Education
Federal Scholarship Tax Credit
Tens of thousands of kids wait-listed for Pennsylvania’s tax credit scholarship programs could receive scholarships under the new federal program. First-Ever Federal Tax Credit Scholarship Program Last July, Congress passed…
Read More: Federal Scholarship Tax CreditPennsylvania’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 educational choice a reality for all Pennsylvania students.
Education
Cigarette Tax Won’t Save Philly Students
For Immediate Release Commonwealth Foundation Contact: 717-671-1901 Threatened Cuts Exaggerated, Quick-Fix Measures Not the Answer Trends Show More Funding Won’t Fix Philadelphia Schools August 1,…
Press Release
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Philadelphia School Trends, 2002-03 to 2012-13
The School District of Philadelphia is in desperate need of reform, but its many problems cannot be solved by simply raising taxes and increasing spending.
Fact Sheet
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Teacher Evaluation System to Continue in Pittsburgh
Good news from the Pittsburgh School District, where the Pennsylvania Department of Education granted three year approval of Pittsburgh’s new teacher evaluation system. This despite the Pittsburgh Federation…
Media
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PSEA Spokesman Wins the Pinocchio Award
Readers of PolicyBlog already know that Pennsylvania education spending is at a record high, that state funding to school districts for…
Media
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Study: Charter Schools More Efficient
It is impossible to do more with less, they say; you cannot expect schools to achieve better results without increasing spending. Yet an essential new report from the University…
Media
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Taxing Business Won’t Save Students
Paul Battista told a Congressional subcommittee last year: “We can now pay a higher family-sustaining wage! We have people working for us that are the primary breadwinners of their household.”…
Commentary
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Is There a Pension Crisis?
PolicyBlog readers will be well-familiar with the fact that Pennsyvlania state funding for public schools is at a record high. So why do government union leaders and some…
Media
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Will Higher Taxes and Funding Save Students?
Philadelphia is in the midst of a crisis. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, more than 80 percent of 4th and 8th grade students did not reach proficiency in math and…
Media
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Hope and Success in Opportunity Scholarship Program
James Cromartie is a 7th grader at the School of Church Farm in Exton, Pa. His mom, Lynne, is grateful for the school’s challenging academics, art, music and athletic programs.
Media
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State Education Spending at Record High
The recently passed Pennsylvania state budget sets a new record for state funding for public schools. The chart below illustrates this growth over the years. The total budgeted for the…
Media
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Teachers’ Views Matter
From my vantage point on the frontlines of Pennsylvania’s public schools, I see teachers’ unions with money to spend and power to wield who are unresponsive to the very people…
Commentary
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Give Teachers the Freedom to Choose
Let teachers worry about teaching; let politicians worry about politics. That’s been my mantra throughout my career as an educator. But, sadly, most public school teachers in Pennsylvania don’t have…
Commentary
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Why I Left Teaching: Union Politics
I taught science full-time for more than two decades and enjoyed a rewarding career educating a generation of public school students in Westmoreland County. I retired from teaching earlier than…
Commentary
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Union Leaders’ Lobbying Hurts Teachers, Students
Last week we highlighted a California judge who ruled that laws enforcing teacher seniority and tenure were unconstitutional and violated students’ rights to a quality education. But here in…
Media
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Politics Threatens Progress in Pittsburgh
Results from Pittsburgh’s new teacher evaluation system were unveiled today, identifying both excellent teachers and those that need improvement. The goal of this new evaluation system is to allow the…
Media
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A Fair Funding Formula: School Choice
Although it doesn’t fit the popular narrative of cash-starved school districts, spending on education is at an all-time high. The Pennsylvania Department of Education budget reached $11.2 billion in FY…
Media
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Students Win over Seniority Laws
Big news out of California, where a state judge struck down that state’s teacher seniority and tenure laws. The lawsuit was filed by 9 students who believed that…
Media
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An Inconvenient Truth: School Spending & Revenue at All-Time Highs
For Immediate Release Commonwealth Foundation Contact: 717-671-1901 Contrary to Cries of Desperation, District Revenue & Spending are at All-Time Highs Spending on Salaries Dwarfed by Pension Costs…
Press Release
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Political Fairness Issue Goes Before Lawmakers
For Immediate Release Commonwealth Foundation Contact: 717-671-1901 Legal Loophole Exploits Taxpayers & Union Members for Politics Paycheck Protection Promises to Restore Fairness & Accountability June 5,…
Press Release
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Five Facts on Pennsylvania Public Schools
The Pennsylvania Department of Education recently released its annual summary of public school finances for the 2012-13 school year. Here are some basic facts about school finances and spending,…
Fact Sheet
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Pension Reform Benefits Teachers & Taxpayers
Standard & Poor’s recently issued a stern warning that they would lower Pennsylvania’s bond rating—making it more expensive for the state to borrow money—unless they “adopt meaningful pension reform.” This…
Commentary
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