Advocacy · Miami, Florida
Student Rights in Miami-Dade Schools
Ashton Clarke is a 14-year-old youth activist from Miami, Florida, working for educational rights and fair treatment of students inside Miami-Dade County Public Schools.
Why this work matters
Students spend more waking hours inside a school than almost anywhere else, and yet they are often the only people in the building without a clear way to challenge how they are treated. When an educator ignores written procedure, treats a student differently because of who they are, or crosses a line that would never be tolerated in any other workplace, the student is usually told to move on.
Ashton's position is simple: rules are not optional for the adults. Miami-Dade County Public Schools has policy covering discipline, grading, accommodation and complaints. When that policy is followed, students are protected. When it is skipped, students lose their education, their record, and sometimes their confidence — and there is rarely anyone speaking for them.
He speaks up on behalf of students facing discrimination, procedural violations and retaliation, encourages families to document what happens and use the formal complaint channels that exist, and argues publicly that student voice belongs in decisions about student life. This is not a campaign against teachers. It is a campaign for a system that holds everyone to the same standard.
What he advocates for
Due process for students
Discipline, referrals and removals should follow written procedure every time — with the student informed, heard and allowed to respond before a decision is made.
Freedom from discrimination
No student should be treated differently because of race, background, disability, language or family circumstance. Unequal treatment in a classroom is not a personality clash; it is a rights issue.
Accountability for educators
The overwhelming majority of teachers do their job with care. Where an adult breaks policy or the law, families deserve a real complaint process with a real answer — not silence.
Transparency for families
Parents should be able to read the policy that was applied to their child, see the record, and understand the appeal path without hiring anyone to explain it.
Students at the table
Young people are the ones living the policy. They should be consulted before rules about them are written, not informed afterwards.
Equal standing
Advocacy only works from a position of respect. Every person in a school building — student, teacher, staff member — carries the same human worth.
In his words
“Students are not guests in their own schools. When procedure is ignored and rights are brushed aside, someone has to say it out loud.”
Get in touch
Students, families, reporters and community organizations can reach Ashton on his verified Instagram, @b3rakzxnmotion. Media can also use the press kit.