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
- ELC School Reform Associate receives Excellence in Advocacy Award
The Education Law Center's School Reform Associate Sandy Zelno received the Excellence in Advocacy Award on Dec. 7 from ACHIEVA, a western Pennsylvania provider of services and supports for children and adults with disanbilities. The award honors Zelno's work on behalf of people with disabilities, particularly in the area of public education policy reform. Read more...
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ELC Attorney Critiques School District Zero Tolerance Policies
Lapp was also interviewed for the edition's lead article about delays in the expulsion process. Learn more about fairness in school discipline here.
The Winter 2009 edition of the Philadelphia Public School Notebook includes an opinion piece written by Education Law Center Staff Attorney David Lapp, critiquing the School District of Philadelphia's "zero tolerance" policies in favor of approaches that foster positive school environments.
- ELC Co-Director Examines Legal Rights of English Language Learners
The December 3, 2009 Summit on Education Excellence for Latino Students featured Education Law Center Co-Director Len Rieser examining current problems and possible solutions regarding the legal rights of English language learners. Read more...
- PA Department of Education Releases Guide to Student Enrollment
The Education Law Center has been working with the Pennsylvania Department of Education to require local school districts to enroll children in school quickly. The Department has issued new guidance, in the form of a Q&A, on school enrollment rules. The Questions and Answers are provided to assist parents, school districts and charter schools in the student enrollment process.
- Training for Special Education Advocates
The Arc of Philadelphia is sponsoring a 12-session special education advocacy training for parents, service providers, advocates, educators, lawyers, and therapists will be held from November through next May. Read more...
- Training Materials from the Education Law Center
The Education Law Center recently provided a telephone conference and Webinar training on Section 504, a federal civil rights law that can help children with disabilities get the accommodations, supports, and services they need in school, even if they do not qualify for special education. View the full presentation, a sample letter to request a 504 Plan, and an example of what a 504 Plan looks like.
- Take our Surveys!
Are you a child welfare professional who serves children and youth who are placed in group homes, residential treatment facilities, or other residential placements? Or a child welfare professional who serves children who are attending day mental health treatment programs, or/partial hospitalization programs? If yes, then you could help the Education Law Center and the Disability Rights Network learn more about the quality of education provided to children and youth in residential placements.
Are you a youth who is currently living, or has previously lived in a group home, residential treatment facility, or other residential placement? Or a youth who is currently attending, or has previously attended a day mental health treatment program, or partial hospitalization program? If yes, then you could help the Education Law Center and the Disability Rights Network learn more about the quality of education provided to children and youth in residential placements.
- Videos on Enrollment Rights
School should be challenging; enrolling in school shouldn't be. To help make school enrollment easier, the Education Law Center presents a series of brief videos highlighting enrollment rights and procedures.
- Back to School: Know your Enrollment Rights
- How to Enroll Yourself as an Older Youth in School
- How to Enroll a Child Who is Homeless
- How to Enroll a Child in School who is Living with Someone Other Than a Parent
The videos complement school enrollment guides and toolkits found in the Publications section of the Web site. Registrando a su hijo para la escuela.
- State Budget News: Stimulus Funds Keep PA School Improvement on Track
The Governor and the General Assembly, with some help from the federal stimulus package, agreed to a 2009-10 education budget that maintains the new adequacy formula adopted in 2008, provides new resources for local improvements to basic education programs, and keeps the state on track toward the long-term objective of more equitable state funding for public education. 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. In addition, the testimonies from students, parents, and educators in this Community Account are examples of wise, responsible education investments and the positive changes they've created. These stories illustrate what is possible when all students have an education supported by adequate resources.
Publications and More Help
- New! Fairness in School Discipline in Pennsylvania: A Guide for Attorneys and Advocates Who Represent Students
- New! Getting Information About Your School: A Guide to Pennsylvania Laws on Open Meetings and Public Records
- 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.
November 21, 2009 - May 1, 2010
The Arc of Philadelphia is sponsoring a 12-session special education advocacy training for parents, service providers, advocates, educators, lawyers, and therapists will be held from November through next May.
1/13/10 ELC Staff Attorney Nancy Hubley presents Overview Of The Right To Public Education For Students With Chronic And Significant Health Care Needs, UPMC Mercy, Pittsburgh.
2/3/10, SCCA CLE program, How to Handle a Dependency Case Involving a Child with Complex Medical Needs, Philadelphia Bar Institute Conference Center, 9:00-12:00pm or 1:00-4:00pm . Three substantive CLE credits provided. To register, contact PBI at 1-800-932-4637 or online at www.pbi.org.
2/5/10, English Language Learner Task Force meeting, Immaculata Univ., Immaculata, 9:30-12:00pm. See our ELL Task Force page for information.