Education
The High Cost of Pa. K–12 Education Failures
Key Points The cost and risk of failure in our K–12 system is high. Low academic achievement is a predictor of lower lifetime incomes and higher costs for taxpayers. On…
Read More: The High Cost of Pa. K–12 Education FailuresPennsylvania’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
We’re Number One! In Teacher Strikes…still
The Allegheny Institute, one of our sister think tanks, posted a brief about teacher strikes. Unfortunately, Pennsylvania maintains its reputation of being the “teacher strike capital” of the world.
Media
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Hope for me, but not for thee
Cross posted on Capital Domes. It seems Washington, D.C., is atwitter over President-elect Barack Obama’s first major decision. No, it’s not which cabinet post Hillary will get.
Media
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Charter schools produce graduates, cost less
Jay P. Greene’s blog points to a couple of recent studies on charter schools. The first one (link to full study here) shows that charter schools in Florida…
Media
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Pennsylvania State Education Association: Compelling Teachers, Marginalizing Students, Lobbying Politicians & Increasing Taxes
Originally founded as the Pennsylvania State Teachers Association in 1852, the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA) has transformed itself from a professional development organization for educators into one of the…
Fact Sheet
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Harrisburg’s Most Powerful Special Interest
New policy brief addresses the impact of unions on public education HARRISBURG, PA — The Commonwealth Foundation today released Pennsylvania State Education Association: Compelling Teachers, Marginalizing Students, Lobbying Politicians &…
Press Release
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National Campaign for School Choice Launched
Our friends at the Alliance for School Choice have launched a new campaign – Let Parents Choose – aimed at recruiting 10,000 activists and supporters of school choice.
Media
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School Choice Improves Student Learning
While evidence on school choice programs in the US indicates both benefits for student recipients and competitive benefits for public schools (not to mention greater parental satisfaction…
Media
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PA Charter School Laws 12th Strongest in the Nation
The Center for Education Reform ranks Pennsylvania 12th out of 41 states in their 2008 survey of America’s Charter Schools. In…
Media
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Tax Credits Lend Helping Hand to Families
The Goldwater Institute has an interesting article on urban legends about Arizona scholarship tax credits. Some people think they benefit only the rich. Turns out Arizona tax credits are…
Media
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Schools Need Your Vote Every Year
School board members are not up for re-election this year. That’s too bad, for a lot of people will be voting tomorrow. School board elections are held in off-years meaning…
Commentary
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Education Spending: Grass vs. Artificial Turf Football Fields
To demonstrate how school spending has grown so dramatically, the York Dispatch has a story on the great debate raging on how much to spend on the turf for…
Media
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Schools Need Your Vote Every Year
School board members are not up for re-election this year. That’s too bad, for a lot of people will be voting tomorrow. School board elections are held in off-years meaning…
Commentary
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Vouching for Obama
Andrew Coulson has a good read on National Review Online on Obama’s “open mind” (apparently now closed) on school choice, noting that Obama is instead using the old…
Media
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Will Pa. graduation exams improve public education?
Cross-posted at Capitol Domes Gov. Rendell has been pushing the idea of a statewide graduation requirement that all students pass a test (his latest gives one of…
Media
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Forced Unionism and Teacher Strikes
Video from the National Right to Work Foundation featuring Simon Campbell of Stop Teacher Strikes…
Media
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Time for School Board Transparency
Commonwealth Foundation launches “sunshine” project on school district labor negotiations HARRISBURG, PA — Today, the Commonwealth Foundation announced the launch of a new project engaging in an effort to provide…
Press Release
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The Vatican Denies Collective Bargaining for Catholic Teachers
When the Bishop Joseph F. Martino refused to recognize the Scranton Diocese Association of Catholic Teachers as a collective bargaining unit the union took it’s…
Media
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Video: Flunked Panel Discussion
Video of our panel discussion following the film Flunked, co-hosted by the REACH Foundation. Discussants include Adam Schaeffer of the Cato Institute; school choice parents…
Media
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Video: Leaving Children Behind: Teacher Unions vs. School Choice
Video from yesterday’s Policies and Principles luncheon (co-hosted by the REACH Foundation) on school choice and the teachers’ unions is now available on our YouTube Channel. …
Media
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Flunked Trailer
Flunked: The Movie is a documentary looking at the failure of our public schools, and success stories in public education. Below is the trailer. We will be hosting a…
Media
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Pittsburgh Schools: we can’t teach so give them better grades
The Pittsburgh Schools established a new policy that sets 50% as minimum score. (HT Grassroots PA). That is, if you missed all the questions on the test, you…
Media
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