February is Black History Month and an important opportunity for educators and organizations to demonstrate that Black Lives Matter at School. The annual Black Lives Matter at School Week is already underway, with more events in Pennsylvania and nationwide. This season is a powerful time for advocacy in schools – and a time to make progress: responding to the attacks on critical race theory, the 1619 Project, and the teaching of Black history; supporting movements to abolish policing in schools; working to hire Black educators; advocating to pass the CROWN Act; and more.

While this essential work is spotlighted in February, opposing white supremacy in schools and ensuring that Black students have every opportunity to thrive is a year-round commitment. Learn more about necessary changes that schools can make to better support Black students here. 

Last week in Commonwealth Court, we completed the presentation of our case showing that the state is not meeting its school funding responsibilities under the state constitution.

Over the course of 9 weeks of trial, our legal team has called 29 witnesses and generated more than 11,000 pages of testimony about school funding and the effects of underfunding on Pennsylvania students and schools.

We have also heard from superintendents, other educators, and experts about extreme disparities between districts as to what is offered to students and the resulting unequal outcomes. The impact is felt most by students living in poverty and Black and Brown students. Witnesses have talked about the programs and supports that could make a necessary difference in reducing these disparities. But such programs are not being implemented due to lack of funding.

This week Sen. Corman and Speaker Cutler will begin presenting witnesses for the legislature. They are defending the current system of funding in PA. Their case is likely to run well into February, before we get to closing arguments.

You can watch the livestream of the trial via the law centers’ joint website. See our summary of the case so far. Or look for our daily highlight posts each day court is in session. Multiple media outlets have regularly covered our case; here is a recent overview in the Philadelphia Inquirer. We are grateful to our supporters who have made it possible for us to devote substantial resources to this historic case. 

Act 1 of 2022, the first bill signed into law by Gov. Wolf this year, requires all school districts to provide additional supports for students who experience educational disruption due to homelessness or involvement in the foster care or juvenile justice systems. This bill, known as SB 324, was sponsored by Sen. Langerholc (R) and Sen. Browne (R).

The legislation removes obstacles to high school completion for students who already face significant and systemic barriers to on-time graduation. It requires school districts to create an infrastructure to help students who change schools often to get credit for courses taken in other districts, acquire necessary records, and access extracurricular activities.

ELC recently secured a major victory for a client with disabilities who is also involved in the child welfare system and is experiencing homelessness. K.B., a second grader who has an IEP and accessed many special education supports, had been out of school for weeks, ever since his family was evicted from their home and moved to an emergency shelter. K.B.’s father and his case worker were having difficulty getting K.B. transportation to ensure he could stay in his same school despite having been forced to move – a right under federal and state law. Just four days after ELC’s intervention, K.B. was back on the bus route, and K.B. is finally back in school learning, where he belongs. 

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, ELC attorney Ashli Giles-Perkins presented a workshop titled “School Discipline 101 for Students and Parents” at an event co-sponsored by ELC and the Defender Association of Philadelphia. Ashli’s presentation outlined rights related to school searches, discipline for students with disabilities, and rights students have to due process in the school discipline process – as well as how to challenge schools’ decisions.

Join the Resource Equity Collaborative for “PA School Funding 101” tonight at 7 p.m. by registering here. Spanish translation available.

ELC seeks attorneys for full-time positions in our Philadelphia and Pittsburgh offices as well as a development specialist. See our website for a full description of job opportunities at ELC.

Student Arrests in Allegheny County Public Schools: The Need for Transparency and Accountability by ACLU PA.

What we learned from more than 3500 pages of cyber charter school advertising invoices by Education Voters

Who Gets the Blame When Schools Shut Down by Jessica Winter for The New Yorker.