Education
Commonwealth Court ruling is a massive win for education choice advocates
Originally published in The Philadelphia Inquirer After a more than eight-year slog, the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court affirmed what the Pennsylvania Constitution has said all…
Read More: Commonwealth Court ruling is a massive win for education choice advocatesEducation is the first stepping-stone on the path to success, but Pennsylvania students face severe inequality among public school districts. Thousands who can’t afford private school are trapped in failing schools or situations that aren’t the right fit. The solution to this crisis is school choice. By offering families options outside their zip code-assigned district schools, students are better able to find their path to success. Charter schools, tax credit scholarships, education savings accounts (ESAs), homeschooling, and other types of education choice must become a priority in Pennsylvania.
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Education
Cyber Schools Save Kids from Bullying
Stephen Frank was a cheerful young student with an enthusiasm for learning and an interest in football. Not long into his first year of middle school at his traditional public…
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Cyber Schools Save Students
Recently, cyber schools have been attacked in the media and in the legislature as “too expensive” and “a drain on public education.” Nothing could be further from the truth.
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Cyber Charter Chat with Rep. Truitt
Rep. Dan Truitt (R-Chester) joined us for a Google Hangout this afternoon to discuss charter and cyber charter schools in Pennsylvania. Rep. Truitt, a parent of cyber school students,…
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How Cyber School Saved Rachel
In second grade, Rachel Coleman vividly remembers classmates teasing her about her high test scores and ability to learn at a sixth-grade level. “You’ll never get a husband!” girls taunted…
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Student Pleads to Preserve Cyber Schools
Applause to Brianna Shinn, a ninth-grade student who wrote a letter to the editor of the Bucks County Courier Times. Brianna is thriving at Pennsylvania Virtual Charter School and…
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Penn State Loophole Closed, Taxpayers Get Accountability
More accountability is in the works for Pennsylvania universities. Earlier this week, the House State Government Committee considered legislation requiring Pennsylvania’s four state-related universities to comply with the Right-to-Know Law.
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Common Core Questions, School Choice Answers
A new national school standard known as “Common Core” is fast becoming known for superseding state and local authority over public education curricula. Using cutting edge data collection and…
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Do Cyber Schools Spend Too Much?
With the House Education Committee set to consider new legislation on reducing cyber school funding, the discussion has turned again to how much cyber schools “actually” cost and…
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Education: America’s New Civil Right
Education can and should be America's newest civil rights issue. Today, too many schools are failing too many children. The system is broken, and access to a quality…
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Cyber Proposal Undermines Cherished School Option
The Matunis girls are just two of some 32,000 students statewide who are thriving at cyber schools. New legislation unveiled in Harrisburg, however, could do serious damage to cyber…
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New Bills Constitute Attack on Cyber Schools
Pennsylvania House Majority Leader Mike Turzai (R-Allegheny) and a trio of legislators today unveiled a package of bills aimed at reducing cyber school growth and limiting the popular schools’…
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California School Parents Make History
The win didn’t come easy, but parents at Desert Trails Elementary School in Adelanto, Calif. finally prevailed this week in putting the failing school under new charter school management, becoming…
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What’s Behind Pennsylvania’s D+ on Education?
StudentsFirst, a bipartisan education reform group, released report cards for all 50 states evaluating individual state education laws and policies—and the news wasn’t good for Pennsylvania,…
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Busting Charter School Funding Myths
Charter schools are under fire again this month, following renewed criticism from Pennsylvania Auditor General Jack Wagner on how the schools spend and save their funding.
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Handouts Hurting Poor, Help Up a Better Way
The holidays are a great time to be grateful for the gifts we've received. And, as we remember well, fallen Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney claimed that some Americans have…
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Why We Launched Free to Teach
We’ve had several conversations over the last year with public school educators. One thing has stood out: Teachers don’t feel like they have a genuine voice on educational and professional…
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More Strikes, More Staff, No Solution
If you thought the Chicago teacher strike was bad—spawning strikes elsewhere in Illinois—you should take a look at Pennsylvania. Mother Jones has compiled a fascinating map of teacher strikes…
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Pa. Teachers Unions Among America’s Most Powerful
Pennsylvania’s teachers unions rank fourth among all U.S. states in their strength and influence, according to a report released this week from the Fordham Institute. We trail only Hawaii,…
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Union Party Kills Charter Reform
Yesterday, I noted that despite watering down a proposed charter school reform bill, legislators were still hearing from government union bosses and other…
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Why Lawmakers Should Embrace Bold Action
Yesterday, the State Senate approved SB 1115, a charter school reform bill, which now goes to the House. This is a positive development for Pennsylvania children and parents. However, the…
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