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.
Op-Ed: Delusions of Progressive ‘Resistance’ in PA’s Heartland
On guns, law and order, family values, and education, the county isn’t a great fit for progressive activists or the elite millionaires who fund them. But post-Trump, such a conservative…
Commentary
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Don Kirkland, Sr.
What actions can you take now to ensure the values you cherish endure for generations? Leaving a legacy is something deeply rooted in the Kirkland family. Their business, Marine Equipment…
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Don Kirkland, Sr.
What actions can you take now to ensure the values you cherish endure for generations? Leaving a legacy is something deeply rooted in the Kirkland family. Their business, Marine Equipment…
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Op-Ed: Will Lawmakers Finally Stop Groveling For Teachers Unions? Pennsylvania Is About To Find Out
Officials will have to show which they value: the growing demand by families for education choice, or teachers' unions' persistent political clout.
Commentary
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2021 Budget Takeaways
Last week, the Pa. General Assembly passed a state budget deal that includes $40 billion in the General Fund budget, increases in tax credit scholarships, and a number of policy…
Fact Sheet
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Op-Ed: The CHOICE Act: Because Low-Income Children Deserve Options, Too
The CHOICE Act won’t solve every problem we see in education today. But it will open new opportunities for thousands of low-income students.
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Faces of Education Reform
Tax credit scholarships change lives. Read the stories.
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Ensuring a Legacy of Freedom: Andrew Terhune
Did you know that there is a quick and easy way to increase your support of Commonwealth Foundation and help ensure a legacy of freedom for Pennsylvania? Your fellow supporter,…
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School Choice Expands in Pennsylvania Budget
June 25, 2021, Harrisburg, Pa. — Lawmakers today unveiled a deal on the next fiscal year’s state budget, which the governor is expected to sign. The budget includes an increase in the cap…
Press Release
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Op-Ed: PA Gov. Attacks Lawmakers’ Sensible Election Reforms
Wolf is also ignoring new polling from Franklin & Marshall College, which shows that Pennsylvania voters believe election reform is necessary. Among voters polled, 81% favor signature matching for mail-in ballots…
Commentary
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School Funding Myth Busters
In the face of uncertainly due to COVID in 2020, state lawmakers flat-funded education for the 2020–21 school year. Districts also received about $6 billion in additional funding via three…
Fact Sheet
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Op-Ed: Banning ideas in schools isn’t the answer — parents must be active citizens
For America to remain a free country, the power to defend our society and improve education for our children must be in our hands, not those of politicians. By making…
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Op-Ed: With $7 billion windfall, Pa. should focus on jobs, students
With this budget, lawmakers should enact policies that help our citizens find work and ensure that every kid has access to a high-quality education.
Commentary
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Pennsylvania Public Schools? Pandemic Profits
Since the early months of the pandemic, Pennsylvania school district bureaucrats and lobbyists have demanded additional funding, ostensibly to cover increased costs. A February Commonwealth Foundation report tracked the…
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Op-Ed: Gov. Wolf’s education funding claims are false. Here’s the truth
Originally published in The Center Square. Last week, Gov. Tom Wolf held a press conference on the Capitol steps capping off a more than four-month campaign…
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Excellence in Education for All Act Summary
What is the Excellence in Education for All Act? The Excellence in Education for All Act (Senate Bill 1) is an exciting bill that seeks to ensure more Pennsylvania…
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Op-Ed: With $7 Billion to Spend, Lawmakers Must Avoid Past Mistakes
The lesson is clear. If politicians use federal stimulus money to expand existing programs, their successors will face intense political pressure to make those spending increases permanent, compounding our structural…
Commentary
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Op-Ed: More school choice means fewer lotteries
SB 1 also includes an important provision to increase the availability of charter schools. Pennsylvania law currently places school districts in charge of charter school authorization. Unsurprisingly, districts often reject…
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Acton University
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New Study: Pa. K-12 Scholarship Bill Would Create Billions in Economic Benefits
June 15, 2021, Harrisburg, Pa. — A new study from the Commonwealth Foundation and the American Federation for Children shows that Pennsylvania’s tax credit scholarships are a powerful tool for…
Press Release
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The Untapped Potential of Expanded Tax Credit Scholarships
This study reviews the most rigorous evidence on school choice and student outcomes in the United States and estimates the economic impacts of expanding access to Pennsylvania’s K-12 tax credit…
Report
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