Education
Shapiro Failed on School Choice—Again. There’s Hope Despite Him
Originally published at RealClearPennsylvania The state budget is finally done, but Pennsylvania families should be angry. That’s the most important takeaway from the budget that Gov. Josh Shapiro and…
Read More: Shapiro Failed on School Choice—Again. There’s Hope Despite HimPennsylvania’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
The Constitutionality of School Choice
Despite Pennsylvania taxpayers spending $26 billion annually on public schools and more per student than 39 other states ($13,000 per child); and despite a decreasing student enrollment of nearly…
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Yearbook of School Choice
The Alliance for School Choice has released its 2010-11 school choice yearbook. The report includes an overview of the growth of school choice programs around the country, a roundup…
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PA School District Uses Tax Dollars to Fight School Choice
The West Shore School District—my district, as it happens—has issued a “newsletter” with the clear, but unstated, goal of opposing Senate Bill…
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School Daze Ends with Choice
If Pennsylvania's public schools are broken, why don't we just fix them? Easier said than done, of course, but it's not from a lack of trying. For decades, taxpayers, parents…
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Chart of the Day: Education Spending Under SB 1
Below is a chart showing estimated spending in Pennsylvania under Senate Bill 1 (this assumes $50 million for opportunity scholarships, $75 million for…
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Pennsylvania School Choice Resources
Senate Bill 1, The Opportunity Scholarship Act sponsored by Sen. Jeff Piccola (R) and Sen. Tony Williams (D), would expand scholarships available to children in lower- and middle-income families through…
Fact Sheet
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School Choice: Why, What, and How
Nine of the 10 "gold standard" evaluations of voucher programs reported statistically significant gains in achievement for all or some voucher recipients. In 18 out of 19 academically rigorous studies,…
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Senate Bill 1: Analysis & Recommendations
Senate Bill 1, The Opportunity Scholarship Act sponsored by Sen. Jeff Piccola (R) and Sen. Tony Williams (D), would expand scholarships available to children in lower- and middle-income families through…
Fact Sheet
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Even with Act 1, School Property Taxes Climb
The Patriot News takes a look at the failure of Act 1 of 2006 (special session) to slow the growth of school property taxes. Indeed, since the slots law…
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The Evidence on School Vouchers
Here is a letter I submitted to the Philadelphia Daily News to correct some “facts” about school choice: Elmer Smith’s column denouncing a school choice proposal…
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Union Dues for More Lobbyists
Last month, the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA) announced it was raising mandatory dues on teachers and school employees by 11%. Where is that money going? You’d better believe…
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School Choice & Competition Improve ALL Schools
On Friday, Andrew Lefevre blogged about a woman who was sentenced to jail for lying about her zip code in hopes of sending her daughters to a better school.
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Friendly Mis-Fire on School Choice
In a column, Chris Freind attacked Senate Bill 1, the Piccola-Williams “Opportunity Scholarship Act.” Having obviously neglected to tune into our webcast on SB 1 with Sen. Piccola,…
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Sen. Piccola and Matt Brouillette Discuss School Choice in PA
If you missed our webcast discussing Senate Bill 1 and school choice with Sen. Jeff Piccola, you can watch a replay here.
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New Ad Takes on Teacher Unions
A new full page advertisement for school choice is appearing in newspapers throughout the state this week. Cutting straight to the point, the ad goes after teacher unions and school…
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Does School Choice Violate The Pennsylvania Constitution?
Good video from PA Independent on the Constitutionality of school vouchers in Pennsylvania, with Dick Komer, a senior attorney with the Institute for Justice.
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Parents Need Choices & Control of Their Children’s Education
Almost 40,000 students used an EITC scholarship last year—with an average value of $1,000—to attend a better or safer school. The average annual family income for these students was only…
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Has More Money Improved School District Performance?
A recent study by the 21st Century Partnership for STEM Education (STEM is short for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, which is a good cause to use an acronym)…
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PSBA’s Web of Lies on School Vouchers
The Pennsylvania School Boards Association (PSBA), in a desperate attempt to preserve the status quo in education, has launched a new portal, VoucherWatch. Of the many pieces of misinformation…
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To These People, Gov. Corbett’s “C” Word Is an Epithet
Well. It sounds like the media and the educational establishment interpreted Gov. Tom Corbett’s inaugural address the same way I did. Since his inauguration, there has been a bunch…
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The Right Thing
I am infamous in the Commonwealth Foundation office and in my family for being old fashioned. There is a litany of reasons: I wear ties a lot. I even own…
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