ELC issues statement on Philadelphia Mayor Kenney’s budget proposal

Mar. 3, 2016

Deborah Gordon Klehr, Executive Director of the Education Law Center-PA, issued the following statement in response to Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney’s budget proposal:

“The Education Law Center is pleased that Mayor Kenney has proposed a budget that increases critical local funding for early education. The proposal will put Philadelphia on the path to providing pre-Kindergarten opportunities to every child in the city. Research clearly demonstrates that quality, inclusive pre-K programs set children on the trajectory to academic success and help our most at-risk children – particularly those with disabilities and those victimized by neglect and trauma – enter school ready to learn. The City also has an important obligation to support basic K-12 education and ensure that all children have the support they need to be successful in the classroom. We hope the City will continue its support of our students by providing needed resources to the District.

“We also appreciate the Mayor’s commitment to providing critical wraparound, health and wellness services through his community schools initiative. We call on our elected and civic leaders to work together to ensure there is adequate funding to properly implement these programs.

“While we appreciate Philadelphia’s continued commitment to fill in the gap left by the state, we recognize that Harrisburg has a critical role they have neglected to play in providing the resources to ensure that all children in Pennsylvania have the necessary tools to succeed – regardless of their ZIP code. That’s why we again call on the General Assembly and Governor Wolf to pass a budget that invests in basic education, special education, and pre-K programs across Pennsylvania.”

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The Education Law Center-PA (“ELC”) is a non-profit, legal advocacy organization dedicated to ensuring that all children in Pennsylvania have access to a quality public education. Through legal representation, impact litigation, trainings, and policy advocacy, ELC advances the rights of vulnerable children, including children living in poverty, children of color, children in the foster care and juvenile justice systems, children with disabilities, English language learners, and children experiencing homelessness.

www.elc-pa.org | www.facebook.com/educationlawcenter | www.twitter.com/edlawcenterpa

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