Education

Top 5 Articles of 2013

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 31, 2013

Yesterday, we gave you the 5 most popular blog posts of 2013.  Today, we are highlighting the 5 most read articles of 2013 on our website. 1) The (Growing)…

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Education

Top 5 Blog Posts of 2013

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 30, 2013

As 2013 winds to a close, we thought we’d run down the top stories of the past year.  Here are Commonwealth Foundation’s top 5 blog posts, as chosen by you…

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Your Fair Share Fee Questions Answered

  • December 19, 2013

Following Rob’s e-mail this month on why he resigned from his union and became a fair share fee payer, we received questions on the process involved. Well,…

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Education

PODCAST: StudentsFirst & Performance Profiles

  • December 19, 2013

In our latest podcast, Ashley DeMauro, PA state director for StudentsFirst, discusses Pennsylvania’s recently implemented school performance profiles. What do they measure? How can parents learn about their…

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Education

Philadelphia’s Education Crisis Worsens

  • December 19, 2013

More than 80 percent of 4th and 8th grade students in the School District of Philadelphia didn’t reach proficiency in math and reading, according to the Nation’s Report Card. When…

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I Retired Early: Here’s Why

  • December 18, 2013

It’s no secret to fellow educators that I do not agree with much of the Pennsylvania State Education Association’s dogma. I especially disliked the Union frequently wanting me to…

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Taxes & Economy

More Than Their Fair Share

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • December 17, 2013

A fair and sound tax policy requires that people or businesses pay for the government they use, including the cost of extracting natural gas.  Yet despite the passage of a…

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Health Care

“Healthy PA:” What’s It All Mean?

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • December 13, 2013

Last Friday, Gov. Corbett released full details of his Healthy PA initiative, which seeks to expand government-funded health insurance under Obamacare (using Medicaid expansion funds to pay private insurance…

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Education

Outdated Seniority Rules Harm Pittsburgh Students

  • Priya Brannick
  • December 12, 2013

Yesterday, we reported that the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers is trying to lower evaluation standards for teachers it had previously helped craft. Under Pittsburgh’s new system, which goes into…

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