ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — Education leaders, community members, and activists gathered Saturday, voicing concerns for students within Rochester City schools. They're calling on elected officials to take action to provide more opportunities for all students. Among those who spoke were charter school leaders, former RCSD Superintendent Dr. Lesli Myers-Small, and nationally regarded attorney and civil rights activist, Ben Crump. They echoed calls for change, saying it starts with tackling funding concerns and outdated policies to align with the needs of the community. "The education crisis is real. It's here and it's loud. But too many of us are still silent, we're still waiting and we're still unbothered," said Rashad Smith, host of the Everyday People Show with The Beat 105.5. Parents and community leaders alike said that compared to other area districts, kids who attend public and charter schools in the city are at a disadvantage because of a lack of opportunity. Crump, who's known for covering high-profile cases like those of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, said this lack of opportunity is a form of oppression. “What we're trying to do, what Dr. Miller is trying to do, is make sure that we make sure our young lambs of color, our young, marginalized lambs, are well armed to protest being targeted for the school to prison pipeline," Crump said during Saturday's meeting. Leaders said the primary problem holding the district back is a lack of adequate funding from the state based on the needs of the district's schools. They added that this contributes to a plethora of other concerns, including teacher retention and quality of education. Newly appointed RCSD Board President highlights literacy, attendance goals for students U.S. News reports RCSD has a 4.6 out of 10 college readiness index, which is reportedly lower than similarly sized cities across the nation. Panelists from Saturday's town hall meeting said students within the district score lower in reading and math proficiency. They said the answer is updated educational laws and policies. “I think that we're at a point now where we're much more racially enlightened as a society, but the problem is that a lot of the collective bargaining agreements, judicial decisions, and laws and policies that I mentioned during the panel have all been decided at times prior to now," said Adrian Hale of New York's 7th Judicial District. "And what it's doing is holding old mindsets, old silo thinking, and the problems they create in place." The goal of Saturday's meeting, according to attendees, is to raise awareness and rally community members to join their call to action. “It is time for our city to come alive and it's time for our city to say, 'we've had enough'. We could be the proof point in the nation that all our kids could learn," said Joe Klein, board chair of Charter Champions. The event was organized by Charter Champions, a Rochester nonprofit that focuses on the needs of local charter schools. Officials said they hope that conversations like this will inspire larger systematic change. News 8 reached out to RCSD for comment outside of its normal business hours regarding the discussion but has yet to receive a response.