Our Mission
Education Law Center pursues justice and equity for public school students by enforcing their right to a high-quality education in safe, equitable, non-discriminatory, integrated, and well-funded learning environments. We seek to support and improve public schools as the center of communities and the foundation of a multicultural and multiracial democratic society. We strive to secure and protect the rights of students who are underserved, experience inadequate learning opportunities, or face discrimination based on race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, language, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, immigrant or migrant status, or disability. To achieve these goals, we engage in litigation, research and data analysis, policy advocacy, communications, and strategic partnerships and collaborations.
The work of Education Law Center has expanded greatly over more than half a century. While maintaining a deep commitment to public education in our home state of New Jersey, in states across the country we engage in impactful litigation; in-depth research; extensive policy advocacy and coalition and campaign work; and targeted communications in support of public school funding equity, against education privatization and student discrimination, and to further students’ rights.
- Read the ELC 2026-29 Strategic Plan for our vision, key principles, theory of change, core strategies, and areas of work in our home state of New Jersey, in states around the nation, and at the federal level with regard to school funding, including against the diversion of public funds to private education uses, and student rights.
- Interact with Making the Grade, the highly anticipated, annual report from our Research Team about school funding in the 50 states, as well as our reports on Resource Equity in the States and our multiple, Interactive Tools.
- Learn about our Public Funds Public Schools campaign, which opposes the diversion of public money for private education uses and has achieved a series of important victories through litigation, policy advocacy and research.
- Visit our News page frequently for up-to-date communications about our work across states and areas of focus.
- Refer to the menu bar at the top of every web page to access information about our work, and Join our Network to receive ELC communications directly to your inbox.
Read a brief history of ELC here.
support our work
As a nonprofit organization, ELC relies on the generous contributions of individuals, corporations and foundations to support our work.
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