Law Center News: October 2013
Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia
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Education News: Parents Document Philly School Budget Cuts
through Proactive, Online Complaint Portal
In partnership with Parents United for Public Education and the offices of Councilman Bill Green and Councilwoman Maria Quinones-Sanchez, we've launched www.myphillyschools.com - an online portal through which parents, students and educators can file complaints directly with the state Department of Education about curriculum and service deficiencies. Under the state constitution, state officials must provide students with a "thorough and efficient system of public education." Many of the complaints already filed document that the state is failing to adhere to this constitutional provision. More than 800 complaints, including group complaints about the lack of nurses and school counselors, have already been filed.
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 Voting News: ID is NOT Required at November 5th ElectionThe Department of State has resumed its expensive and confusing advertising campaign about the voter identification law in advance of the November 5th election. In August, the court ruled that voters would not need to show identification at the polls in November. Unfortunately, that same court ruling permitted the state to continue this "voter education" campaign. Under the August decision, poll workers are allowed to ask for identification on election day, though voters do not need to present identification to cast a ballot. (There are special rules for first-time voters.) We expect the court to issue a final ruling in the next few months, and both sides are prepared to appeal the Commonwealth Court's final decision to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
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