(Sept. 30, 2026) – Event to feature community-led solutions and practical tools for building lasting political influence and systemic change.
Media Contact: John Henry, [email protected], Media Relations Manager, 708-646-7679
LONG BEACH, CA—On Friday, the Children’s Defense Fund-California (CDF-CA) will host “Rising Together: A Parent and Community Advocacy Forum on the Long Beach Report,” bringing together local families, educators, and grassroots leaders to discuss the future of public education equity in Southern California.
The free public forum will be held at the offices of the local nonprofit organization Long Beach Forward, welcoming local parents, caregivers, and community members to dive deeply into the findings and real-world implications of CDF-CA’s landmark new report, titled Rooted in Community, Rising Together: A Decade of Advocacy and Partnership in Long Beach. Originally published in July, the comprehensive report meticulously documents more than a decade of persistent education equity advocacy across the Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD). By charting successes, challenges, and lessons learned over the past ten years, the publication is intended to serve as a practical, replicable blueprint for residents, organizers, and advocates across Southern California on how to achieve meaningful systemic reform to dramatically improve the well-being and academic success of local youth.
The upcoming gathering is structured to emphasize genuine community participation, dialogue, and collaborative problem-solving rather than traditional, one-way presentations. Rather than sitting back to listen to a lengthy lecture, attendees at Friday’s forum will engage directly with organizers and fellow community members. The agenda features an accessible, easy-to-understand walkthrough of the report’s core findings, focusing heavily on critical issues such as equitable school discipline policies. Furthermore, participants will have the opportunity to learn more about persistent achievement gaps within the district, outcomes for English learner students, the ongoing implementation and impact of the Black Student Achievement Initiative, and the broader community goals championed by the SaferLBUSD campaign.
Event organizers emphasize that the forum is designed not only to look backward at past victories and documented trends, but also to look forward by equipping attendees with actionable tools and community-led solutions. By sharing strategies for building lasting political influence, the event seeks to empower everyday parents and caregivers who traditionally have been excluded from high-level institutional decision-making processes. CDF-CA hopes that fostering these direct conversations will strengthen the collective voice of Long Beach families and catalyze the next generation of grassroots systemic change within the public education system.
What: Rising Together: A Parent and Community Advocacy Forum on the Long Beach Report
Who: Children’s Defense Fund-California
Where: Long Beach Forward | 2217 E 6th St, Long Beach, CA 90814
When: Friday, October 2, 2026, 3:30 PM – 5:30 PM PST
As the date of the forum approaches, anticipation continues to build among local education advocates and families invested in the Long Beach Unified School District. The release of the Rooted in Community, Rising Together report earlier this summer marked a significant milestone for CDF-CA and its numerous local partners, who have spent years working shoulder-to-shoulder to address disparities in school funding, resource allocation, and disciplinary practices. Friday’s forum represents the next vital phase of that ongoing work, translating written research and historical documentation into active, community-driven organizing.
The choice of Long Beach Forward as the host venue underscores the deeply collaborative nature of the event. Long Beach Forward has long stood as a pillar of community empowerment in the area, working tirelessly to amplify the voices of marginalized residents and build grassroots leadership among youth and families. By partnering with CDF-CA for this afternoon forum, the organizations aim to create a welcoming, secure, and collaborative environment where parents who may feel intimidated by formal school board meetings or institutional bureaucracies can feel comfortable sharing their experiences, asking questions, and connecting with others who share a vision for a more just educational landscape.
Throughout the two-hour event, discussions will touch upon several interconnected facets of student life and academic achievement in Long Beach public schools. A primary area of focus will be school discipline reform. For years, advocacy groups have pushed back against zero-tolerance policies and exclusionary disciplinary measures—such as out-of-school suspensions—which research has consistently shown disproportionately impact students of color and students with specialized learning needs. The report details how sustained community pressure and partnership have historically helped shift district policies toward restorative practices, and Friday’s forum will explore how parents can continue to monitor and advocate for supportive, inclusive school environments.
In addition to discipline reform, the forum will address the ongoing challenge of closing persistent academic achievement gaps within the district. While Long Beach Unified has often been recognized for certain academic benchmarks, disparities remain among different student demographic groups. The forum will provide attendees with clear, accessible data regarding these gaps, fostering an open dialogue about what resources and interventions are necessary to ensure that every child receives the support required to thrive academically. This conversation will closely intersect with discussions surrounding English learner outcomes, highlighting the unique needs of students who are navigating language barriers while trying to master rigorous academic content.
Another critical topic on the agenda is the Black Student Achievement Initiative. This targeted effort has been a focal point for advocates seeking to address the specific institutional barriers faced by Black students in the public school system. By reviewing the progress and ongoing objectives of the initiative during the forum, participants will gain a clearer understanding of how targeted investments and culturally responsive pedagogy can transform school climates and elevate student success. Similarly, the SaferLBUSD campaign will be highlighted, showcasing grassroots efforts to redefine school safety in ways that prioritize mental health, supportive staffing, and positive community relationships over punitive or heavily policed campus environments.
CDF-CA representatives stress that the ultimate goal of the forum is to demystify the mechanisms of political power and systemic change for everyday people. Too often, parents and caregivers feel that decisions affecting their children are made behind closed doors by administrators and elected officials who are disconnected from daily classroom realities. "Rising Together" aims to bridge that gap by demystifying the advocacy process, offering concrete guidance on how to testify at public meetings, how to organize neighborhood support, and how to hold school district leadership accountable to the communities they serve.
As local families prepare to gather at Long Beach Forward on Friday afternoon, the underlying message of the event remains one of collective strength and shared responsibility. By grounding their efforts in the rigorous, decade-long documentation found in the Long Beach Report, attendees will not be starting from scratch; rather, they will be stepping onto a foundation built by years of dedicated organizing, research, and community resilience. The forum promises to be an important stepping stone in the ongoing journey toward equitable education, vibrant communities, and a brighter future for the youth of Long Beach and the broader Southern California region.
