September News:   Big Win in Funding Case, Record-Setting Fall Gala, and more...
Landmark Victory for Schoolchildren across Pennsylvania: Pa. Supreme Court Rules that School Funding Case Must Be Heard

Yesterday, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court issued a monumental ruling in our school funding case that vindicates the very core of our mission. Read our press release here.

In a resounding 5-2 decision, the high court ruled that the judiciary must enforce the Pennsylvania Constitution's guarantee of a "thorough and efficient system of public education" for our students. Next steps include a trial on our adequacy and equity claims, where we will prove that the state's funding system is unconstitutional.


Join us at a Fair Funding celebration rally on October 2nd at 4:00 p.m. at City Hall in Philadelphia!

2017 Annual Celebration

Thank you for joining us Wednesday evening! We welcomed nearly 350 guests to celebrate ELC and honor Dr. Bruce Campbell, Joan Mazzotti, PNC Bank, and Richard Shephard. Led by our incredible Board and Host Committee, our friends dug deep to support ELC and its new Education Action Fund. The Fund will help ELC respond quickly to new cases and threats to equal access to quality public education. You can still support the Fund here

Congratulations to our extraordinary Honorees, thank you to our host committee, Board, and all of you who support our work!       

Upcoming October 3rd LCYJE Webinar:  Partnering with P&As to Improve Educational Outcomes for Youth with Disabilities in the Juvenile Justice System

An estimated 30-50% of youth involved in the juvenile justice system are identified as having disabilities.  The 
Legal Center for Youth Justice and Education has scheduled a  webinar for October 3rd on  improving educational outcomes for these students.   ELC Legal Director Maura McInerney will co-present with staff from the National Disability Rights Network and the Southern Poverty Law Center. The webinar will discuss how Protection and Advocacy Systems (P&As) work at the state level to protect individuals with disabilities and play a critical role in improving the quality of educational services provided to these youth in juvenile justice placements.  You can register for the webinar  here .
 
ELC Inaugurates LBGTQ/GNC Project

This month, ELC began a new project, with support from the Stoneleigh Foundation, aimed at reducing the barriers to education faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, pansexual, transgender, queer, questioning (LGBTQ) and gender-nonconforming (GNC) youth. The project will focus on equal access concerns for transgender students and the disproportionate discipline that LGBTQ/GNC youth experience in school and that leads to school pushout.  Our Stoneleigh Emerging Leader Fellow Lizzy Wingfield (pictured) is beginning the project by reaching out to students and youth-serving organizations to determine the highest-priority needs of LGBTQ/GNC students in Pennsylvania. For more information on the project, click here.
ELC Trains School District Officials Regarding Students Experiencing Homelessness

On September 27, ELC staff attorney Kristina Moon and Independence Foundation Public Interest Law Fellow Paige Joki led a training in Reading for school officials regarding the education rights of students with disabilities who are experiencing homelessness, describing the intersection of two federal laws, the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Paige is pictured here. 
ELC Co-Presents Trainings on Truancy Practice in Family Court

Over the past month, ELC has given several trainings to lawyers, judges, school officials, and child welfare practitioners on Act 138, Pennsylvania's new truancy law, which took effect at the beginning of the school year.  These trainings have not only described the specific legal reforms ushered in by Act 138, but have outlined strategies for both courtroom advocacy and school-based programming to help reduce barriers to school attendance for Pennsylvania's most vulnerable students.  In Philadelphia, ELC trained practitioners in Family Court with partners from the Support Center for Child Advocates and Community Legal Services and also trained charter school officials in partnership with the District Attorney's office.
ELC Presents at National Convening on Rights of Immigrant Students

ELC staff presented at the Southern Poverty Law Center's national convening on the rights of immigrant students, held in Atlanta.  Maura McInerney discussed lessons learned from the Issa v. School District of Lancaster case.
 

ELC Presents at National Governor's Association Conference On New Rights For Children in Foster Care

As part of the Legal Center for Foster Care and Education, ELC staff presented on new school stability and immediate enrollment protections for children in foster care under the Every Student Succeeds Act to an audience of state child welfare policymakers at NGA's Human Services Policy Advisor Institute.

Campaign for Fair Education Funding Action Alert

The state legislature passed a budget this summer, but three months into the budget year, it has still not passed a revenue bill to pay for it. Without an immediate resolution, we are left with a funding gap of more than $2 billion, putting state funding for public school in jeopardy if action is not taken.

Click here to learn more about what you can do and to sign up for updates from the Campaign for Fair Education Funding.
 
What we're reading/watching...
United Way Donor Choice Code: 1873 (Southeastern PA)

A copy of the Education Law Center's official registration and financial information may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling 1-800-732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement.  
Ensuring access to a quality public education for all children in Pennsylvania
 
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