Education
2025 State of Education Spending in Pennsylvania
Overview The national trends impacting education in Pennsylvania in 2025 include an impending fiscal cliff, under-enrolled schools, and population decline, all of which lead to school closures…
Read More: 2025 State of Education Spending in PennsylvaniaPennsylvania’s future is in the hands of the next generation. Parents and students—not activist agendas—should drive the Commonwealth’s education policy. While policymakers have been entrusted with ensuring the next generation receives a quality education, parents should be empowered to choose the quality education that meets their unique child’s needs. Charter schools and tax credit scholarships are integral pieces of school choice, but more reforms are needed to make school choice a reality for all Pennsylvania students.
Education
ESA Basics: Understanding this New Lifeline
Children trapped in Pennsylvania's worst-performing schools could soon have new educational opportunities. On Wednesday, Senator John DiSanto (R-Dauphin County) introduced Senate Bill 2, establishing Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) in Pennsylvania.
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Education Savings Accounts Bill Introduced in State Senate
Today, Senator John DiSanto (R-Dauphin County) introduced Senate Bill 2, which would establish education savings accounts (ESAs) in Pennsylvania. ESAs are an innovative education choice program providing alternatives for…
Press Release
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Gov. Wolf Reverses Unlawful Moves
Admist the budget stalemate, there is some welcome news out of Harrisburg. Within a single week, thousands of home care workers, educators, and taxpayers were relieved from the governor’s punitive…
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What to Make of the PSSA Results
Newly released Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) scores show little to no change in academic achievement across the commonwealth. What do these scores mean? The PSSAs posted on…
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Wolf Administration’s Disregard for the Law is Hurting Pennsylvanians
Gov. Wolf's refusal to release approval letters for the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) programs is causing needless pain for families, students, schools, and…
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Gov. Wolf’s Indefensible Decisions Continue to Hurt Students
Pennsylvania’s successful scholarship programs—the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC)—are in danger once again. The Wolf Administration has delayed the programs’ approval letters, which…
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Diverse Students Need Diverse Choices
Were a doctor to give every patient an aspirin regardless of their diagnosis, most would consider the doctor unqualified. Sure, the patients with a fever or a headache might be satisfied, but…
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Parents, Children, and Lawmakers Celebrate Education Savings Accounts
Dozens of parents, children, and educational choice advocates packed the Joshua Learning Center in Harrisburg to rally for education savings accounts (ESAs). Sen. John DiSanto's soon-to-be released legislation,…
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News Release: State Senate to Introduce Education Savings Accounts
In a step toward dramatically increasing educational opportunity for students in Pennsylvania’s lowest-performing schools, today Senator John DiSanto unveiled his plan to introduce legislation establishing Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) in…
Press Release
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Charter Schools Help District Schools
The evidence is clear that charter schools increase academic performance among students they serve. Some wonder, though, about charter schools’ impact on nearby public schools. Is it possible that…
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Senate Nixes Tax Credit Scholarship Expansion
Late last night the Senate Appropriations Committee amended the Education Code, HB 178, without including an increase for Pennsylvania's popular tax credit scholarship programs. An earlier version of the…
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News Release: Wolf Rewards Ghost Teacher, Union Campaign Contributor with Cabinet Nomination
Failing to show up for work is usually grounds for dismissal, but for Gov. Wolf, it’s reason for promotion. In nominating Jerry Oleksiak as the next Secretary of Labor &…
Press Release
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Education Code Boosts Private Scholarships, Protects Excellent Teachers
The state House recently passed SB 227, which serves as the education code for the 2017-18 fiscal year. Chris Comisac of Capitolwire.com (paywall) has details on the substance…
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Op-Ed: Contract Secrecy Plagues Public Schools
Taxpayers were kept in the dark, only to be slipped a $395 million bill—along with the admission that there’s no way to pay for it—at the 11th hour. These secret…
Commentary
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Wolf Cost Pa. Kids 8,000+ Scholarships
Scholarships awarded by Pennsylvania's tax credit programs plummeted by 8,404 in 2016, compared to the previous year. To put that number in context: 8,400 students would comprise the…
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Can School Choice Reduce Crime?
We know different parents have different preferences regarding how their children are educated. Some may place an emphasis on standardized test scores, while others want certain moral or religious values.
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Policy Memo: Education Savings Accounts: Myths and Facts
Education Savings Accounts help children grow, satisfy parents, and can improve the quality of education in Pennsylvania. This memo addresses falsehoods raised by opponents of parental choice in education.
Memo
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ESAs Advance to Another State—Will Pa. Be Next?
This week, North Carolina became the sixth state to authorize education savings accounts (ESAs)—flexible spending accounts used by parents to customize their child’s education.
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Measuring Academic Success with Education Savings Accounts
How do we determine if a school is succeeding? Many will point to a combination of test scores, graduation rates, and student growth. Certainly, these are important factors—but by no…
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Audio: “Rainy Day” Funds Raining on Taxpayers
School districts across Pennsylvania have stashed away millions of surplus funds for a “rainy day,” yet some continue to request higher taxes at the same time. Of course, for…
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Will Philly Union Contract Require State Bailout?
Philadelphia’s new teacher contract could be so expensive as to require teacher layoffs to pay for it. But there’s another way the $395 million pact could be financed: with…
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