July 6, 2017 — Philadelphia Public School Notebook — by Dale Mezzacappa and Avi Wolfman-Arent
The School Reform Commission voted Thursday to establish a new in-house special education program for 100 students, most diagnosed with social-emotional disabilities and now placed in facilities run by Wordsworth. The new program will be run initially by the private education provider Catapult Learning before transitioning to full District control.
June 30, 2017
PHILADELPHIA, PA – Deborah Gordon Klehr, Executive Director of the Education Law Center, released the following statement today in response to the Pennsylvania General Assembly’s proposed 2017-18 state budget:
“The Pennsylvania General Assembly has sent Governor Tom Wolf a compromise state budget agreement that provides some needed new funding for education, including basic education, special education, and early education. Specifically, the bill includes $100 million increase for basic education funding, $25 million increase in special education, $30 million in additional funding for early education, and a $19 million increase in funding for early intervention services for children ages birth-five. Our schools and students sorely need these resources now and the Education Law Center urges Governor Wolf to sign the budget into law. Continue reading
June 30, 2017
LANCASTER, PA – Following a one-year legal battle over the placement of newly arrived older immigrant students, mostly refugees, in the School District of Lancaster, U.S. District Court Judge Edward G. Smith today signed a consent decree requiring the district to educate immigrant students in its main high school, McCaskey.
Read the memo: Guns Don’t Belong in Our Schools
Philadelphia, PA – Deborah Gordon Klehr, Executive Director of the Education Law Center, released the following statement today in response to Senate Bill 383, which the full Senate is scheduled to vote on today:
“Everyone wants our schools to be safe for students and educators, but Senate Bill 383 does just the opposite and puts our students in danger. Guns have no place in schools, and arming teachers and other school personnel will not make schools safer while dramatically raising the odds that students will be injured or killed because of a fatal mistake.
There is not one credible national, state, or local organization that supports the idea of arming school personnel. Even the Pennsylvania government’s own research into school climate and school safety rejects guns in schools: a 2014 Pennsylvania House Select Committee explicitly recommended against arming school personnel, and the 2016 Joint State Government Commission Advisory Committee issued a lengthy report recommending changes to improve school climate that made no mention of arming teachers or staff members as a solution.
A recent amendment to the bill means the public won’t even know whether the teachers in a school are carrying concealed weapons.
If lawmakers are serious about improving school safety, they will instead invest resources into evidence-based programs that are shown to improve school climate and prevent violent incidents before they happen, including positive behavior supports, mental health services, and school counselors and psychologists.”
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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, LGBTQ students, and children experiencing homelessness. For more information visit https://elc-pa.org/ or follow on Twitter @edlawcenterpa.
May 8, 2017 – by the Pottstown Mercury Editorial Board
This newspaper has long been at the forefront of the argument for fair schools funding in Pennsylvania, arguing that the state Constitution guarantees every child a quality education regardless of wealth or address. Continue reading
May 6, 2017 – Philadelphia Inquirer – by Kathy Boccella
Loitering bands of aggressive, cursing students own the halls, constantly fighting or kicking each other. They slam teachers into lockers or walls. They barge in uninvited to disrupt classes. They tell adults who dare confront them to “get the [expletive] out of my face!” Continue reading
May 4, 2017 – Reading Eagle – by David Mekeel
POTTSTOWN, PA
The fact that Pennsylvania has a school-funding problem is no secret. Continue reading
May 3, 2017 – WHYY Radio Times with Marty Moss-Coane
Last year, the Philadelphia School District ended most out-of-school suspensions for kindergartners. However, thousands of elementary school children—first through fifth grade—are still being suspended. Schools have zero-tolerance policies for violent behavior, but most suspensions are for nonviolent offenses. Continue reading
May 2, 2017 – Pittsburgh Post-Gazette – by Dan Majors
The pen may be mightier than the sword, but a pencil is not a weapon. Continue reading
May 2, 2017 – The Incline – by Sarah Anne Hughes
A pencil is not a weapon inside a Pittsburgh public school. Continue reading
May 2, 2017 – Commonwealth Court issued a decision in S.A. v. Pittsburgh Public Schools yesterday that affirms the decision of the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas that a pencil is not a weapon within the definition of the School Code or the Pittsburgh Public Schools’ Code of Student Conduct. Continue reading
May 1, 2017 – Philadelphia Public School Notebook – by Maura McInerney
Last week, nine members of City Council called on the city and School District to take immediate action to dissolve their contracts with Wordsworth Philadelphia in the wake of reports of horrific abuse at the facility that led to the death of one child and the sexual assault of at least 49 others. Continue reading
April 30, 2017 – The Pottstown Mercury – by Evan Brandt
POTTSTOWN — People objecting to Pennsylvania’s status as the state with the widest gap between funding for rich and poor school districts have argued that a zip code all-too-often determines the quality of a student’s education. Continue reading
ELC is proud to to announce the launch of a dynamic new website focused on educational success for youth involved in the juvenile justice system – Blueprint for Change: Education Success for Youth in the Juvenile Justice System. Continue reading
April 27, 2017 – Philadelphia Inquirer– by Kristen Graham
The Philadelphia School District should permanently prohibit out-of-school suspensions of children through fifth grade, a group of child advocates says, contending the district currently uses exclusion from school at “alarming rates” for its littlest learners. Continue reading
April 27, 2017 – Newsworks – by Bill Hangley
When Delaware County’s Chester Upland School District raised taxes last summer for the fourth year in a row, it was just the latest move in a long-running attempt to bring a chronically deficit-ridden district back to financial health. Continue reading
April 25, 2017 – Public News Service PA – by Andrea Sears
HARRISBURG, Pa. – Legislation to reform charter schools in Pennsylvania could come up for a vote any day now, but education advocates say the bill doesn’t fix the problem. House Bill 97 could be the first major reform of the state’s charter-school law since it was enacted 20 years ago. Continue reading
April 19, 2017 – Pittsburgh Post-Gazette – by Molly Born
A proposal in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives to end out-of-school suspensions for most elementary students comes as Pittsburgh Public Schools is exploring a plan of its own for its youngest learners. Continue reading
April 19, 2017 – PennLive – by Jan Murphy
After putting in place a rash of laws over the past two decades to stem the tide of school violence and keep guns out of educational settings, a state lawmaker now wants to reverse course. Continue reading
April 5, 2017 – The Philadelphia Tribune – by Stacy M. Brown
HARRISBURG — Year after year, African-American students and other minorities have faced much harsher discipline in public schools than their peers, based on information provided by the state Department of Education. Continue reading