Headshot

Robert O’Donnell

Education Senior Fellow

The Honorable Robert W. O’Donnell is an Education Senior Fellow with the Commonwealth Foundation.

Bob is a Philadelphia-based attorney and a former Democratic Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. As a member of the House for 19 years, Bob rose through the ranks of leadership, serving as caucus chairman, majority whip, majority leader, and Speaker of the House. While in public service, he developed a reputation as a thoughtful, dynamic, and intellectually honest member of the House. He has been a consistent advocate for equality of opportunity including supporting school choice throughout his tenure in the legislature.

Bob has served as a member of Public Employees Retirement Study Commission, the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh, the Board of Trustees of the University of Pittsburgh, the Mayor’s Tax Budget and Advisory Committee (Philadelphia), the Chesapeake Bay Commission, the General State Authority, the Mayor’s Economic Recovery Task Force (Philadelphia), the Millrite Council, and the Philadelphia Port Corporation Board of Directors.

He is a graduate of Temple University and its law school and attended The Hague Academy of International Law. Arcadia College and Philadelphia University awarded Bod honorary degrees, and he has received several public awards including citations from the Pennsylvania League of Cities Service and Common Cause.

Bob resides in Chestnut Hill with his wife, Dr. Donna Gentile O’Donnell.

Public Union Democracy

Teachers Pay the Price for their Unions’ Politics

  • October 22, 2014

CF recently attended a Philadelphia Federation of Teachers (PFT) rally with the goal of bringing our message directly to the teachers and families of Philadelphia. What exactly is our…

Media

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Public Union Democracy

Unions Bankroll Candidates on the Backs of Taxpayers

  • October 20, 2014

Government unions have not been reluctant to use their exclusive political privilege to finance candidates this election cycle. According to an AP analysis, four of the top ten…

Media

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Healthcare Problems Require Personal Solutions

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • October 17, 2014

Next month, Obamacare enrollment will start anew. Rather than a solution to an ailing healthcare system, this promises mass confusion, higher prices, and more families looking for help. …

Commentary

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Education

Audio: PFT Fails Students, Teachers & the Poor

  • October 17, 2014

Matt Brouillette and other members of Commonwealth Foundation were on the ground at the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers (PFT) protest yesterday, handing out fliers and letting teachers know how PFT…

Media

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Health Care

Audio: Healthcare Solutions Week—What Comes After Obamacare?

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • October 16, 2014

Four years after the passage of the Affordable Care Act, few think healthcare is more affordable. Premiums and out-of-pocket costs are rising, a new wave of Pennsylvanians are losing their…

Media

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Education

How the PFT Fails Philadelphia

  • James Paul
  • October 16, 2014

By standing in the way of tens of millions of new dollars for Philadelphia classrooms, the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers (PFT) has revealed its true identity—a self-interested,…

Media

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