Remembering Vivian Narehood
(1940 – 2023)
MoreELC Comments on Title IX Proposed Rules Regarding Sex Discrimination in School Sports
In May 2023, Education Law Center PA submitted comments in response to the U.S. Department of Education’s proposed rule on sex discrimination in school athletics under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. We support the proposed rule’s prohibition on categorical bans that would prevent transgender, intersex and nonbinary students from participating on teams…
MoreELC Praises New State Regulation Protecting Against Anti-LGBTQ and Racial Discrimination
ELC applauds the adoption of the Pennsylvania Human Rights Commission’s final regulation putting in place new significant new nondiscrimination protections for Pennsylvania students. It provides important protections for LGBTQ students, who have been increasingly subjected to discrimination, hostility, and exclusion in our schools. The new regulation also provides a more comprehensive definition of the term race,…
MoreResources for Inclusive Schools and Honest Education
Welcoming and inclusive schools that provide honest, accurate information to our children give them the freedom to pursue their dreams and prepare them to fully participate in a diverse society. Today there are organized national and local efforts targeting Black, Brown and LGBTQ students, erasing those populations from the curriculum and programs. These efforts threaten…
MoreLaw Centers’ Joint Statement on 2022-23 State Budget
Legislative leaders announced an agreement on July 7, 2022, on the 2022-23 state budget, including a $525 million increase in state funding for basic education, $225 million for a Level Up supplement to the 100 most deeply underfunded school districts, a $100 million increase in special education funding, and $200 million in grants to school…
MoreJoin ELC in support of the RISE Act
ELC has long supported Respond, Innovate, Succeed, and Empower (RISE) Act – a federal bill which would allow students with disabilities to present an IEP or 504 plan as proof of a disability when requesting accommodations in college. The bill is now in the House Education and Labor’s Mental Health Package (see H.R. 7780) and will be marked up tomorrow!…
More2021 Back-to-School Guide for Pennsylvania Public School Students
The Education Law Center (ELC) has updated our annual “Back-to-School” guide with publications on various education topics to help families, students, and child-serving professionals. Skip to a particular topic with these links: Affirming & Safe Schools, Free from Racism Student Enrollment School Discipline Addressing Attendance Barriers (Truancy) Bullying & Harassment Students with Disabilities – IEP,…
MorePhiladelphia Eagles Support ELC with $25K Grant
ELC has received a $25,000 grant from the Philadelphia Eagles Social Justice Fund, through which the Eagles organization provides a one-to-one match to donations by players and staff. Education is one of the Fund’s priorities, and we are thrilled to be able to partner with the Eagles in the important work of ensuring access to…
MoreELC’s 2020 Back-to-School Guide for Pennsylvania Public School Students
The Education Law Center (ELC) has updated our “Back-to-School” guide for families, students, and schools. The information and fact sheets below now include COVID-related considerations for the upcoming school year. School days during the pandemic may look very different. Students and families face unprecedented challenges. But they continue to have important education rights and protections under…
MoreCOVID-19 School Closures & Students with Disabilities
COVID-19 school closures have had a significant impact on students with disabilities and their families. ELC compiled this resource with 5 important things for students with disabilities and their families to know.
MoreELC Urges PA Officials to Instruct Schools On How To Ensure Equity During Closures
For immediate release: April 3, 2020 Following a March letter on concerns of educational equity signed by more than 80 organizations, a letter from the Education Law Center this week is urging Gov. Wolf and Secretary of Education Pedro Rivera to provide “clear, detailed guidance” to school districts on what steps they can take to…
MoreOur Report Highlights Civil Rights Concerns in Philadelphia Charter Schools
A new report by the Education Law Center, citing widespread noncompliance by charter schools with civil rights protections for students, urges Philadelphia’s Board of Education to monitor the city’s charter sector more closely and guard against discriminatory enrollment and educational practices. The new study, “Safeguarding Educational Equity: Protecting Philadelphia Students’ Civil Rights Through Charter Oversight,”…
MoreYouth in Pa. Residential Institutions: Unsafe, Disconnected, Denied Quality Education
This column by ELC legal director Maura McInerney and Juvenile Law Center staff attorney Kate Burdick highlights the urgent need to address harmful practices in Pennsylvania’s juvenile justice and child welfare residential facilities. Two recent reports laid out the harm being done to children in these placements – and proposed needed reforms, including bringing children…
MoreResponse to Rescission of Federal School Discipline Guidance and to School Safety Recommendations
The widespread problem of racial discrimination in school discipline is well documented. The 2014 federal discipline guidance from the Obama administration formally recognized that for the first time and challenged exclusionary discipline practices that disproportionately impact students of color and students with disabilities. A December 18, 2018, report from the Federal Commission on School Safety,…
MorePDE Orders Philadelphia School District to Create New System to Protect Students with Disabilities Experiencing Homelessness
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 30, 2018 Contact: Paul Socolar, Education Law Center, 215-906-1250, [email protected] PDE Orders Philadelphia School District to Create New System to Protect Students with Disabilities Experiencing Homelessness Philadelphia – ELC has secured an important victory for unaccompanied students with disabilities experiencing homelessness in Philadelphia and statewide. As a result of a complaint…
MorePlease support the Education Law Center on Giving Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2023!
ELC works every day to ensure access to education for all children, including students living in poverty, students of color, students with disabilities, students in the foster care and juvenile justice systems, multilingual learners, LGBTQ youth, and students experiencing homelessness. Our work is made possible by generous contributions from individuals like you. Giving Tuesday 2023…
MoreEditorial: New school year, old funding problem
An editorial in the Delaware County Daily Times says that it is time to fix the problems of inadequacy and inequity in school funding that led the William Penn School District and other districts, organizations and families to mount a court challenge to the constitutionality of Pennsylvania’s school funding system.
MoreSave the Date! Please join us for ELC’s Annual Celebration
The Annual Celebration will take place this year on September 26, 2018 at The Crystal Tea Room in Philadelphia. The event begins at 5:30 PM. We anticipate more than 300 legal, corporate, and community supporters joining us for a cocktail reception, silent auction, and dinner presentation. More details here!
MoreEducation Law Center Condemns White Supremacist Violence in Charlottesville, VA
We stand with the school children we serve to condemn the bigotry, hate, and violence of white supremacists in Charlottesville. We are deeply saddened and outraged by these tragic events and know that the racism we witnessed in Virginia exists in other communities across our country. We cannot and will not tolerate it. We are…
MoreRace is key issue in underfunding of Pottstown and Reading school districts, study says
May 4, 2017 – Reading Eagle – by David Mekeel POTTSTOWN, PA The fact that Pennsylvania has a school-funding problem is no secret.
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