Providing services to help students with disabilities prepare for adult life is critically important. The federal Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA) is clear about public schools’ responsibility to support this transition: students with disabilities can receive a free and appropriate public education until they turn 22. But for years, Pennsylvania has been aging […]

Pennsylvania’s state share of education funding is ranked 47th in the nation. This leads to large disparities between wealthy and poor school districts and causes hundreds of schools across the state to fall short of what they need to provide a quality education for their students. We know that PA Schools Work when we all […]

The state has adopted an irrational and inequitable system of funding public education that does not provide the resources students need to meet state standards and discriminates against students based on where they live and the wealth of their local communities.

An estimated 14,000 students in Philadelphia schools are members of families whose primary language is not English. Even though it is mandated by federal and local law, the School District of Philadelphia systemically fails to provide the interpretation and translation services these families need to meaningfully participate in their child’s education.

There are more than 17,000 students enrolled in the School District of Philadelphia who have been identified as having a disability. Each one is legally entitled to have their Individual Education Plan (IEP) team, with their parents, consider their need for Extended School Year services and develop an individualized service plan accordingly.

In a complaint filed on November 23 with the U.S. Department of Education, a group of African American parents in Upper Dublin contend that the local school district uses discriminatory practices that result in higher out-of-school suspension rates for black students and disproportionately place black students in lower level curricular programs.

The Law Center represents parents of children with disabilities in their disputes with Elwyn to ensure that their children receive the services necessary for educational progress.

In June 2014, the Law reached a settlement agreement pursuant to which the District of Philadelphia must notify parents of students with autism in grades K – 8 about the school placement process to ensure that parents have an opportunity to understand and discuss the decision.