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.
We call on our politicians to take action now for children in communities like Philadelphia, Allentown, Pottstown, Lancaster, and other districts that are now getting the short end of the stick.
CAMPAIGN MISSION
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 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.
Want to get involved? Contact our Education Justice Team to find out more about the work in your area.
STATEWIDE 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
LAWSUIT CAMPAIGN
Support for the ‘School Funding’ Lawsuit
POWER supported the plaintiffs in the PA School Funding Lawsuit (William Penn SD, NAACP PA, et al. v. Pa. Dept. of Education et al.)
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.
POWER Interfaith is a 501c(3) non-profit organization. We are non-partisan and not aligned explicitly or implicitly with any candidate or party. We do not endorse or support candidates for office. All contributions are tax-deductible.
Become an Education Advocate
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 inspires you about learning?
What inspires you about education justice?
“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!”
“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.”
“Our children matter! They are entitled to a quality education, which will open the door to unlimited possibilities for them.”
“We are the village it takes to raise children. We are all responsible. Our hopes for a better tomorrow are linked with them.”
“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.”
“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.”
