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What’s Going Down in Our Schools Report
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Introduction
Youth ROC—or Youth Reclaiming Our Communities—is
a statewide program for high school students who are committed
to access quality education for all students. It includes
students from Milwaukee, suburban, and out-state schools who
believe the only way to achieve the group’s goal is
through reform of Wisconsin’s school-funding system.
History
In the summer of 2004, the Institute
for Wisconsin's Future (IWF) launched a project
to connect and energize activist students. Two people joined
IWF: Jennifer Epps, a fellow from the New Voices program,
and Alexis Anderson-Reed, an intern from Alverno College.
Their job is organizing students to fight for adequate school
funding.
Their first action was to bring a busload of students from
Milwaukee to join the
“Walk on the Child Side” march into
Madison. They also met with a statewide Hmong
student group.
In August, Jennifer and Alexis formed Youth ROC (Youth Reclaiming
Our Communities) to be an organized student voice on education
funding. Youth ROC has student clubs in five Milwaukee-area
and two rural high schools to fight for smaller classes, more
course options, sports, arts and support services.
In April 2005, Youth ROC members surveyed students over 1,000
students in their own schools to learn how budget cuts have
impacted education. They released
a report on results, to publicize school needs
and encourage students and their parents to get involved.
Besides organizing in the members' schools, Yourth ROC's
presentation on school funding is available for the asking.
The What's Going Down
in our Schools
workshop is a for youth, by youth workshop.
It provides an overview of the state's school funding challenge
and an alternative method to guarantee educational opportunities
for all children from the perspectives of high school students.
This workshop also challenges young people to think about
the way they experience their education and provides them
with opportunities to get actively involved in school funding
issues.
Youth ROC is a member of the Wisconsin
Alliance for Excellent Schools, a diverse, statewide
coalition of nearly 80 organizations working toward comprehensive
school-funding reform.
Past Events
200
students attend Statewide Youth Summit on Education
(April 28-30, 2006)
Youth
ROC Students Distinguished Lecturers at UW-Madison
(Nov. 2005)
Youth
ROC Represents Students at Community Forum on Education
(Nov. 21, 2005)
Speak
Outs a Success (Nov.
2005)
Youth
ROC Plans for an Amazing Year (Fall,
2005)
Youth
ROC members have lunch with Governor Doyle
(June 24, 2005)
Youth
ROC takes on Joint Finance Committee (June
14, 2005)
Youth
ROC members hold press conference (April
8, 2005)
Youth
ROC—Semester Update
(February, 2005)
Niagara
High School Join’s Youth ROC
(December
13, 2004)
Fifteen
Youth ROC organizers attended a day long (October
2, 2004)
Milwaukee
High School Student Speaks Out Against Budget Cuts at "Rolling
Thunder" (September 18th,
2004)
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