June 2 Education Action Summit
"Education Advocacy in the Stimulus Era: Strengthening Resource Equity and Opportunities to Learn for all Students in Public School"
Harrisburg, Tuesday, June 2, 2009
PA’s Education Leaders Outline School Improvement Strategies for Disadvantaged Students and Communities
HARRISBURG – 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.
More than 100 education leaders — from Donna Cooper, Secretary of Policy and Planning for Governor Ed Rendell, to parent advocate Melissa Allen — spent the day on June 2 creating a foundation for students, parents, educators, and grassroots organizations throughout the state to work more closely together in 2009-10 developing improved opportunities to learn for all children.
The Education Law Center and Good Schools Pennsylvania organized the Summit and will continue to organize ongoing collaboration between the leaders in attendance and others throughout the state.
Pennsylvania made historic progress in 2008 when the state approved a new school funding formula that begins to address the inequities experienced by students and communities. Both the promise of full phase-in of state funding over the next several years – combined with record levels of federal support through the stimulus package – provide the opportunity and the responsibility to make sure resources are effectively used to benefit all students.
A few of the key questions addressed at the Summit were:
1. What resources are available for improving opportunities to learn in public schools?
2. How can these resources be used for the students and communities most in need?
3. What are the educational elements that have the most impact on opportunities to learn?
4. At the local and state levels, who are the key decision-makers with control over the elements influencing educational quality?
POWERPOINT WORKPLAN FROM SUMMIT: Participants addressed those key questions and others throughout the day. Many of the responses and strategies have been captured in the document: Education Advocacy in the Stimulus Era: Strengthening Resource Equity and Opportunities to Learn for all Students in Public School.
The document is a working model. We're encouraging education advocates to download the PowerPoint, make additions to the document, and it e-mail back to Brett Schaeffer at the Education Law Center.