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Education
Civics Education for America’s 250th Birthday
Summary The 250th anniversary of America’s founding provides an opportunity for parents, teachers, and students to focus on the core values and principles that shaped our nation. Civics education is…
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Education
What You Need to Know About Pennsylvania’s 2026-27 State Budget Deal
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State Budget
2026–27 State Budget: Tackling the Structural Deficit
Summary Pennsylvania’s structural deficit has reached $4.8 billion due to excessive spending. Under Gov. Josh Shapiro and his predecessor, Tom Wolf, state spending has consistently grown at a faster pace…
Fact Sheet
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Pennsylvania’s Economy is Struggling to Compete Nationally
Overview Over the past few months, Gov. Josh Shapiro and his administration have routinely touted Pennsylvania’s supposed economic success, portraying the commonwealth’s economy as “…
Fact Sheet
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Pennsylvania Students Will Thrive With Educational Choice
Testimony of Stephen Bloom, Vice PresidentCommonwealth FoundationPennsylvania House Republican Policy CommitteeHearing on Educational Choice in the CommonwealthJanuary 23, 2026 Chairman Rowe and members of the committee: Thank you for…
Testimony
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The Myth of Increased Education Spending
Testimony of Rachel LanganSenior Education Policy AnalystThe Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy AlternativesHearing on Improving Reading Outcomes in PennsylvaniaBefore the Pennsylvania Senate Majority Policy CommitteeThe Honorable David Argall, ChairJanuary…
Testimony
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Shadow School Choice: How Public Education Spending Fails Special Needs Students
Overview Despite year-after-year increases to special education funding, too often, students with special needs are left behind. The U.S. Department of Education guarantees a free appropriate…
Fact Sheet
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The Battle for Worker Freedom: How Government Unions Fund Politics Across the Country
Key Findings During the 2023–24 election cycle, the four biggest public sector unions—the National Education Association (NEA), American Federation of Teachers (AFT), Service Employees International Union (SEIU), and American Federation…
Report
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What You Need to Know About Pennsylvania’s 2025-26 State Budget
Summary Four months late, Gov. Josh Shapiro and state lawmakers agreed on a state budget deal. The agreement spends $1.4 billion less than Shapiro’s reckless, extreme proposal, and uses excessive…
Backgrounder
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Josh Shapiro: Least Productive Pennsylvania Governor in at Least 50 Years
Summary Nearly three years in office, a Commonwealth Foundation analysis finds Gov. Josh Shapiro’s first term is the least productive of any Pennsylvania gubernatorial term in at least 50 years.
Fact Sheet
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Low-Achieving and Violent Public Schools in Pennsylvania
Overview Students attending low-achieving public schools experience violence at nearly twice the rate of students attending higher-achieving schools and are more likely to experience violence involving a weapon.
Fact Sheet
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Myths and Facts: Public Cyber Charter Schools
Summary Myths and misinformation obscure the facts about Pennsylvania’s public cyber charter school students. Proposed cuts to cyber students will force the closure of up to nine of Pennsylvania’s 14…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Myths and Facts: Public Cyber Charter SchoolsState Budget
Corporate Welfare in Governor Shapiro’s Fiscal Year 2025–26 Budget Proposal
Summary Pennsylvania’s economy lags behind other states, hindered by high taxes and burdensome regulations. As a result, the state suffers from continued outmigration, with residents leaving for better opportunities in…
Fact Sheet
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Rethinking School District Reserve Funds as Students Return to Class
Pennsylvania must focus on funding students. Overview After years of property tax hikes and significant increases in state funding, Pennsylvania school districts ended the 2023–24 school year with more than…
Backgrounder
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Minimum Wage
Summary Findings by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry (L&I) show that less than one percent of Pennsylvania workers (47,200) earn the minimum wage or…
Fact Sheet
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Persistently Dangerous Pennsylvania Public Schools
Calculating danger based only on arrests ignores student safety. Overview New analysis by the Commonwealth Foundation shows that Pennsylvania violates state and federal law by failing to identify persistently dangerous…
Backgrounder
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One Big, Beautiful Bill Benefits for Pennsylvanians
Summary On July 4, 2025, President Donald Trump signed House Resolution 1, better known as the “One Big, Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBB), into law. Within the…
Fact Sheet
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Educational Choice for Children Act
U.S. Congress expands educational opportunity for K–12 students nationwide, funding millions in tax credit scholarships for Pennsylvania kids. First-Ever Federal Tax Credit Scholarship Program The U.S. Congress passed the Educational…
Fact Sheet
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Shapiro’s Lights Out Agenda
Analysis of Governor Shapiro’s Lightning Plan Summary In January, Gov. Josh Shapiro unveiled his Lightning Plan, which he calls a “bold, all-of-the-above energy plan” to shift…
Fact Sheet
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Learning Investment Tax Credit
Summary The proposed Learning Investment Tax Credit (LITC), House Bill (HB) 1662, creates a $8,000 per child refundable tax credit to offset education expenses if parents choose a non-public…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Learning Investment Tax CreditHealth Care
How Welfare Reforms in the OBBB Protect Pennsylvanians
Summary Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as Food Stamps, were intended to help provide health insurance and food for low-income seniors,…
Fact Sheet
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Deficit Watch: June 2025
Lawmakers must protect the Rainy Day Fund. Background Pennsylvania faces serious fiscal challenges. The enacted 2024–25 General Fund budget created a $3.6 billion structural deficit. Gov. Josh Shapiro’s 2025–26…
Deficit Watch
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HB 1500 Harms Cyber School Students
Summary Pennsylvania public school revenue has risen by almost 5 percent in the last year to more than $23,000 per student. The commonwealth ranks seventh in the nation in spending…
Fact Sheet
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