ELC’s 2009 Agenda
Here’s the short version of what we hope to accomplish this year. For more information, see our agenda page.
- Keep Pennsylvania’s new school funding formula in place, and update it to better meet the needs of children with disabilities.
- Remove barriers to school enrollment, especially for children who live apart from their parents or are homeless.
- Improve educational services to children in the child welfare system.
- Expand schoolwide positive behavior support programs, and reduce unnecessary suspensions and expulsions.
- Obtain new policies addressing problems in some of our state’s alternative disciplinary schools.
- Ensure that state school reforms address the needs of English language learners.
- Support parent and student groups that are working to improve their schools.
- Develop new publications and training materials for parents, caseworkers, and others who work with children.
News & Action Items
- New! ELC Enrollment Guides now available to help students enroll in school
School should be challenging; but enrolling in school shouldn’t be. The Education Law Center can help. ELC has created easy-to-use guides to make school enrollment easy for every family in Pennsylvania. In addition to a basic enrollment guide, there are special enrollment guides for children living with adults other their parents, children who are homeless and older youth enrolling on their own. These guides also explain how to get help if there are problems. Go to our Residency and Enrollment page for more information.
June 2 Education Action Summit
Education leaders throughout Pennsylvania shared their experience, knowledge and strategies about the best ways to improve public schools for disadvantaged students and communities. The Summit was especially important as advocates determine how to best organize to ensure effective investment of federal stimulus funding. Read more…
- Funding and Accountability Success Stories
The Education Law Center, Good Schools Pennsylvania, community leaders, parents and students throughout Pennsylvania delivered school funding and accountability success stories on Tuesday, May 26 to the House Education Committee. Much of the hearing testimony can be found in Basic Education Funding and Accountability: Year One Results, a compelling report on the first-year benefits from Act 61, which created an equitable funding and accountability system for Pennsylvania's public schools.
Connect to ELC's statewide networks. The Education Law Center works with parent and community groups, faith-based organizations, minority and civil rights groups, special education advocates, and other organizations throughout Pennsylvania. The Education Law Center is also a sole and co-organizer of statewide advocacy campaigns. View our interactive networks map to find a group in your region.
Enrolling students in school — especially students who do not live with their parents or are homeless — should get easier as a result of a new Basic Education Circular. Read more…
Legislative Updates
HB 704 and SB 940 reform Pennsylvania's special education funding and accountabilty. See the latest information on the bills at: reformspecialedfunding.org. - HR 2740 — Federal legistlation that helps parents who use the special education hearing system. Several years ago, the United States Supreme Court held that, although parents could get the school district to pay them back for their lawyers fees if the family wins at a special education hearing, the family cannot get back the cost of expert witnesses. U.S. Congressmen Van Hollen (D-MD) and Sessions (R-TX) have introduced legislation that would change this rule. Read more...
- SB 56 — The Education Law Center, the Disabilities Rights Network, the Juvenile Law Center and other youth and education advocates throughout the state oppose this legislation, particularly the portion of the bill that requires schools to notify police in every instance when children commit an offense on school grounds. Read more...
Publications and More Help
- New! It's Raining Stimulus Dollars: Will This Solve Your Special Education Funding Problems?
- Basics of Special Education Law Brochure for parents
- Right to Special Education Manual (2009)
- Training Request Form.
- Browse and download ELC publications and training materials.
- Have a question about ELC services? Check our Frequently Asked Questions page for help.
- Find other agencies that can help you.
Calendar
For details on any of these events, visit our calendar page.
10/2/09 and 10/7/09 "Getting a Child into School and Keeping Her There," The Laws Governing School Enrollment and Student Discipline, CLE — Mechanicsburg, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh (10/7)
10/28/09 "Using Section 504 to Help Children with Disabilities in School," a training opportunity from the Education Law Center — 20 locations throughout Pennsylvania. Register online now!