Our Story

About EdVoice

EdVoice was established in 2000 as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit by a group of education advocates. Our purpose is to ensure that low-income students receive a high-quality education that prepares them for college, career, and life. 

We are unique among California’s education advocacy organizations because, as a 501(c)(4), we are able to write draft policy and directly lobby members of the legislature and the Governor’s team to help influence the passage–or defeat–of policy changes. 

Additionally, EdVoice is able to support the EdVoice for the Kids PAC, which can give strategic political donations to elected officials, candidates, and organizations that will be champions for children from low-income communities.

Our sister 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the EdVoice Institute for Research and Education (EdVoice Institute), was created in 2006 to identify, through research and analysis, the most important education policies necessary to effectively educate children from low-income communities. EdVoice Institute builds awareness of their recommendations through EdVoice’s direct influence, coalition partners, and informational communications campaigns. 

In 2023, EdVoice Institute developed a long-term, evidence-based policy agenda that identifies key pillars of education policy reform, which we use to ground our policy recommendations and advocacy actions during each legislative cycle. We prioritize engagement with policy recommendations based on potential scale of impact for low-income students and political viability in the current legislative landscape. 

Once policies are passed, EdVoice Institute and its partners focus on the implementation and accountability of changes to ensure they are having the intended effect in classrooms.  If they are not, they will follow up with the Governor’s team and Department of Education to share our findings. And, if need be, they will use litigation to ensure proper implementation. 

We know that redesigning education policies in California is complex and resource intensive. Advancing policy will require persistence, collaboration, expertise, and–most of all–time. 

While it may take several years to pass all of the policies outlined in EdVoice Institute’s agenda, our team plans to be around to see it through. We are committed to the cause because changing policy changes lives. A high-quality education can lead to future opportunities for children to attend college, attain a rewarding career, and have a better chance at a safe, secure, healthy, and fulfilling life.