Erik Telford
Senior Vice President of Public Affairs
Erik Telford is the Senior Vice President of Public Affairs at the Commonwealth Foundation.
Erik is a senior public affairs and communications executive with more than 15 years of diverse experience across public policy, advocacy, and public affairs institutions. Before joining the Commonwealth Foundation, Erik served as the senior vice president at Stand Together Communications, the Koch network’s marketing and communications capability. Erik has also served as the president of the Franklin Center for Government & Public Integrity, a state-based watchdog journalism organization. And at Americans for Prosperity, he was the executive director of RightOnline (an initiative he founded) and the director of membership and online strategy. He is currently on the board of the American Commitment Foundation.
In 2013, Campaigns & Elections Magazine honored Erik as an “Advocacy Innovator” and in 2011 as a “Rising Star in American Politics.” Politics Online named him one of the “Top 10 Who Are Changing the World of Internet and Politics.”
Education
Pa. Must Pull Parent Trigger to Save Education
Martin Luther King Jr. believed that, "unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality." If correct, then no stronger love or enduring truth can personify his…
Commentary
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SPENCER: No excuse for a failing education system
Media Hit
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Charter Expansion Would Boost Student Learning
Priya wrote about the recent decline in state test scores and in the number of schools making Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), noting seven facts union bosses don’t want you…
Media
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5 Facts on the Parent Trigger in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania lawmakers are considering legislation to reform the state charter school law. This legislation may include a "parent trigger" to convert failing schools into charter schools. …
Fact Sheet
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Pennsylvania’s Academic Performance and Implications for Charter School Reform
The 2011-12 state PSSA results show declines across the board, and fewer districts and schools making Adequate Year Progress. Here are some key facts concerning this latest development, and what…
Memo
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Saylor Broaches Biggest Budget Buster
Pensions and transportation top the list of crises the General Assembly won’t address in their short fall session, but little has been said about the biggest budget buster facing the…
Media
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5 Fixes for Property Tax Fires
Yesterday, I testified before the House Select Committee on Property Tax Reform, presenting on the best tax policy to finance government operations, and on…
Media
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Bread, Freedom and Halftime Sickles?
Workers of the world unite at the 50-yard line? Apparently, that’s the tune played recently at a halftime show by the New Oxford High School Marching Band whose ” St.
Media
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7 Education Facts Unions Don’t Want You to Know!
Pennsylvania is reeling from the Friday release of student test scores for 2011-12, which show declining student performance in our public schools. Kids did worse on the Pennsylvania System…
Media
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Jobs proposal would give income tax to employers
Media Hit
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Approaches to Property Tax Reform
Testimony of Nathan A. Benefield to the Pennsylvania House Select Committee on Property Tax Reform Good morning, my name is Nathan Benefield; I am the director of policy analysis for…
Testimony
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Pension Crisis: Finding the Path to Reform
Media Hit
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Penn State Fights to Keep Operations Secret After Sandusky
Topics on this page Pennsylvania State University…
Media Hit
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Governor Corbett, lawmakers fail to act on pension crisis
Media Hit
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Harrisburg’s Horrid Decade of Despair
With soaring crime, a city in bankruptcy and families on the financial brink, children trapped in Harrisburg School District have to wonder how bad it can really get. …
Media
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Pension Iceberg Grows $4 Billion
Pennsylvania’s ailing government worker pension system just landed taxpayers an estimated $4 billion more in unfunded pension liabilities. The Public School Employee Retirement System (PSERS)—the largest government worker pension system…
Media
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Simply Naked or Simply Stupid?
Contradictions, corruption and chaos have consistently characterized the conduct of the Kings of Cabernet. So it should be no surprise today they renewed a kids’ contest designed to bring…
Media
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Liquor store system: Hesitancy to privatize leaves state out of touch
Media Hit
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Should Taxpayers Subsidize Chocolate Making?
I testified yesterday before the House Finance Committee about how government-directed “economic development” hampers economic growth. A prime example of this happened Tuesday, where taxpayers forked over more…
Media
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Growing Pennsylvania’s Economy
Testimony of Katrina M. Currie to Pennsylvania House Finance Committee, September 19, 2012 Good afternoon, my name is Katrina Currie; I am a policy analyst for the Commonwealth Foundation, Pennsylvania’s…
Testimony
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