Celebrating 51 Years of ELC-PA! | | We are deeply grateful to everyone who supported us and joined us on September 30th to celebrate 51 years of advancing education justice for children across Pennsylvania. | From left, parent partner Jennifer Garrison; ELC-PA Executive Director Deborah Gordon Klehr; ELC-PA Staff Attorney Rose Wehrman; parent partners Genesis Ferrer, Hadria Leon, Chandell Craig-Cromwell, Mulumba Muyobela; and ELC-PA Policy Director Hillary Linardopoulos | |
During our celebration, we proudly honored Dr. Dorothy Novick, a steadfast champion for children’s health and well-being and a valued leader on ELC-PA's Board of Directors; Morgan Lewis, a law firm dedicated to pro bono partnership and a longtime supporter of ELC-PA’s mission; and the powerful parent partners who courageously shared their lived experiences in our newest report, Ending Preschool Pushout in Pennsylvania: Parent Testimonies and a Path Forward, and continue to advocate for a more equitable early childhood education system.
A special thank you goes to honoree Chandell Craig-Cromwell, who shared her family’s experience with preschool pushout and how she is now powerfully advocating for change.
| | From left, ELC-PA Board Vice President W. John Lee; Board President Kate Potalivo; honoree Dr. Dorothy Novick, Klair Fitzpatrick, representing honoree Morgan Lewis; and ELC-PA Executive Director Deborah Gordon Klehr | |
Thank you to our event co-chairs, Jonathan Lipson and Kathleen Noonan, all of our wonderful sponsors, and the 400+ of you who joined us to mark the occasion!
As we look forward to the next year of advocacy for Pennsylvania schoolchildren, your generous support helps us ensure all children in Pennsylvania have access to quality public education. Thank you.
And if you haven’t yet had a chance to give — or would like to make an additional gift — we would be so grateful!
| | ELC-PA Weighs In on Proposed
Head Start Rule Changes | | |
The federal government has proposed sweeping changes to Head Start regulations that would roll back critical protections for young children and families. The proposed changes include rescinding requirements related to: appropriate staffing ratios, developmental screenings, access to Early Intervention services, and resources for children in foster care and children experiencing homelessness.
ELC-PA weighed in on the proposed changes by submitting comments focused on the rollback of protections against suspension and expulsion in Head Start programs. Head Start’s existing policy recognizes the serious harm caused by excluding young children from early learning settings and provides a model that should be expanded, not dismantled.
This issue is also at the heart of ELC-PA’s work across Pennsylvania, where we continue to advocate alongside families and partners to end preschool suspension and expulsion and challenge the policies, practices, and decisions that disproportionately push Black children and children with disabilities out of early learning settings. We are also working to ensure that early childhood programs and systems provide children with the supports they need to learn and succeed.
Read ELC-PA’s federal comments on the proposed Head Start rule changes and our recent Philadelphia Inquirer op-ed on protecting young children from suspension and expulsion.
| | ELC-PA Advocacy Leads to Stronger Guidance on Student Enrollment | | |
This month, ELC-PA’s advocacy resulted in an important clarification for families enrolling their children in Pennsylvania public schools. ELC-PA intervened when multiple school districts in Western PA unlawfully required families to notarize certain enrollment documents, causing delays in enrollment for many children as families struggled to afford the cost of a notary and/or were not able to find one in their area. We raised the issue directly with the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) and urged them to both contact each offending school district and issue clear guidance.
In response, PDE has updated its Basic Education Circular on Enrollment of Students to make clear: “the law does not require the Parent Registration Statement to be notarized.”
This clarification will help ensure that families across Pennsylvania do not face unnecessary and unlawful barriers when enrolling their children in public school.
| | |
Protecting Students with Disabilities from
Discriminatory Grade Retention
| | |
ELC-PA represents the parent of “Willow,” a caring and creative 11th grade student with disabilities who was excited to participate in a college-readiness summer program at a local university in June. Willow’s disabilities, including a diagnosed mental health condition, require consistent treatment and sometimes affect her ability to safely attend school. Although Willow worked incredibly hard throughout the school year to keep up with her academics and passed all of her 10th grade classes, her Philadelphia charter school told her at the end of the year that she would not be promoted to the 11th grade due to disability-related absences.
Concerned that the school was unlawfully punishing and discriminating against Willow for disability-related absences instead of providing her with appropriate IEP accommodations and supports to address barriers to attendance, Willow’s parent reached out to ELC-PA. Our attorneys successfully advocated for Willow to be promoted to the 11th grade alongside her peers and receive a comprehensive special education reevaluation to ensure that her IEP appropriately addresses her needs.
Our advocacy also resulted in a broader change that will protect other students with disabilities: the school agreed to revise its attendance policy to expressly prohibit retaining students with disabilities on the basis of disability-related absences when they have passed all of their courses. This systemic reform will help ensure that other students with disabilities are not subjected to the same discriminatory practice.
| | Check Out Our Back to School Guide for Rights-Based Information! | | |
In September, we released our annual Back to School Guide, a collection of fact sheets, legal analyses, and self-advocacy resources designed to provide families and child-serving professionals with clear, rights-based information.
This year’s guide features several updated fact sheets to reflect recent changes in the law, along with new resources covering topics such as the recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings affecting the rights of LGBTQ+ students, the scope of regulatory changes to federal anti-discrimination laws, and changes in state laws, such as Act 47, which establishes new requirements for students enrolling in and attending cyber charter schools.
Find our 2026-27 Back to School Guide here.
| | Banned Books Week is Oct. 4-10, 2026 | | |
Help protect the freedom to read. Since 1982, this annual event has drawn attention to book censorship and inspired communities to champion intellectual freedom and access to information. Learn more: Banned Books Week.
Want to dig deeper? Check out ELC-PA’s fact sheet: Your Rights to Oppose Book Bans.
| | Welcoming New Law Fellow, Sarah Berton | | |
Sarah Berton is an Equal Justice Works fellow sponsored by Greenberg Traurig, LLP. As a law fellow, Sarah will provide direct representation, systemic legal advocacy, and community education to underserved students in Pennsylvania who have experienced bullying and harassment in school.
Sarah graduated from Harvard Law School in 2025 and joins ELC-PA after a clerkship with the Honorable David H. Urias in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico. During law school, Sarah was a Youth Advocacy & Policy Lab (Y-Lab) Fellow and spent three semesters in the Education Law Clinic, representing students with disabilities in Massachusetts and participating in systemic state constitutional litigation in Kentucky. Through internships with the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) and the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), Sarah also supported litigation on behalf of students challenging discriminatory school policies and practices.
Sarah is a product of the Texas public school system and is thrilled to begin her career as an attorney working to advance educational justice at ELC-PA.
| | Celebrating a Staff Promotion! | | |
We’re thrilled to share that Jhoselyn Contreras has been promoted to Senior Program Coordinator!
Since joining ELC-PA, Jhoselyn has become an invaluable member of our team, supporting both our communications work and our Helpline, where she connects families and students with the information and resources they are seeking. Jhoselyn brings creativity and thoughtfulness to all of her work, and we are excited to see her continue to grow in this critical role. Please join us in congratulating Jhoselyn on this well-deserved promotion!
| | |
Tavia Gabrysch (she/they) is a third-year student at Drexel University Kline School of Law. They received an undergraduate degree in English from the University of Texas at Austin. Tavia currently directs a debate education nonprofit called the Texas Debate Collective and plans to pursue education law after graduation.
Emma Jane Konkoly (she/her) is a third-year student at Temple University Beasley School of Law. Her professional background is in economic development, and she has spent her time in law school doing work in pursuit of economic justice. She is most inspired by her parents, who are both long-time educators!
Nathan Liu (he/him) is a senior at the University of Pennsylvania studying economics and philosophy. Throughout college, he has been involved in educational equity organizations including the West Philadelphia Tutoring Project, Penn for Youth Debate, and the Mighty Writers program.
Reem Shadid (she/her) is a third-year student at Temple University Beasley School of Law. She earned her undergraduate degree in public policy and criminology from Albright College and served as an AmeriCorps VISTA before attending law school. She plans to pursue a career in civil rights litigation.
Mira Taichman (she/her) is a second-year student at Temple University Beasley School of Law. Prior to law school, she taught elementary school for seven years in her hometown of Philadelphia. Mira received her master's degree from Relay Graduate School of Education and her bachelor's from the University of Pennsylvania.
James Treuthardt (he/him) is a third-year student at the University of Pennsylvania Penn Carey Law School. Before enrolling in law school, James was a middle school teacher in Dallas, Texas and worked at an education advocacy organization in Washington, DC. He has spent his time at law school focusing on public interest work and hopes to have a career in civil rights litigation.
| | Remembering Christine Gaffney | | | | We are deeply saddened by the passing of Christine Gaffney, who served as ELC-PA's Associate Director for twenty years from 1999-2019. During her time with ELC-PA, Chris brought wisdom, compassion, warmth, and unwavering dedication to the fight for educational equity. Her thoughtful leadership and commitment left a lasting impact on our work and on the many colleagues, advocates, and community members who had the privilege of working alongside her. We extend our heartfelt condolences to her family and loved ones. She will be greatly missed. | | ELC-PA is seeking a staff attorney in our Philadelphia or Pittsburgh office. Please share with your networks! | | What We're Listening to and Reading | | Education Law Center-PA | 215-238-6970 (Philadelphia) | 412-258-2120 (Pittsburgh) | | A copy of the official registration and financial information of the Education Law Center-PA may be obtained from the Department of State by calling toll-free, within Pennsylvania, 1-880-732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement. | | | | |
