In Pennsylvania, education advocates contended affirmative action has been a critical tool in promoting equity and addressing historical disadvantages faced by marginalized communities.

The U.S. Supreme Court's conservative majority largely overturned decades of precedent which had prompted colleges and universities to consider a prospective student's race in trying to maintain diverse campuses.

Sen. Art Haywood, D-Montgomery County, said the ruling is a major setback for affirmative action, which has been used in Pennsylvania colleges and universities to increase the number of students of color on their campuses.

"I was extremely disappointed to see that the Supreme Court would end affirmative action," Haywood emphasized. "Which is a very narrow response to 200 years of enslavement, 100 years of segregation and continuous systemic discrimination, very narrow remedy."

Haywood noted it is going to be harder for students of color to be accepted at selective colleges and universities in Pennsylvania, but he is encouraging them to continue to apply anyway. In the meantime, opponents argued it is unfair to give preferential treatment to some students based on their race or ethnicity.

Donald Guy Generals, president of the Community College of Philadelphia, said he is also disappointed in the Supreme Court's ruling, as affirmative action policies at colleges and universities in Pennsylvania have played a vital role in promoting equity and diversity in higher education.

"In terms of our students, many of them do transfer as we establish advisement and articulations with other four-year institutions," Generals explained. "We want to make sure that we send them to places that are going to be accepting of them that have a diverse environment, that believe in the issues of diversity and equity and inclusion."

Generals pointed out the expectation with this Supreme Court is the ruling may eventually seep over into employment and other areas of society.

Generals stressed affirmative action has not provided minority students with opportunities they do not deserve, as it was only one factor in the admission process. He noted other factors could also be considered for admission into Pennsylvania schools such as a student's experience in overcoming challenges such as adversity. He argued the affordability of colleges could also be a factor.

"I think colleges and universities need to find ways to open the doors through lowering the cost of tuition," Generals asserted. "I think that begins to get at issues of equity, and issues of opportunity and access for students."

Generals said the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to block the student debt relief plan by the Biden administration does not affect their students as much, because community colleges are in the business of keeping the cost of education down. He added Community College of Philadelphia has not raised tuition in seven years.

Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.

Student loan forgiveness took center stage on Thursday at the American Federation of Teachers conference.

The Biden administration has canceled more than $62 billion in federal student debt for more than 871,000 public service workers nationwide, including teachers.

Presidential candidate Kamala Harris spoke at the conference, thanking educators for their work for children's well-being. She told them the administration sees a "future with affordable health care, affordable child care, and paid leave - not for some, but for all."

"We see a future where every student has the support and the resources they need to thrive, and a future where no teacher has to struggle with the burden of student loan debt," she said. "So, as an example, our administration has forgiven student loan debt for nearly 5 million Americans."

She pointed out that federal student debt relief plans, including the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, face potential threats from legal challenges and some resistance from Republicans in Congress.

A Pennsylvania recipient of student loan forgiveness introduced Vice President Harris. Brittany Shoup, a member of Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers Local 400, is a special-education teacher in the Pittsburgh Public Schools. Shoup said she had heard about the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, but most people who applied for it didn't receive it during the last administration.

"The Biden/Harris administration fixed PSLF and made the process easy," she said. "So I applied and later had my student loans forgiven. This is a huge weight off my shoulders. And now, I help my fellow teachers get the debt forgiveness they deserve."

The AFT conference wrapped up Thursday in Houston, with more than 3,500 educators in attendance.


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As summer winds down and North Carolina students prepare to return to school, the focus shifts to the urgent need for better public education funding.

The future of North Carolina school funding may hinge on Leandro v. North Carolina a decadeslong court battle about the financial challenges many districts face.

Matthew Ellinwood, director of the Education and Law Project at the North Carolina Justice Center, stressed the crucial role of state funding in ensuring a quality education for every child.

"We're waiting to see what the decision will be for that but there's a lot at stake for families who are feeling these lack of resources in their schools locally," Ellinwood observed. "People need to understand the huge role that the state plays in funding our schools locally, because of what our Constitution said and the rights that it provides to families."

In recent years, the court developed the Leandro Plan, a comprehensive strategy to ensure the state meets students' constitutional rights to education, from early childhood education to college and career transitions. Earlier this year, the state court reheard the case, which could determine the state's obligations but there has been no ruling yet.

North Carolina ranks 49th in the U.S. for school funding, with 92% of students in underfunded districts. Ellinwood noted the Leandro Plan aims to bridge these gaps.

"To deal with the shortages that we're seeing in teachers across the state and the number of teachers who are leaving the profession," Ellinwood explained. "And get back the nationally recommended ratios for nurses, counselors and therapists. It's something that a lot of families are seeing are not in place in their school for their health and mental health needs."

Ellinwood predicted the plan would also help address the child care crisis in the state. He explained rising costs and the end of federal pandemic funds have worsened challenges for child care centers and schools, leading to closures.

"I think the state is doing some kind of Band-Aid to try to keep the system going but we really need a significant investment there and that is laid out in the Leandro Plan," Ellinwood emphasized. "In a really, again, comprehensive way, we need funding through different wages for the quality measures, to ensure that those are met and continue to be high quality."

State lawmakers have approved a $68 million emergency fund for child care. Despite it, the state Department of Health and Human Services warned of more closures this fall without more support.


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Some Illinois educators made their way to Texas this week for an American Federation of Teachers convention. AFT is one of the nation's largest labor unions for educators and school personnel, with nearly two-million members - including more than 100,000 in Illinois.

The organization promotes democracy, economic opportunity and quality public education. Earlier this week, AFT President Randi Weingarten spoke to attendees in Houston on the impact of public schools in Illinois and nationwide.

"Public schools are essential to our children's future and to our democracy. Every public school should be a place where families want to send their children, educators want to work, and all students thrive," said Weingarten.

Vice President Kamala Harris is scheduled to give today's keynote speech at the convention.

Illinois Federation of Teachers President Dan Montgomery echoes the union's reaction to President Joe Biden's announcement not to seek re-election. He expressed his gratitude for what he called Biden's "unwavering dedication" to the American people, including investments in public education.

The IFT also supports some issues unrelated to education. These include defending reproductive health and improving healthcare access, and fostering an economy that uplifts the middle class. Another battle many educators face is evolving technology aimed at youth. Weingarten called on social media giants to operate more responsibly.

"We're fighting back against the addictive and predatory practices of social media companies, demanding that they protect - not prey on - children, and we're focusing on artificial intelligence. AI can be a powerful tool, but there must be strong guardrails," she said.

According to the Illinois State Board of Education, there are 867 districts and nearly 3,900 public schools in the state, with an 88% graduation rate. The average annual teacher salary is $75,000.