San Jose, CA -  Students from ������ý Clara County Office of Education (SCCOE) programs participated in United Against Hate Week (UAH Week) for the first time on October 19–25, 2025. They joined other youth and educators throughout the county in a call to civic action to stand up against hate, bias, and injustice in schools and the community.

 

The UAH Week campaign was established in 2017 by Bay Area Cities to combat racism. The first convening was held in 2018 by Not in Our Town, an initiative led by Oakland-based nonprofit, The Working Group, aimed at taking action against hate.

 

SCCOE students from Blue Ridge High School, Opportunity Youth Academy, Osborne School, and Sunol and South County Community schools participated in a video campaign sharing why they stand united against hate.

 

"In the past, I've been bullied, and there are zero benefits for bullying people,” said Jeremiah from Sunol Community Sunol. “Bullying breeds hate, and that hate breeds violence. So let's stop the bullying!”

 

Students and school employees who joined SCCOE in participating in the campaign were eligible to receive a free United Against Hate Week shirt.

 

Students and staff from George Shirakawa Sr. Elementary School, Ida Jew Academy and Valle Vista Elementary School, Jackson Academy of Math and Music, Lairon College Preparatory Academy, Live Oak High School, and Morrill Middle School also joined the SCCOE’s local awareness efforts by implementing UAH activities that promoted student civic voice.

“I’m proud of how this campaign gained momentum across all levels of our schools, elementary, middle, and high, and how our students found their passion in standing up against hate,” said Kristina Ravo, Coordinator, History-Social Science and Civic Engagement. “Hearing SCCOE students share their stories with such honesty and vulnerability was incredibly powerful.”

 

The student videos can be found on the SCCOE Instagram page @santaclarasccoe.

 

In addition to publishing videos of SCCOE students on social media, participating schools that used the hashtag SCCUAH received spotlights on the organization's Instagram stories. 

 

The SCCOE’s social media campaign was included in the UAH Week 2025 Calendar of Events alongside other city, county, and nonprofit organizations. The featured activities included mural unveilings, food drives, concert discussions, unity workshops, and more.

 

Employees at the SCCOE also came together, displaying posters and wearing campaign shirts to build awareness from October 19-24.

“In the absence of hate, we create spaces in our schools and in our community where all of our children know they belong and that they can thrive,” said County Superintendent, Dr. David M. Toston, Sr. 

 

Resources for districts, schools, and educators regarding UAH Week are available at ��ٳٱ��://�ɷɷ�.�ܲԾ��ٱ�岹�������Բ��ٳ󲹳ٱ�ɱ���.�ǰ���/​

​�ċSAN JOSE, CA – This month, Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law Assembly Bill 243 (AB 243)​. The bill, authored by Assemblymember Patrick Ahrens and co-sponsored by the ������ý Clara County Office of Education (SCCOE) and the County of ������ý Clara, reduces barriers for youth in juvenile justice or child welfare systems to access financial aid as they pursue higher education. 

“Assembly Bill 243 is more than legislation,” said County Superintendent of Schools. Dr. David M. Toston, Sr. “It’s a real opportunity for students who’ve faced big obstacles to pursue college. Students now have one less barrier in pursuit of their bright futures.” 

Taking effect on January 1, 2026, AB 243 requires colleges and universities to accept an attestation letter from a local education agency, county probation department, or welfare department as proof of financial aid independence for admissions or financial aid applications. This means the 116 ������ý community colleges, 10 Universities of ������ý, and 23 ������ý State Universities have to accept a youth’s letter of attestation, thus removing a barrier to college. Before AB 243, incarcerated youth experienced challenges in providing proof of their financial independence from family, which left them with two choices: pay for college out-of-pocket or forgo higher education. 

“While all students are required to complete the FAFSA, incarcerated students often face significant challenges in obtaining the necessary information to fill the application out due to their estrangement from their parents or guardians, which categorizes them as a ‘special circumstance,’” explained Jorge ��ü���ٰ�ó��, a Secure Youth Treatment Facility (SYTF) College Liaison for Alternative Education at the SCCOE. “While foster youth have a standardized process to verify their status, the process for incarcerated students who are estranged from their families is left to each individual college.”

��ü���ٰ�ó�� explained the bill, now legislation, was modeled after the process for youth in foster care or who are homeless. This was done in collaboration and partnership with the other bill co-sponsor, ������ý Clara County Probation. 

Daisy, a former student, shared her experience of navigating financial aid for college with the legislature during an Assembly Higher Education Committee hearing for AB 243 on March 18.

“Being an incarcerated student came with many challenges,” she said, adding that access to Canvas through two-factor authentication without access to a phone was one, while FAFSA for her peers was another. 

“I honestly had a more straightforward process as a homeless youth and McKinney-Vento student. I was able to provide that letter to establish me as independent for FAFSA,” Daisy said in her testimony. “This let me bypass one of the biggest hurdles our population has. Unfortunately, many of my peers in the SYTF program are not as fortunate to have as easy a process. I have seen many of my peers struggle to complete FAFSA verification due to the difficulties in contacting their parents, creating yet another barrier to accessing education.”

This year, ��ü���ٰ�ó�� provided testimony before committees on three occasions in Sacramento to advocate on behalf of students he is working with. Upon his return to see students, he would share the progress on the bill and show them the recorded committee hearings. 

Shortly after Newsom put his signature on the bill, ��ü���ٰ�ó�� announced to students the bill had been passed and signed. 

“As a human, as a student, they will have agency over their education,” ��ü���ٰ�ó�� said. “This is only going to motivate [the students] more.” 

The passage of AB 243 will make the dream of college a reality.