Our client, Fletcher Street Urban Riding Club, unveils beautiful new stables in Fairmount Park | |
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Above: Leaders of Fletcher Street Urban Riding Club check out the new barn.
Left: Law Center staff attorney Sari Bernstein with some of the Club's horses
Since 1980, Fletcher Street Urban Riding Club, founded in Philadelphia’s Strawberry Mansion neighborhood, has taught hundreds of Philadelphia children and young adults how to ride and care for horses, and all the responsibility that entails. In 2020, the Club began its search for new land for its horses to graze, after low-income senior housing was built on a vacant lot they had used as a corral. Together with pro bono counsel from Saul Ewing LLP, we represent the Club as they work with city officials and other stakeholders to secure a new space that will serve the needs of their volunteers, the children they serve, and their horses.
On November 21, we were on hand for the unveiling of brand new stables at The Cliffs in East Fairmount Park. The new space will help ensure the Club can continue to serve the children of Philadelphia for years to come. "In this beautiful barn and field, we see what is possible when these vital organizations have the opportunity to work in partnership with the City of Philadelphia and local elected officials to not only preserve their missions but to thrive," Law Center staff attorney Sari Bernstein said. The opening of the new space was covered in the Philadelphia Inquirer and KYW.
Below: a volunteer with the Club dismounts.
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"I think we clearly identified the fault:" Basic Education Funding Commission hearings conclude | |
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Left: Aaron Chapin, a Stroudsburg Area middle school teacher and president of the Pennsylvania State Education Association, testifies on November 9. All evidence-based learning strategies have one thing in common, he testified: they require sufficient numbers of qualified staff.
The Basic Education Funding Commission held its final hearing on November 16, after more than two months of testimony across the commonwealth. The Commission is charged with responding to Commonwealth Court's February 7 decision in our school funding lawsuit, which described unconstitutional deprivations in educational resources in low-wealth Pennsylvania school districts.
Witness after witness described how our inadequate and inequitable public school funding system leaves the students who need the most support with the least, because their communities are not wealthy. The gap between what students have and what they need is immense: a study by Penn State Professor Matthew Kelly, examining what successful school districts are currently spending, found a $6.2 billion statewide shortfall.
Ed Albert, Executive Director at the PA Association of Rural and Small Schools, our client in the school funding lawsuit, put it best. “I think we clearly identified the fault. We know what it is," he said. "Now it takes time for the legislature to put their heads together and come up with a way to properly fund education so kids in all ZIP codes can have the same opportunities.”
On November 20, Governor Josh Shapiro, speaking to the Pennsylvania Press Club, acknowledged the essential task before our leaders in Harrisburg. "I asked [the BEF Commission] to finish their work by around Jan. 1 so that I can announce in my next budget both a formula that enjoys bipartisan support, as well as increased funding for public education," he said. We appreciate his commitment, and expect the commission to set meaningful and significant targets for adequate funding in every school district, with a plan to meet those targets fully within five years.
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Here are a few highlights of statewide press coverage:
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Here’s how Pa. school funding impacts salaries, resources, and certification: 5 takeaways from a new study - Philadelphia Inquirer, 11/6/23
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Basic ed funding hearings wrap with charter schools - Center Square, 11/12/23
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Editorial: Harrisburg should make Level Up school funding a priority - Johnstown Tribune-Democrat, 11/24/23
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Gov. Shapiro, Lehigh Valley lawmakers acknowledge political divisions, outstanding education funding - Lehigh Valley Live, 11/26/23
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New report details lack of internet, resources at rural Pa. school districts - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 11/27/23
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Opinion: Pa. must adopt clear, sustainable plan to address unconstitutional school funding - Penn Capital-Star, 11/30/23
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Stand up for strong public schools: Send a comment to the Basic Education Funding Commission | |
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The Basic Education Funding Commission would like to hear from Pennsylvania parents, students, educators and taxpayers. Please consider sending the commission a brief comment through their online form.
Together, we can make it clear to the Basic Education Funding Commission that Pennsylvanians demand a constitutional school funding system. A system in which public school funding is based on what students need, not what their communities can afford.
Write about your experience in Pennsylvania public schools, and make sure to note your home school district. Our friends at Education Voters PA have drafted a few sample comments for your reference. Thank you for advocating for strong public schools in every community.
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We joined PA Schools Work in Harrisburg Nov. 14 to demand a constitutional school funding system | |
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Clockwise from top left: Nicole Miller speaking, students from Allegheny County, Dan Urevick-Ackelsberg speaking, Education Voters PA leaders with Rep. Peter Schweyer, chair of the House Education Committee.
On November 14, we joined more than 200 educators, students and advocates at the state capitol in Harrisburg to demand that our leaders meet the charge given to them by Commonwealth Court's decision: develop and implement a constitutional school funding system. The day of action was covered by ABC 27 in Harrisburg and WXPI in Pittsburgh.
"Underfunding in Pennsylvania is not a specific school district problem," Law Center senior attorney Dan Urevick-Ackelsburg said. "It's not an East vs. West problem. It's not a rural vs. urban problem. It is a commonwealth problem. It is everywhere."
"I watch a 5-year-old attempt to complete a task independently, to the point of tears, when all they need is an instructional assistant to provide some support. But we don’t have enough for those supports." said Nicole Miller, a kindergarten teacher at William Penn School District who testified during the school funding trial. "In an under-funded district like ours, we are being asked to make up for years of our students not having enough. And now, a court has said we shouldn’t have to do that anymore."
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We received the PEAL Center's annual inclusion award, honoring our work on behalf of students with disabilities in public schools | |
On November 30, we were honored to receive the Parent Education & Advocacy Leadership (PEAL) Center's annual Inclusion Award in Harrisburg, in recognition of the Law Center's history of work furthering the inclusion of students with disabilities in public schools.
Our legal director and interim executive director Mimi McKenzie (right) is pictured with former Law Center client Lydia Gaskin and her father, Joe Gaskin. Lydia, who was also honored along with her father by the PEAL Center, was the named petitioner in our 1994 case, Gaskin v. Commonwealth. At the time, Pennsylvania had the second worst rate in the country for students with disabilities receiving an education alongside their peers without disabilities, and schools were often unwilling to accommodate these students with needed resources. The case led to a settlement that began significant positive changes, allowing more students with disabilities to learn in integrated and supportive environments.
Gaskin is part of a long and ongoing history: this summer, we reached a settlement in a federal lawsuit that led the Pennsylvania Department of Education to extend services to students with disabilities in public schools until they turn 22, as federal law requires. This change will provide months of additional services to young adults across the Commonwealth at a critical juncture in their lives.
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Senior attorney Claudia De Palma | |
We're excited to share that Claudia De Palma was recently promoted to senior attorney at the Law Center!
Since joining us in 2018, Claudia has helped lead some of our most impactful litigation across our practice areas. These include our successful lawsuit taking on Pennsylvania's unconstitutional public school funding system, a challenge to the U.S. Small Business Administration's criminal record ban for Paycheck Protection Program loans leading to new SBA rules, and our current case before the PA Supreme Court challenging state firearm preemption laws that block most local gun safety measures. Help congratulate Claudia by liking her post on LinkedIn!
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Thank you to our fall interns! | |
We would like to thank our fall interns for their fantastic and invaluable work this semester! We hosted three law student interns this year. All are 2L students at Penn Carey Law School. From left to right: Alejandro Ashworth, Saba Mengesha, and Hillary Shah. Thank you! | |
Thank you for standing up this Giving Tuesday! | |
Thank you to all of our steadfast supporters who joined us to stand up with our clients this Giving Tuesday! Your support is absolutely essential.
Your support through the end of the year will ensure that we keep the momentum going in the fight against inequality, discrimination and poverty. Thank you!
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