June event and membership drive are here

This article was originally published in The Notebook. In August 2020, The Notebook became Chalkbeat Philadelphia.

At this year’s “Turning the Page for Change” event, the Notebook will recognize the lawyers who are arguing a fair-funding lawsuit for schools against the state of Pennsylvania. The honorees are attorneys from Philadelphia’s Education Law Center and Public Interest Law Center, and the firm O’Melveny & Myers in New York.

The event will be held from 4:30 to 7 p.m. June 6 at the University of the Arts.

On behalf of six school districts and seven parents, the plaintiff’s lawyers in the lawsuit have argued that the General Assembly and governor are evading their constitutional responsibility to guarantee a “thorough and efficient” education for Pennsylvania’s students. The state counters that school funding is a legislative responsibility and that the courts have no jurisdiction in the matter. Last year, the Commonwealth Court dismissed the suit on those grounds, and the plaintiffs appealed that ruling to the state Supreme Court in September.

The Philadelphia School District is not among the plaintiffs, but it filed an “amicus” brief in support of their position, and several of the parents in the case reside in the city.

More than 350 public school supporters are expected to attend the “Turning the Page for Change” event this year. In addition to celebrating this year’s honorees, the event will include the Notebook’s annual student journalism awards, highlighting exemplary writing from Philadelphia high school students. There will also be a silent auction, where attendees can bid on some exciting items.

Tickets are now on sale, and they can also be purchased at the door. For more information, contact Lauren Wiley at laurenw@thenotebook.org or 215-839-0082 ext. 106.

Membership drive

The Notebook has launched its spring membership drive to raise funds to support our news organization’s operations through the summer. This fundraising campaign is crucial to continuing our daily work on online news articles through the the summer and supports our production of the annual Fall Guide to High Schools.

Notebook readers who donate now to become members or renew their memberships will receive benefits through June 30, 2018.

To learn more about membership levels and benefits, visit the Notebook online at www.thenotebook.org/become-a-member. To donate or renew by phone, call Lauren Wiley at 215-839-0082 ext. 106.

Summer interns

The Notebook welcomes two new interns for the summer season – Ariel Censor and Michael Vinci.

Censor is a sophomore at Haverford College in Haverford, Pa. Vinci is a senior journalism major at Emerson College in Boston.

Both interns will report and write stories for the Notebook’s website and help with the annual Fall Guide to High Schools.

The Notebook is always looking for editorial interns throughout the school year and summer. If you are interested in interning at the Notebook, please email a cover letter detailing your interest and a copy of your resume to wendyh@thenotebook.org.