The spotlight for the next few days in Commonwealth Court will be on the School District of Lancaster, the largest of the six school districts that filed the school funding lawsuit. Superintendent Damaris Rau took the stand late Thursday morning and will face cross-examination on Friday.
Read moreQuality matters: Court hears expert testimony On early childhood education, Dec. 14
On Monday and Tuesday, the court heard testimony on early childhood education, and the positive impact that high-quality programs can have on students’ academic and life outcomes–particularly economically disadvantaged students. Dr. Steven Barnett testified first. Barnett is the founder and co-director of the National Institute for Early Education Research, a unit of Rutgers University.
Read moreRigorous Standards, Concern About Supports: Testimony from State Board of Ed, Dec. 13
Karen Molchanow, on the witness stand Friday and Monday, has been executive director of the State Board of Education since 2012. She described the board as the regulatory arm of the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
The board is responsible for establishing the state’s academic standards and assessments, among other duties.. Questioned by Education Law Center legal director Maura McInerney, Molchanow testified about the purpose of those standards.
Read more‘Dire Straits’: Testimony from a Greater Johnstown Business Manager, Dec. 10
Friday’s testimony in the school funding trial from Eric Kocsis, business manager of the Greater Johnstown School District from 2016 to 2020, illustrated the stresses facing a business manager in an underfunded district.
Kocsis talked about operating in “survival mode”…
Read more‘Collateral damage’: Shenandoah Valley superintendent Waite takes the stand, Dec. 9
Brian Waite, Superintendent of Shenandoah Valley School District
On Wednesday and Thursday, Commonwealth Court heard from Superintendent Brian Waite of Shenandoah Valley School District, one of the petitioners in the case. In his testimony, Waite described the ways in which he causes “collateral damage” when he makes decisions as a superintendent. He must often respond to urgent needs by shifting resources around, causing other students to be underserved.
Read more‘They Deserve That Assistance’: Greater Johnstown Witnesses Say Students Need Intensive Academic Support, Dec. 8
Testimony from two superintendents and a teacher on Wednesday highlighted the glaring gaps in supports for struggling students and the inadequate facilities in the state’s underfunded schools.
The court heard the conclusion of three days of testimony from Greater Johnstown School District superintendent Amy Arcurio, followed by teacher Stephanie Kobal. In the afternoon, Superintendent Brian Waite from Shenandoah Valley School District gave an overview of the impact of underfunding on his district’s two schools.
Read moreGreater Johnstown Superintendent's testimony continues, Dec. 7
Amy Arcurio, the superintendent of Greater Johnstown School District, continued her testimony throughout the day on Tuesday, after testifying all day last Friday and briefly last Thursday. We’ll have more to share when her testimony concludes.
Read moreThe Superintendent of Greater Johnstown takes the stand, Dec. 3
Today, the Court heard from the second school leader to testify in the case: Amy Arcurio, Superintendent of Greater Johnstown School District, one of the petitioner districts challenging Pennsylvania’s school funding system.
Read more‘An Urgent Need to Ensure That Our School Systems Are Providing the Conditions for Students to Be Successful’: Dec. 2
In three days of testimony in Commonwealth Court this week, Matthew Stem, the state’s former top K-12 education official, defended the state’s academic standards as appropriately rigorous and highlighted the significant disparities between racial and socio-economic groups in how students measure up against those standards.
And he repeatedly reaffirmed statements by his own Pennsylvania Department of Education that one of the “root causes” of the unequal academic outcomes affecting Black, Latinx, and economically disadvantaged students is the state’s significant funding gaps between low-wealth and high-wealth school districts.
Read moreDay Two of Testimony from PA's former top K-12 Official, Dec. 1
The cover of the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s 2019 Consolidated State Plan
Matthew Stem, the deputy secretary for elementary and secondary education at the Pennsylvania Department of Education from 2015 to 2021, continued his testimony throughout the day on Wednesday, after testifying all day on Tuesday. Stem was the top official in charge of K-12 education for Pennsylvania and was asked to provide testimony on a wide range of topics.
Read moreState Standards, Assessments, Outcomes, Funding: Former Top Pa. Education Official Testifies Nov. 30
On the witness stand all day on Tuesday in Commonwealth Court was Matthew Stem, who was Deputy Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education at the Pennsylvania Department of Education from 2015 to 2021. In this position, he was the top official in charge of K-12 education for the state.
Read more"Those districts that need the most get the least:" Dr. Matthew Kelly, Nov. 19
Dr. Matthew Kelly
Friday in court, Dr. Matthew Kelly, a professor at Penn State’s College of Education and an expert in the field of education finance, concluded his testimony, following cross-examination by attorneys for Speaker Cutler and Senator Corman.
Trial, Day 5: We Learn More About the 'Thorough and Efficient' Clause
One key issue in our school funding case is the meaning of the phrase “thorough and efficient” in the education clause of Pennsylvania’s Constitution.
Read moreWhat are school districts and parents asking for in the lawsuit?
Fourth grade students in William Penn School District, one of the petitioners in the case.
We are asking for sustained, substantial new investments in state funding for public education, distributed based on need, so that local wealth no longer determines whether Pennsylvania students receive a quality public education. Read on to learn the details.
Read moreNov. 17: Tara Yuricheck, Panther Valley teacher, and Prof. Derek Black discuss history classes and constitutional history
Tara Yuricheck, 5th grade history teacher in Panther Valley School District
Today, the court heard from two witnesses: Tara Yuricheck, a 5th grade history teacher in Panther Valley School District, and Derek Black, a professor at University of South Carolina Law School.
Read morePanther Valley in Spotlight Again in Day 3 of Trial
Panther Valley School District Superintendent David McAndrew was back on the witness stand Tuesday in Commonwealth Court for a second day of testimony in the school funding trial.
Read more"I'm asking the state of Pennsylvania to help us:" David McAndrew, Panther Valley SD Superintendent, Nov. 15
Nesquehoning, one of the towns served by Panther Valley School District
Today, we began to call witnesses to the stand in our challenge to the Pennsylvania state legislature’s inadequate and inequitable school funding system. First up: David McAndrew, Superintendent of petitioner Panther Valley School District.
Read moreStudents' day in court begins: Opening statements, November 12
The Pennsylvania Judicial Center, where opening statements were heard today.
Today, Commonwealth Court heard opening statements in the Pennsylvania school funding case, a challenge to our state’s unconstitutional school funding system seven years in the making. Read on to find out how both sides previewed their case.
Read moreWho's Who in the Case: Meet the 6 Petitioner School Districts
Superintendents from six school districts across the state filed affidavits as part of our school funding lawsuit. These filings paint a clear picture: Pennsylvania's school funding system has gotten worse and continues to deprive students of the resources they need.
Read moreWATCH: New Videos In "Pennsylvanians Speak Out" Series
In the last few weeks, we’ve premiered more videos in our "Pennsylvanians Speak Out" series. Check them out below, or visit fundourschoolspa.org/video for a whole suite of clips that address the issues at hand in our case.