Podcasts about education law center

MPR News, Trump to sign order aiming to close the Education Department, https://www.mprnews.org/story/2025/03/20/npr-trump-executive-action-education-departmentNY Times, Teachers Unions Sue Trump Administration Over Push to Shut Education Dept, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/24/us/trump-education-department-lawsuit.htmlEducation Law Center, Coalition Sues Trump Administration For Dismantling Department of Education, Hurting All Students https://edlawcenter.org/coalition-sues-trump-administration-for-dismantling-department-of-education-hurting-all-studentsEd Law Center legal complaint, https://edlawcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/NAACP-et-al-v-US-et-al-DOE-Complaint.pdfPress Release from 21 State Attorney Generals about their lawsuit to prevent mass layoffs at the Dept. of Education, https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2025/attorney-general-james-continues-fight-stop-trump-shutting-down-departmentTheir initial complaint https://ag.ny.gov/sites/default/files/court-filings/state-of-new-york-et-al-v-linda-mcmahon-united-states-department-of-education-complaint-2025.pdfTheir Memo of Law, asking for a Preliminary Injunction after the Executive Order was filedhttps://ag.ny.gov/sites/default/files/court-filings/state-of-new-york-et-al-v-linda-mcmahon-et-al-motion-for-preliminary-injunction-2025.pdfDemocracy Forward lawsuit filed on behalf of AFT, University Professors and MA school districts https://democracyforward.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/EDComplaint.pdf](https://democracyforward.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/EDComplaint.pdfEd Week, States Get Antsy as Education Department Layoffs Delay Millions for Schools, https://www.edweek.org/policy-politics/states-get-antsy-as-education-department-layoffs-delay-millions-for-schools/2025/03NY State Education Department affidavit about US Dept of Ed failure to send remaining pandemic school aid https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mad.281941/gov.uscourts.mad.281941.71.31_1.pdfInside Higher Ed, Education Department Reeling After Layoffs , https://www.insidehighered.com/news/government/politics-elections/2025/03/25/education-department-staff-struggle-after-massPublic Funds Public Schools, Bill Tracker for proposed legislation on private school voucher programs https://pfps.org/billtracker/Inside Higher Ed, Trump's Plan to Move Student Loans to SBA Raises Concerns, https://www.insidehighered.com/news/government/student-aid-policy/2025/03/21/small-business-administration-take-over-student-loansInside Higher Ed, Poll Finds Abolishing the Education Department ‘Wildly Unpopular', https://www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-takes/2025/02/06/poll-abolishing-department-education-unpopularStudent Borrower Protection Center, New Poll Confirms: Trump's Plan to Abolish Department of Education is Extremely Unpopular Among , Voters https://protectborrowers.org/new-poll-confirms-trumps-plan-to-abolish-department-of-education-is-extremely-unpopular-among-voters

As I delve into the intricacies of Project 2025, a blueprint crafted by conservative extremists and political operatives, I am struck by the sheer scope and ambition of this radical plan. Released by the Heritage Foundation in April 2023, Project 2025 is more than just a policy guide; it is a comprehensive roadmap for a sweeping overhaul of the federal government, designed to be implemented in the event of a Republican victory in the 2024 presidential election.At its core, Project 2025 is a 927-page manifesto divided into 30 chapters, each targeting a specific federal department. The authors, many of whom are former Trump administration officials, envision a future where the federal government is radically reshaped to align with far-right ideologies. This vision is encapsulated in the project's stated goal to "destroy the Administrative State" and replace it with a system where political loyalists hold key positions of power[3].One of the most alarming aspects of Project 2025 is its proposal to centralize executive power, effectively undermining the independence of various federal agencies. The plan advocates for the elimination of civil service protections, allowing the president to hire unlimited political appointees without expiration dates. This scheme, known as Schedule F, would transfer apolitical civil service employees into a category where they would be vulnerable to political overreach and abuse of power. As Kevin Roberts, President of the Heritage Foundation, put it, "all federal employees should answer to the president," reflecting a unitary executive theory that seeks to consolidate greater control over the government in the White House[2][3].The implications of such a shift are profound. For instance, Project 2025 proposes dismantling or abolishing several key agencies, including the Department of Education and the Department of Homeland Security. In their place, the plan suggests installing senior leaders in "acting" roles that do not require Senate confirmation. This move would ensure that these agencies are run by individuals loyal to a conservative president, rather than by career civil servants who might resist partisan manipulation[2].The Department of Justice (DOJ) is another target, with Project 2025 aiming to eliminate its independence. The plan recommends that the DOJ prosecute anti-white racism instead of protecting against anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination, a stark reversal of current civil rights priorities. This aligns with the broader theme of Project 2025: to prioritize enforcement over welfare and exclusion over inclusion. As seen in the proposal to transfer custody of immigrant children from Health and Human Services (HHS) to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), this approach would likely worsen the safety and psychological well-being of vulnerable immigrant children[1][2].Healthcare is another critical area where Project 2025's policies could have devastating consequences. The plan includes proposals to cut Medicare and Medicaid, strip away healthcare coverage for pre-existing conditions, and criminalize the sending and receiving of abortion and birth control medications. These measures would not only undermine reproductive rights but also leave millions of Americans without essential healthcare services. As Vice-President Kamala Harris warned, "Project 2025 is a plan to return America to a dark past"[4].The impact on public education is equally dire. Project 2025 plans to gut federal education funding, eliminate Title I funding for high-poverty schools, and introduce federal voucher laws that would benefit private schools at the expense of public education. This would exacerbate existing teacher shortages and destabilize local school budgets, ultimately limiting children's access to quality instruction. Jessica Levin of the Education Law Center aptly described the Arizona voucher program, which Project 2025 aims to model, as "Exhibit A" of the disastrous implications for students and public schools[4].In addition to these domestic policy changes, Project 2025 also outlines a series of controversial measures related to media and information control. The plan proposes defunding the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, revoking NPR stations' noncommercial status, and forcing them to relocate to less favorable positions on the FM dial. This would pave the way for religious programming to dominate public airwaves. Furthermore, the project suggests banning TikTok and preventing social media companies from removing "core political viewpoints" from their platforms, which could lead to the unchecked spread of misinformation[2].Despite Donald Trump's public disavowal of Project 2025, the connections between the former president and the initiative are undeniable. Many of the plan's architects and contributors are former Trump administration officials, and Trump has nominated several of these individuals to positions in his administration following his 2024 election victory. As CBS News noted, nearly two-thirds of Trump's executive actions in his second term "mirror or partially mirror" proposals from Project 2025[5].The public's reaction to Project 2025 has been overwhelmingly negative. Polls indicate that a significant majority of Americans, including a substantial portion of non-MAGA Republicans, oppose the plan. The more people learn about Project 2025, the more they dislike it, with concerns ranging from the firing of civil service employees to the stripping of healthcare coverage for pre-existing conditions[4].As we look ahead, the implementation of Project 2025's policies will be a critical test of American governance. The plan's proponents are gearing up for a rapid rollout of their agenda, with a 180-day playbook outlining specific steps for the new administration. This includes a prepared stack of executive orders ready to be signed on the first day in office. The coming months will reveal whether these radical changes can be enacted without significant resistance from Congress, the judiciary, and the American public.In the words of Kevin Roberts, "the nation is in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be." However, for many, Project 2025 represents not a revolution but a regression—a return to a past marked by inequality, exclusion, and the erosion of democratic principles. As the nation navigates this tumultuous period, one thing is clear: the future of American governance hangs in the balance, and the choices made now will have far-reaching consequences for generations to come.

The Executive Director of the Education Law Center is Robert Kim

Class Size Matters and Education Law Center, Letter to the Commissioner Rosa about DOE's failure to comply with the class size law. https://classsizematters.org/class-size-matters-education-law-center-letter-to-commissioner-asking-that-she-require-nyc-to-abide-by-class-size-law/Parent Coalition for Student Privacy, Teenspace sharing sensitive personal data with ad trackers and social media companies. https://studentprivacymatters.org/hearings-and-testimony-on-student-mental-health/

Historically, America's public schools have been spaces where debates and resistance to civil liberties have played out. From racial integration to political protests, protecting the rights of students has been central to the story of constitutional rights. The times we're in now are no different. In this episode, we hear from three advocates who have been helping people organize to support inclusive education in their schools - Alex Domingos of ACLU-PA, Ashli Giles-Perkins of the Education Law Center, and Ronna Dewey of Red Wine and Blue PA. The organizations are part of a new coalition called Pennsylvanians for Welcoming and Inclusive Schools, or PAWInS. Ashli, Ronna, and Alex talk about why the coalition came together and what you can do if you feel moved to advocate for inclusive education at your school district. Learn more about PAWInS at www.pawins.org.

Paige Joki, Staff Attorney at the Education Law Center in Philadelphia, is leading a groundbreaking initiative aimed at upholding the rights of young black girls within the education system. The initiative, aptly named the Black Girls Justice Initiative, comes in response to the pervasive inequities faced by black girls due to various forms of discrimination including anti-Black racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia, and economic injustice. In Joki's view, public schools should serve as supportive and affirming environments where black girls are championed in their academic and personal growth, yet the current reality falls short of this ideal. Black girls continue to encounter systemic barriers that hinder their ability to learn and thrive in educational settings. The Black Girls Justice Initiative operates on the principle of centering the needs and voices of black girls themselves, recognizing them as experts on the challenges they face in schools. Through this approach, the initiative aims to identify and address the interlocking educational barriers that disproportionately affect black girls. ELC's Black Girls Education Justice Initiative, spearheaded by Paige Joki and former ELC legal intern Brandon Miller, Esq., is guided by several key principles. Firstly, it asserts the belief that black girls deserve full and holistic support in their educational journey. Secondly, it emphasizes the necessity of investing time and resources to dismantle the various forms of oppression that black girls encounter in schools. Lastly, the initiative focuses on developing and implementing unique legal strategies to tackle these barriers effectively. Through legal, policy, and communication strategies, the Education Law Center is committed to challenging the root causes of inequity in education. By advocating for the rights of black girls and addressing the systemic injustices they face, the Black Girls Justice Initiative seeks to create educational spaces where black girls can thrive without fear of discrimination or marginalization. Paige Joki's leadership in this initiative underscores the importance of centering marginalized voices in the fight for educational equity. As the initiative continues to grow and evolve, it serves as a beacon of hope for black girls striving for justice and equality in education.Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  Polarization over racial justice, transgender rights, books and history in schools and other issues are characteristics of the nation's culture wars. The battleground for many of these issues is increasingly close to home in school districts where school boards are making decisions about whether transgender athletes who identify as female can participate on girls' sports teams or how the role of African-Americans in history is taught in the classroom. A coalition of some 20 advocacy groups called Welcoming and Inclusive Schools or PA WinS has formed to fight policies they deem as attacks on diversity or non-inclusivity. We were joined on The Spark Wednesday by two representatives of organizations in the coalition and a parent. With us are Alex Domingos, an advocacy and policy strategist from the American Civil Liberties Union, Sharon Ward, Senior Policy Advisor with the Education Law Center and Adam Hosey, a community member from Manheim Township, Lancaster County. Ward talked about why the organizations formed a coalition,"The groups that came together, came together kind of in an emergency situation. What was happening was at the local level, parents who are facing and hearing that school board policies that they found to be extreme. I'm really surprised to hear about things like book bans, things like efforts to prevent teachers from hanging flags (like) save the whales in their classrooms. And parents reached out to a number of organizations for help to understand what was happening, to understand their rights, and to get some help working with their school boards to change these policies." Ward was asked what PA WinS will actually do,"We have a number of groups that Sharon Ward, Education Law Centerwill work with parents on the ground to answer the questions, to help them look through the policies and identify what the changes are and where those are harmful or, illegal. We will provide ACLU and Ed Law Center, for example, will assist individual parents and students at the school board level, and provide legal representation. There are each of our organizations also has brought complaints with the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights. So we have a legal route. We have a parent support route. And, we have a public education route. We want people to understand the impact of these things." Many of the people who are attending school board meetings and criticizing books they believe to be offensive or disagree with a school's curriculum or how a subject is addressed in the classroom are parents. Domingos was asked about parents having rights to speak up,"We always encourage folks to be involved in the political process, use their voice and advocate. And that's a big part of what the coalition works on. So we encourage any interested parents or taxpayers, community members to pay attention to school board meetings. A lot of them are streamed online or if you're able to attend in person, to certainly do so. There's a lot of great organizations in the coalition that, can get folks comfortable with advocacy. We recommend making it a fun thing if you can bringing your friends and family members along, because as taxpayers, you have a voice, you're allowed to advocate, you're allowed to speak your piece. And I think that the more scrutiny gets placed on school boards, a lot of these issues can be detected. And if you find that your school board is engaging in anti inclusive education policies, your voice is kind of the basic, tool you have to advocate against us."    Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On tonight's show, I welcome Ashli Giles-Perkins and Adrienne King to the show. Ashli is a staff attorney with the Education Law Center and Adrienne King is the President and Founder of the PairUp Society and a parent of two children in the Pennridge School district. Today we'll be talking about the discrimination complaint against the Pennridge School Districts filed with the U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights. The complaint charges that the Pennridge School District has discriminated against LGBTQ+ students and students of color in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Title IX of the Educational Amendments Act of 1972. We'll talk about what all that means and the history of ongoing and systemic discrimination in the districts. And, we'll talk about what the election of a new school board majority may mean for how this complaint addressed.  Ashli Giles-Perkins joined the Philadelphia office of the Education Law Center in October 2020 as an Independence Foundation Public Interest Law Fellow. Ashli's work centers on addressing the significant educational injustices for youth involved in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems in the Philadelphia area who enter, reside in, and leave residential facilities. Ashli provides representation of students and families, training for families and communities, and significant outreach to stakeholders to ensure oversight, accountability, and access to quality education for system-involved youth. Originally from Bridgeport, Connecticut, Ashli graduated with a J.D. from Loyola University Chicago School of Law with a certificate in child & family law, as well as with an M.Ed. in cultural educational policy studies from Loyola Chicago's School of Education. While at Loyola, Ashli interned with Advocates for Children of New York and the Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights.  Adrienne King is a wife, mother of two daughters in the Pennridge School District, and an outspoken leader and advocate in the community. Adrienne founded The PairUP Society , a 501c3 non-profit organization after experiencing difficulties in her children's school district and realizing the difficulties of navigating that system for her and other underrepresented students and their families. The PairUp Society helps build community among underrepresented students and their families and provide them with resources to advocate for their needs while also activating allies to provide support.    Adrienne holds a BS in Chemistry from the University of Pittsburgh, MS in Quality Assurance and Regulatory Affairs from Temple University and leadership certifications from Duke University and Cornell University. Adrienne and her family currently reside in Perkasie, PA where she is committed to putting roots down in their community and doing the work to create a sense of psychological safety, belonging and inclusion for all community members LINKS Education Law Center | https://www.elc-pa.org/ The PairUp Society | https://www.thepairupsociety.org/ Civil Rights Complaint against Pennridge School District | https://bit.ly/3RBZCZB WHYY article on the Civil Rights complaint | https://bit.ly/4agzU47 "Civil RIghts Complaint Filed Against Pennridge School District," Jenny Stephens, Bucks County Beacon | https://bit.ly/3NnFbNH "Understanding OCR complaints, like in the Pennridge School District, and their role to ensure equal access to high-quality public education," Jenny Stephens, Bucks County Beacon | https://bit.ly/3GBhHAP If we want a progressive future, we need progressive media. Support pull-no-punches, homegrown progressive media today by becoming a patron of Raging Chicken for as little as $5/month. Simply go to Patreon.com/RCPress. Help keep the media in the movement and the movement in the media. Become a patron for as little as $5/month by going to Patreon.com/RCPress. Join our Discord to continue the conversation all week long: https://discord.gg/BnjRNz3u

In March of this year, Governor Ron DeSantis signed HB1 into law — expanding the voucher program and significantly increasing taxpayer funding for private schools. The new law eliminates the current financial eligibility restrictions and allows any student who is a resident of Florida and eligible to enroll in K-12 public schools to participate. The new universal voucher program is estimated to cost $4 billion in the first year of implementation alone, according to a cost analysis by Florida Policy Institute and the Education Law Center. We get some context on the new law, and the history of how vouchers work in Florida, with Dr. Norín Dollard, Senior Policy Analyst and KIDS COUNT Director at the Florida Policy Institute; and Damaris Allen, Executive director of Coral Gables-based Families for Strong Public Schools.

Brad speaks to Rachel Laser, President and CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. They discuss AU's lawsuit with the ACLU and FFRF in the case of the state of Oklahoma agreeing to send taxpayer funds to a Catholic school. This is, in essence, an attempt to make Christian schools into public schools. From AU: And public schools must be secular and open to all students. They are not allowed to discriminate against students or indoctrinate children into one religion. But that is exactly what Oklahoma's newly approved religious public charter school, St. Isidore of Seville, intends to do. Approved by the Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board in June 2023, St. Isidore would be a public school—entirely funded by the taxpayers of Oklahoma—even though St. Isidore makes clear in its charter school application that it intends to run the school “as a Catholic school” and a “place of evangelization.” That's why Americans United along with the ACLU, Freedom from Religion Foundation and Education Law Center is suing. To Donate: venmo - @straightwhitejc Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/BradleyOnishi Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/straightwhiteamericanjesus Linktree: https://linktr.ee/StraightWhiteJC Order Brad's new book: https://www.amazon.com/Preparing-War-Extremist-Christian-Nationalism/dp/1506482163 For access to the full Orange Wave series, click here: https://irreverent.supportingcast.fm/products/the-orange-wave-a-history-of-the-religious-right-since-1960 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://swaj.supportingcast.fm

This episode features Paige Joki, a staff attorney at the Pennsylvania Education Law Center. After graduating from Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington, Joki was selected as an NAACP LDF Earl Warren Fellow and a Temple University Beasley School of Law Rubin-Presser Social Justice Fellow. In recognition for her notable contributions to public service at Temple University and for pursuing a legal career in social justice, Joki received the Beth Cross Award.  Since joining the Education Law Center in 2017, Joki has focused on eliminating individual and systemic barriers to quality education for students experiencing homelessness in the Philadelphia region as well as providing “Know Your Rights” training for students, parents, providers and organizations serving students experiencing homelessness. Most recently, she has led the Law Center's Black Girls Education Justice Initiative. In collaboration with a number of groups advocating for more just social conditions for Black girls, the Law Centered conducted five focus groups with students attending school in the Philadelphia area. Emerging from these group discussions were eight principles for ameliorating the individual and systemic racism faced by Black girls. A copy of the report generated through this initiative can be accessed from the Education Law Center's website:   https://www.elc-pa.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/FINAL-Supportive-Spaces-for-web.pdf  

This episode features Deborah Gordon Klehr, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Education Law Center (ELC). During the conversation we explore the founding and purpose of the ELC, who can access resources and assistance from the Center, and ways in which individuals can support the Center's work. Klehr is a graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law school. In addition to her work at the ELC, Klehr currently serves as a member of The American Law Institute and co-chairs the Philadelphia Bar Association's Legislative Liaison Committee and the Pennsylvania Bar Association's Education Law Committee. She is a member of the Forum of Executive Women and in 2022, was named to Pennsylvania's Law Power 100 and Metro Philadelphia's Education Power Players List.  Additional information about the Education Law Center and its resources can be found at https://www.elc-pa.org. 

This episode features Maura McInerney, Legal Director at the Education Law Center of Pennsylvania. Attorney McInerney provides a detailed overview of a landmark lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the Commonwealth's approach to the funding of education. She paints a compelling description of the inequities between high wealth and low wealth school districts. The latter districts face inadequate facilities, materials, and staff needed to provide children with a quality education. As Attorney McInerny points out, education of children is a basic human right that contributes not only to the well-being of individual children but to the overall Commonwealth. For more information about the work and resources of the Education Law Center visit https://www.elc-pa.org 

A new report by the Education Law Center of Pennsylvania says Black girls in local public schools experience an oppressive school culture that holds them back and hurts their mental health. Host Trenae Nuri talks with Paige Joki, staff attorney at the Education Law Center and author of “We Need Supportive Spaces That Celebrate Us,” and Amaiyah, a 12th grade student from Philadelphia, about what needs to change. Want some more Philly news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter. We're also on Twitter and Instagram! Follow us @citycastphilly. Have a question or just want to share some thoughts with the team? Leave us a voicemail or send us a text at 215-259-8170. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon talks to Dr Cera Murtagh, Assistant Professor of Irish and Comparative Politics at Villanova, about her recent trip to Ireland as part of the presidential delegation with President Joe Biden, the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement and women's role in the Northern Ireland peace process. This conversation was part of the event Women as Peacemakers: 25 Years On co-hosted by the Irish American Business Chamber and Network, Villanova's Center for Irish Studies and Villanova's Anne Welsh McNulty Institute for Women's Leadership.   Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon has dedicated her career to serving the most vulnerable — first as a lawyer and now in Congress. She was first sworn into the U.S. House of Representatives on November 13, 2018 following a special election, and currently represents Pennsylvania's 5th Congressional District.    Congresswoman Scanlon's legislative priorities include voting rights, access to justice, education, supporting economic growth for her region, common sense gun safety, and ending hunger. All of these priorities align with Congresswoman Scanlon's main goal as an elected official: protecting and improving the lives of America's children, families, veterans, and seniors. She currently serves on the House Committee on Rules, House Judiciary Committee, and serves as Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government. She also chairs the House Caucuses on Access to Legal Aid, Youth Mentoring, and Foster Youth.   As a staunch believer that everyone is entitled to equal protection under the law, Congresswoman Scanlon previously worked as national pro bono counsel at a major U.S. law firm, where she directed and supervised over 600 lawyers across 15 offices in providing more than 50,000 hours of pro bono legal services annually to low-income clients and nonprofit organizations. Under her leadership, the pro bono program worked on critical issues, including voting rights, child advocacy, immigration, public benefits, and criminal justice reform.   Before her election to the U.S. House of Representatives, Congresswoman Scanlon also served as an attorney at the Education Law Center, president of her local school board, and co-chair of the Voting Rights Task Force of the Association of Pro Bono Counsel. She is a graduate of Colgate University and University of Pennsylvania Law School. The Congresswoman and her husband, Mark, reside in Swarthmore and have three adult children.

A new report from the Education Law Center and the Michigan Education Association says Michigan needs $4.5 billion annually so students can achieve state academic standards. School funding adequacy refers to the funding necessary to provide students with reasonable opportunities to achieve state standards. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/michigan-in-focus/support

Educators can legally hit students at school in 19 states, but school-based violence is forcing young people with marginalized identities out of school everywhere. Ashley Sawyer joins us to discuss the legacy of racial discrimination in education policy and systems of school-based violence. She lays out how the school-to-prison pipeline, pushout, sexual harassment, and corporal punishment force young people with marginalized identities out of school, and she calls attention to the demands of Black and Latina girls who are organizing to create safe, healing, and supportive schools. Finally, Ashley urges policymakers to make radical investments in young people, schools, families, and communities to address the root causes of violence and harm. Trigger Warning: Ashley shares graphic stories about what's happening to young people in schools. This conversation also includes topics that may not be appropriate for young children.Guest: Ashley Sawyer (@ACSawyerJustice) is a Senior Staff Attorney on the Opportunity to Lead (Education) team at Advancement Project. Ashley's life work is situated where education and the criminal justice system collide, and she has previously served at Girls for Gender Equity, Youth Represent, and the Education Law Center. If you enjoy this show and want to help fight poverty and injustice, consider making a donation to Community Legal Services today! You can also follow us on Twitter @CLSphila to stay connected.How Is That Legal is a podcast from Community Legal Services of Philadelphia and Rowhome Productions. Jake Nussbaum is our Producer and Editor. Executive Producers are Alex Lewis and John Myers. Special thanks to Caitlin Nagel, Zakya Hall, and Farwa Zaidi. Music provided by Blue Dot Sessions.Support the show

On this week's show, I welcome Sharon Ward to the show. Sharon is the Senior Policy Advisor for the Education Law Center, a statewide nonprofit legal services and advocacy organization that works to secure quality education for Pennsylvania children with an emphasis on students who are most underserved. She has worked for 30 years, inside and outside of government, to secure quality schools, affordable health care, and people-serving budget priorities and to empower advocates to work for economic and social justice. We'll be talking about the ongoing attempts by school boards across the country to ban books, limit teachers' ability to provide welcoming environments to LGBTQ students, and enact extremist agendas in our schools. Last week the ACLU of PA filed a lawsuit against Central Bucks School District for creating a hostile environment for LGBTQ students and the Pennridge School District seems like it wants a lawsuit of its own as it bans books, limits expression, and demands schools be stripped of Pride flags. We'll talk with Sharon Ward about the work of the Education Law Center in defending the rights of ALL students and the legal hot water Bucks County Schools find themselves in. Sharon served two terms on the Albany, NY City Council, directed Governor Tom Wolf's Budget Office and led a government-wide transformation initiative to help state agencies use technology, data, collaboration, and social policy innovation to deliver better and quicker services to Pennsylvanians. She is the founding director of the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center; Pennsylvania's premier progressive policy think tank and led the fight for an equitable state tax system. She has served as an advisor on state legislation, policy, and advocacy for the School District of Philadelphia, the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit, the Impact Project, Education Voters of Pennsylvania, the Voter Project, and the Keystone Research Center. LINKS: Education Law Center: https://www.elc-pa.org/ ELC Back to School Guide 2022: https://www.elc-pa.org/back-to-school-guide-2022/ ELC | Advocating for Inclusive Schools and Honest Education: https://bit.ly/3ToM9lU Advocates for Inclusive Education - Bucks County: https://advocatesforinclusiveeducation.org/ Upcoming trainings: https://bit.ly/3S7rdib REPORTING: "Central Bucks School District's Cruelty Toward LGBTQ+ Students May Finally Get The Scrutiny It Deserves," Cyril Mychalejko, Bucks County Beacon: https://bit.ly/3yDWOkL "Book Bans And A New Era Of American Totalitarianism," Garen Meguerian, Bucks County Beacon, https://bit.ly/3MnvywF "In Pennridge School District Where They Banned Banned Books Week, I Read As A Form Of Protest," Robin Reid, Bucks County Beacon, https://bit.ly/3yBOu4Z "ACLU files federal complaint against Central Bucks School District, alleging discrimination against LGBTQ students," Emily Rizzo, WHYY: https://bit.ly/3Tj7YDE "A school where even Banned Book Week was banned," Will Bunch, Philadelphia Inquirer: https://bit.ly/3rPgL4h You can support this show by becoming a patron for as little as $5/month at https://www.patreon.com/rcpress Don't Let Paul Martino & Friends Buy Our Schools and push extremist politics in our community. Raging Chicken has teamed up with LevelField to launch a truly community-rooted PAC to invest in organizing, support local and state-wide progressive candidates, and unmask the toxic organizations injecting our communities with right-wing extremism. We're putting small-dollar donations to work to beat back the power of Big Money.  You can get more information and drop your donation at  https://ragingchicken.levelfield.net/ Join our Discord to continue the conversation all week long: https://discord.gg/BnjRNz3u  

https://bit.ly/3tiXwRL (View resources discussed during this episode, including available online courses.) Presenters: David Sciarra, Esq., Executive Director, Education Law Center; Derek Black, Esq., Professor of Law, South Carolina School of Law and author, Schoolhouse Buring: Public Education and the Assault on Democracy In this episode, Education Law Center Executive Director David Sciarra interviews Derek Black, Esq., Professor of Law at South Carolina School of Law. Professor Black is the author of a leading education law casebook, Education Law: Equality, Fairness, and Reform, and the book Schoolhouse Burning: Public Education and the Assault on Democracy. His areas of expertise include education law and policy, constitutional law, and civil rights. Professor Black discusses the legacy and lasting national impact of the Abbott v. Burke litigation, and contrasts the approach taken in New Jersey with that of other states seeking to address issues of equity in education.

https://bit.ly/3xd9zCN (View resources discussed during this episode, including available online courses.) Presenters: David Sciarra, Esq., Executive Director, Education Law Center; Rosie Grant; Executive Director, Paterson Education Fund; Kaleena Berryman, Executive Director, Abbott Leadership Institute In this episode, Education Law Center Executive Director David Sciarra interviews Rosie Grant; Executive Director of the Paterson Education Fund, and Kaleena Berryman, Executive Director of the Abbott Leadership Institute. Ms. Grant and Ms. Berryman have both played leading roles in promoting grassroots engagement public school reform. Ms. Grant and Ms. Berryman discuss the central role of community engagement in the fight for educational equity and excellence for all students and the many positive outcomes that have resulted through grassroots parent involvement.

https://bit.ly/3sPZrNx (View resources discussed during this episode, including available online courses.) Presenters: David Sciarra, Esq., Executive Director, Education Law Center; Elise Boddie, Esq., Founder and Director of The Inclusion Project, Rutgers Law School In this episode, Education Law Center Executive Director David Sciarra interviews Elise Boddie, Esq., Founder and Director of The Inclusion Project at Rutgers Law School.  Ms. Boddie is an award-winning legal scholar and a full-time law professor at Rutgers Law School in Newark where she teaches constitutional law, civil rights, and state and local government law. Before joining Rutgers she was the Director of Litigation at the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF).  She is also advising counsel for plaintiffs in a pending lawsuit challenging de facto segregation in New Jersey. In this episode, Ms. Boddie discusses the central issues in that pending litigation, and the benefits of an inclusive school environment for all students.

https://bit.ly/3yDV3ox (View resources discussed during this episode, including available online courses.) Presenters: David Sciarra, Esq., Executive Director, Education Law Center; Gary Stein, Esq., Former Justice, New Jersey Supreme Court, Special Counsel, Pashman, Stein, Walder, Hayden In this episode, Education Law Center Executive Director David Sciarra interviews  former New Jersey Supreme Court Justice Gary Stein, who served on New Jersey's highest court for 17 years from 1985 to 2002.  During Justice Stein's tenure, the New Jersey Supreme Court handed down a series of far reaching decisions in the Abbott v. Burkelitigation; decisions which have significantly changed the shape of urban education in New Jersey for millions of our poorest students, and which laid the groundwork for the ongoing legal battles that continue today to promote equity and access to high quality education for all students, regardless of race, income level or zip code.  Justice Stein takes us inside the debates that resulted in theAbbottdecisions, reflects on the legacy ofAbbott, and reviews the equity challenges that still need to be overcome.

https://bit.ly/39J6pgD (View resources discussed during this episode, including available online courses.) Presenters: David Sciarra, Esq., Executive Director, Education Law Center; Theresa Luhm, Esq., Managing Director, Education Law Center; Steve Morlino, CEFM, LEED AP, School Facilities Management Consultant In this episode, Education Law Center Executive Director David Sciarra interviews two leading experts on school facilities and the law. Theresa Luhm, Esq., is Managing Director, Education Law Center; and Steve Morlino, CEFM, LEED AP, School Facilities Management Consultant. They discuss the New Jersey Supreme Court's Abbott VII decision and the profound impact it has had and will continue to have for generations to come. In that case, the Court ordered that funding be provided to support renovation and construction of high quality school facilities in the Abbott districts, a decision that has resulted in billions of dollars of funding for school facilities and provided a roadmap for other districts in New Jersey and nationwide to follow.

https://bit.ly/3KCPFnU (View resources discussed during this episode, including available online courses.) Presenters: David Sciarra, Esq., Executive Director, Education Law Center; Ellen Frede, Senior Co-Director, National Institute for Early Education Research, Rutgers University In this episode, Ellen Frede, who is the Senior Co-Director of the National Institute on Early Education Research at Rutgers University discusses the landmark Abbott VI  decision handed down by the New Jersey Supreme Court in 2000, which ordered the implementation of high quality preschool with properly certified teachers and class sizes of no more than 15 in the Abbott school districts, and the lasting impact of this decision in New Jersey and nationally. Dr. Frede's extensive experience in the area of early childhood education includes service as a teacher, researcher, college professor and as Assistant Commissioner for Early Childhood Education at the New Jersey Department of Education.

You've probably seen a lot of clips recently of the ongoing culture war coming to a flashpoint in school board meetings across the country. To learn how the reactionary right is using these conflicts to push for increased school privatization, Josh (@boshj) sat down with Wendy Lecker and Nicole Ciullo from the Education Law Center, a Newark-based organization that defends public schools and advocates in the courts for educational equity. This forty-minute interview covers topics such as the broader context for the current curriculum battle, the history of the mechanics of school funding and segregation, and how key players including former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos continue to push for laws that would further privatize education in the United States. Plus, at the end, enjoy a teaser for a Patreon-only episode, available now, where we recap a truly unhinged “documentary” that propagandizes for all aspects of the conservative educational project. Links and additional resources: THE EDUCATION LAW CENTER advocates for school funding equity in the state of New Jersey through research and litigation. They also provide resources and assistance to lawyers advocating for public schools across the country. Check out their publications and case history: https://edlawcenter.org PUBLIC FUNDS PUBLIC SCHOOLS is a project of the Education Law Center that follows public school privatization efforts. There's a bill tracker for tuition voucher efforts at the state level, as well as news, webinars, and research papers. Check out their website, and consider making a donation: https://pfps.org TWOAPW on Patreon: Get access to our recap of Whose Children Are They? along with other premium podcast episodes and subscriber exclusives for $5/month! https://www.patreon.com/worstofall

https://bit.ly/3vVyFUT (View resources discussed during this episode, including available online courses.) Presenters: David Sciarra, Esq., Executive Director, Education Law Center; Silvia Abbatto, Superintendent, Union City Public Schools In this episode, Education Law Center Executive Director David Sciarra interviews Silvia Abbato, who is the first woman and first person of Hispanic descent to serve as Superintendent for the Union City School District. This episode examines the impact of the New Jersey Supreme Court's landmark 1998 Abbott V decision, in which the Court recognized the constitutional obligation for the State of New Jersey to identify and address the negative effects of poverty on the ability of children to receive a thorough and efficient education, the lasting impact of that decision and the challenges that remain in working to overcome the impact of poverty on education today.

https://bit.ly/3uOhMfo (View resources discussed during this episode, including available online courses.) Presenters: David Sciarra, Esq., Executive Director, Education Law Center; David Aderhold, Ed.D., Superintendent, West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District; Anthony Trongone, Superintendent, Millville Public Schools In this episode, Education Law Center Executive Director David Sciarra interviews two superintendents - Tony Trongone, Superintendent of Millville Public Schools, and Dr. David Aderhold, Superintendent of West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District. Both have been leaders in the effort to promote educational equity for all students regardless of race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status or zip code. They discuss the impact of the Abbott v. Burke litigation, and in particular the Abbott IV decision, in which the Court embraced the concept of having substantive curriculum standards as part of the Constitutionally protected entitlement to a thorough and efficient system of public schools for all students.

View resources discussed during this episode, including available online courses. Presenters: David Sciarra, Esq., Executive Director, Education Law Center; Paul Tractenberg, Esq., Founder of the Education Law Center and Professor Emeritus, Rutgers Law School In this episode, former Rutgers Law School Professor and founder of the Education Law Center, Paul Tractenberg, who was truly a pioneer in New Jersey and nationally.  Professor Tractenberg discusses the incredible disparities in educational quality that existed and were widely accepted a half century ago, before New Jersey's groundbreaking Abbott v Burke litigation, and the steps taken in the 1970s and 80s that set the stage for the many legal successes that followed.

Chalkbeat, NYC officials keep a lid on data from tests to address ‘learning gaps'Gothamist, Some NYC Teachers Worry "Learning Loss" Tests Will Exacerbate the ProblemClass Size Matters and Education Law Center, State budget hearings testimony on the DOE's failure to use state funds appropriately and with required public inputNY Daily News, NYC Education Dept. shortens quarantine for students who test positive for COVID-19 from 10 to 5 daysAmerican Medical Association press release, AMA: CDC quarantine and isolation guidance is confusing, counterproductiveEl Diario, Preocupación y confusión entre padres por nuevos cambios en reglas de cuarentena de niños en escuelas de NYCJD Supra, Mask Mandate; Nassau County Court Decision; Where Are We?Brooklyn Eagle, Brooklyn Judge Reinstates NY Mask MandateChicago Sun-Times, CPS says change in COVID case reporting wasn't intended to mislead publicChicago Sun-Times, Fight over COVID testing of students — and whether CPS disregarded governor's offer of help — at heart of dispute with union

David Sciarra, Esq., Executive Director of the Education Law Center (ELC), and Kristan discuss the role of the federal and state governments in education, and how ELC uses the law to fight equity gaps in education.

The coronavirus pandemic has been challenging for all students, but especially for students with special educational needs. We wanted to find out the extent of what families are going through right now, and what parents need to know to help make the upcoming school year just a little bit easier. Margie Wakelin, Staff Attorney in the Education Law Center's Philadelphia office joins KYW In Depth to break down the hurdles that have emerged in the spring, what we've learned from them for the upcoming school year, and what families can do to help their children stay on track. The Education Law Center: https://www.elc-pa.org/ See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

In this latest episode of the Dust + Dignity Podcast, we were able to chat with Deborah Gordon Klehr. She is the Executive Director of the Education Law Center, a non-profit legal advocacy organization dedicated to ensuring access to a quality public education for all children in Pennsylvania. Deborah brings extensive expertise on education law and policy issues, including fairness in school discipline, fair funding for public education, and other school access and improvement issues.

Jessica Levin of the Education Law Center and Katherine Dunn of the Southern Poverty Law Center talk to Carol Burris about their new organizational joint effort to inform the public about school voucher programs: Public Funds Public Schools. Burris discusses how vouchers are part of the effort of Secretary of Education Betsy De Vos's push to transform public education to a privatized system. https://pfps.orghttps://networkforpubliceducation.org

In this second part of a two-episode series, Ken interviews Jessica Levin, a staff attorney for the Education Law Center and Elizabeth Franks, a consultant for LLAMAME as well as the socio-political concerns representative for NJTESOL-NJBE. They discuss advocacy for ELLs at the district and state level.

In this first part of a two-episode series, Ken interviews Jessica Levin, a staff attorney for the Education Law Center and Elizabeth Franks, a consultant for LLAMAME as well as the socio-political concerns representative for NJTESOL-NJBE. They discuss advocacy for ELLs at the district and state level.

Maura McInerney, Senior Attorney at the Education Law Center, joins us to talk about the case currently on appeal before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court that deals with how we fund public education in Pennsylvania. Maura is the lead litigator on the case for Education Law Center, and she talks through the legal basis for the case, how other states have wrestled with the same legal questions about equity and adequacy in public school funding, and how this particular lawsuit might play out.

Recorded at NJ Spotlight On Cities, held October 16th, 2015 at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center Panelists: Chris Cerf, superintendent of Newark Public Schools and former New Jersey commissioner of education Paul Tractenberg, co-director, Institute On Education Law and Policy and founder of the Education Law Center; Drew Martin, executive director, KIPP-Cooper Norcross Academy in Camden Moderated by NJ Spotlight education writer and founding editor John Mooney

Ever wonder where your tax paying dollars go in New Jersey?  Every year the taxes go up. In this episode we talk about Abbott versus Burke  and a case filed by the Education Law Center of Newark . Abbott districts are school districts in New Jersey that are provided remedies to ensure that their students receive public education in accordance with New Jersey’s state constitution. They were created in 1985 as a result of the first ruling of Abbott v. Burke, a case that was filed by the Education Law Center. The ruling asserted that public primary and secondary education in poor communities throughout the state was unconstitutionally substandard. There are 31 "Abbott districts" in the state, which are now referred to as "SDA Districts" based on the requirement for the state to cover all costs for school building and renovation projects in these districts under the supervision of the New Jersey Schools Development Authority.Prior to 2011, the State of NJ did not release the total amount spent per pupil on schooling. Since the Abbott original ruling in 1985, New Jersey increased spending such that Abbott district students received 22% more per pupil (at $20,859) vs. non-Abbott districts (at $17,051) in 2011.. For them, the program has been characterized as "a huge failure".(1) (Wikipedia)   Questions are, should the New Jersey State Supreme Court be regulating education?    Is now education fair that more money is being spent per pupil in the poorer districts rather than the wealthier ones?  This show sponsored by ladylibertyinstitute   visit our forum youthforindependenceforum  

Right now in Pennsylvania, school vouchers are being proposed as a way to "fix" public education, by using public money to pay for the private or parochial school tuition of certain students who receive vouchers. Philadelphia Student Union members have taken a strong position against school vouchers, and we were part of a "Say No to Vouchers" Tour with Action United & Education Law Center. Students, parents and community members boarded a bus and visited legislators' offices to expose the threats behind vouchers. During the bus tour, Ericka Johnson interviewed a spokesperson of voucher-proponent Sen. Anthony Williams, the Chief of Staff for Sen. Farnese, as well as parents and students, and produced this report.