PHILADELPHIA - A new series of fliers is available to help inform parents and children about their rights to educational services while schools are closed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

School buildings may be closed, but all children in Pennsylvania still are entitled to a quality public education. The first of five fliers lists five basic things to know about educational rights, from access to free meals to support for online learning.

And Sophia Tan, a public interest law fellow with the Education Law Center says additional fliers provide information for particular groups of students who've been historically underserved by schools.

"These include students with disabilities, students in foster care, students experiencing homelessness as well as English learners," says Tan.

The fliers can be found on the Education Law Center's website at 'ELC-PA.org/COVID-19.'

Tan points out that schools must still create temporary learning plans for students with disabilities, and students in foster care should still be able to reach out to the designated point of contact at their school.

"Schools are also encouraged to reach out to all of their students as much as possible," says Tan. "To ensure that they're maintaining contact, making sure that students are safe and have the information and resources available."

She adds that schools also are required to make information available to parents and students in their preferred language.

And Tan notes that schools need to help students who are nearing the end of their high school years plan for the future.

"Students who are getting ready to graduate during this critical period are entitled to receive guidance and resources if they're pursuing post-secondary education or seeking a career," says Tan.

She says families and students need to be aware that they should keep engaging with their schools during the shutdown, to ensure that their educational needs are being met.

HARRISBURG, Pa. -- With nearly two weeks to go until the Commonwealth Court hears arguments about whether Pennsylvania's school funding system is unconstitutional, members of the Pennsylvania Schools Work campaign took to the state Capitol steps yesterday to highlight the issue.

The Education Law Center and the Public Interest Law Center are representing school districts, parents and educational organizations in the case, arguing the way schools are funded in Pennsylvania violates the education clause and the equal protection provision of the state constitution.

Deborah Gordon Klehr, executive director of the Education Law Center, said the demonstration was meant to show residents the Keystone State is failing to support public education.

"Eighty-six percent of Pennsylvania school districts have an adequacy gap, and what it looks like for students and the student experience is crumbling buildings or lack of technology, libraries that are shuttered, limited or no access to career-training programs," Klehr outlined.

Pennsylvania ranks 45th for the share of K-12 school funding provided by the state. The state constitution requires the Commonwealth to ensure there is a "thorough and efficient" system of education for all students.

Fifty percent of Black students and 40% of Latino students in Pennsylvania are concentrated in 20% of the districts with the lowest wealth.

Tomas Varela, director of advocacy and communications for the Urban League of Philadelphia, said it is time for the state to adequately support all students.

"When we fight for economic and social justice, we know that it starts with ensuring that our children have what they need to achieve their hopes and dreams," Varela asserted. "The fight for adequate and equitable funding requires a collective effort, a collection of urban, suburban and rural people who demand equal opportunity for all students."

The lawsuit is scheduled to be heard starting Nov. 12. The state Department of Education, state legislature leadership and Gov. Tom Wolf are among those named as defendants in the suit.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - California community colleges are joining a new national effort to help more adults of color gain credentials and degrees to close gaps in graduation rates and earnings.

Sandra Fried, vice president of the Foundation for California Community Colleges' Success Center, says taking part in the program will help the state's goal to eliminate those disparities by 2027. She points out that, like the rest of the nation, adult enrollment has dropped significantly in the pandemic, particularly for adult students of color.

"Adult students and students of color have been hit hardest by the pandemic," she said. "They have not enrolled in our programs in as high rates as they have in the past. And because they've been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, it's really important to bring them back into our programs, and provide them the support and resources they need to be successful."

The $8 million initiative, called the REACH Collaborative, aims to provide Black, Hispanic and Native American adult students support for needs such as child care, transportation or academic counseling to help them cross the finish line.

Wayne Taliaferro, strategy officer for the Lumina Foundation, which is cosponsoring the program in California and five other states, said higher education wasn't meeting the needs of adult students of color even before the pandemic, facing barriers to secondary education that many white students don't have, such as limited financial resources.

"The REACH Collaborative aims to take an active step in shifting from this present reality at community colleges, where the bulk of adult students of color are enrolled," he said. "A lot of adults enter community colleges to gain skills for jobs at different entry points, but the onramps don't always lead to quality outcomes and better earnings - or outcomes at all."

About 40% of Black Americans, 58% of Latinos and 50% of Native Americans age 25 and older have only a high-school diploma, compared with 31% of white Americans, according to a Lumina Foundation report.

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Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.

PIERRE, S.D. -- A new framework is moving forward for updating social-studies standards in South Dakota schools, and as the process took shape, a civil rights group warned the state is likely overstepping constitutional boundaries for earlier removal of Native American references.

The ACLU said even though South Dakota is starting from scratch, the state still is in danger of violating Equal Protection and First Amendment provisions under the U.S. Constitution.

It stems from removal of several references to Oceti Sakowin history and culture during the first attempt to update standards.

Stephanie Amiotte, legal director for the ACLU of South Dakota, said it prevents Indigenous students from feeling seen in the classroom.

"Any time a child feels welcome and feels as though they are heard and seen by being represented in the classroom, there's going to be a natural flow of receiving education," Amiotte asserted.

The removal happened after a working group developed a new curriculum and submitted it to the state. Gov. Kristi Noem paused the process amid criticism over the changes.

The ACLU called on the administration to include all removed references in any new draft, along with additional Indigenous topics.

A Noem spokesman said the group is misunderstanding the administration's approach, contending the standards in question remain in place.

Amiotte, an enrolled member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, said while they are ultimately trying to ensure Native American students do not feel discriminated against, they also want to improve learning opportunities for everyone by fostering honest curriculum.

"We think that it's incredibly important for the well-being, not only of Native American students, to know that we are a state that includes all races," Amiotte stressed.

Meanwhile, the Board of Education Standards has adopted a new timeline. It includes opening up the application process next Monday for those who want to be part of a new working group that will help craft a plan.