unified School District
