Education
We are a diverse team of dedicated people representing POWER congregations in Eastern and Central Pennsylvania who are passionate about the importance of quality public education for all children regardless of race, culture or economic status.
WHAT DO WE DO?
We work to fulfill the moral imperative that every child in Pennsylvania deserves schools that receive their fair share of state funding in amounts adequate to offer high-quality education.
HOW DO WE WORK?
We organize, through our member congregations. We build relationships with students, parents, and caregivers who are most impacted by inadequate and unfair school funding. We join in alliance with other groups, stakeholders, and community members to demand that elected and appointed officials deliver equitable funding to local school districts and that local districts provide a safe environment and necessary resources to educate our public-school children.
Local Education Justice Teams
Our Local Education Justice Teams are in Philadelphia, Lehigh Valley, Lancaster and the Metro area (Montgomery, Delaware, Chester and Bucks counties). Each local team creates strategies and actions to address the public education needs of the communities they serve as well as supporting the statewide strategy.
To find out more about the work in your area, click the link below:
Statewide Education Justice Teams
Our Statewide Education Justice Team is made up of representatives from each of the local POWER groups and seeks to achieve:
• Elimination of all racial disparity in the funding of school districts in Pennsylvania
• Adequacy of funding for all school districts
• Excellence in educational opportunity for all PA children
“Our children matter! They are entitled to a quality education, which will open the door to unlimited possibilities for them.”
— Rev. Eric Goode
“We are the village it takes to raise children. We are all responsible. Our hopes for a better tomorrow are linked with them.”
— Nick Sanders, Education Justice Team Member
Upcoming Events
Campaign for Education Funding Lawsuit
Support for the School Funding Lawsuit
POWER supports the plaintiffs in the PA School Funding Lawsuit (William Penn SD, NAACP PA, et al. v. Pa. Dept. of Education et al.) The trial is scheduled to begin in Commonwealth Court on October 12, 2021.
The Public Interest Law Center and the Education Law Center filed suit on behalf of six school districts, a group of parents, the Pennsylvania Association of Rural and Small Schools (PARSS) and the NAACP Pennsylvania State Conference. The suit is against legislative leaders, state education officials, and the Governor. The suit is asking for a court order that will force the legislature to comply with the state constitution and ensure all students receive access to a high-quality public education.
Pennsylvania’s constitution states that the General Assembly must “provide a thorough and efficient system of public education to serve the needs of the Commonwealth.” Instead, 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.
To learn more about the lawsuit:
What inspires you to work for education justice for Pennsylvania’s children?
“It feels very core for me both as a parent and grandparent and as a reflection of my background in early childhood education and the moral values of my faith.”
— Andrea Moselle, Education Justice Team Member
“The segregation in our schools and lack of resources for children of color in our state continue to prevent the equal education promised by Brown vs. Board of Education sixty-seven years ago. We need to do better than this!”
— Beth Logue, Education Justice Team Co-Chair
“I continue to show up in support of equity in resources for our state’s children because some are my grandchildren, some are children and grandchildren of students I taught in my career in Philadelphia public schools, and some live on my block right now. Their world is my world.”
“I continue to show up in support of equity in resources for our state’s children because some are my grandchildren, some are children and grandchildren of students I taught in my career in Philadelphia public schools, and some live on my block right now. Their world is my world.”— Barbara Dowdall, Education Justice Team Member
“I worked with curious, eager children as a volunteer in a Philadelphia public school kindergarten. They had a deep desire to learn but conditions were tragically far from what they needed to succeed. Full, fair funding would go a long way to help them.”
— Betsy Connor, Education Justice Team Member
“I am a retired School District of Philadelphia teacher. My children and grandchildren have attended our schools so I want them to be great for all Philly kids!”
— Muriel Kudera, Education Justice Team Member
“The children I taught in Philadelphia public schools for 36 years were unable to get the best books, math supplies or up-to-date computer equipment. The Education Justice Team gives me hope that this will change. It is made up of intelligent, devoted activists that work to correct the funding problem that has been such a tragedy for our poorest children.”
— Rebecca Jarosh, Education Justice Team Member
“Education justice is liberation work. I do this work because the struggle to give our kids an education that recognizes their full humanity isn’t as an option; it’s a necessity.”
— Roseann Liu, Education Justice Team Member
Support Our Work for Education
Justice in Pennsylvania
What aspect of our work really engages you?
“I like arousing people’s outrage at the inequitable access to education, and providing concrete ways for people to make a difference.”
— David Mosenkis, Education Justice Team Member
“Our Education Justice Team created the “Ella Baker Brigade” to work with Philadelphia school communities to help parents and caregivers navigate on-line learning. This has allowed me to be a problem solver in our society rather than maintainer of the status quo.”
— Beth Logue, Education Justice Team Co-Chair
“I represent POWER as a member of several coalitions, including Our City Our Schools, and am really encouraged by what we can accomplish on a local level by building this type of powerful and diverse alliance.”
— Andrea Moselle, Education Justice Team Member
“I like to talk with others — including legislators — about our hopes for schools that will fully prepare all students for success. I also enjoy working with numbers and making use of data to establish conditions and directions.”
— Nick Sanders, Education Justice Team Member
“I have loved learning alongside others and casting a collective vision that is as bold and beautiful as our children.”
— Roseann Liu, Education Justice Team Member
Get involved with our education work
Contact an organizer to see how you can support POWER’s education work locally and across the state.
