The purpose of this article is to identify power through voting-school boards; it must be explicitly identified and highlighted as a way to empower students and their families. Implications for teachers are discussed, as their role in public schools is crucial to improved parent participation. It examines how Latino parents have used the justice system to secure fair representation to improve the needs of minority children attending public schools. It highlights the activist's role and parental participation in the legal and educational system that led to the improvement of the quality of education and an end to segregationist practices in the early history of California public schools. (Contains 1 figure and 1 table.)