Thomas Cusmano
Regional Director, Strategic Partnerships
Thomas (Tom) Cusmano is Regional Director, Strategic Partnerships at the Commonwealth Foundation.
Prior to joining the Commonwealth Foundation in early 2022, Tom spent twelve years at the Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI) and its student journalism subsidiary, the Collegiate Network (CN). Both ISI and CN educate, train, and mentor America’s most promising principled student leaders, scholars, and future journalists.
Tom has spent three decades facilitating development support for national, regional, and statewide charitable organizations. He says, “The greatest blessing of my professional life has been to assist an inspiring group of dedicated, patriotic, and generous Americans with their philanthropy. I now have the opportunity to return that inspiration for my home state of Pennsylvania through the worthy endeavors of the Commonwealth Foundation.”
Tom has been a Pennsylvania resident since 1994 and proudly proclaims another great blessing, living in Amish Country, where he, his wife, and family “found home.”
Education
Legislature should fund college students, not administrators
Originally published at Centre Daily Times As Pennsylvania’s budget stalemate persists, so does the limbo on funding for four state-related universities. Under debate is Gov. Josh Shapiro’s proposed collective…
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Government Union Contracts Increase Again
Summary Pennsylvania elected officials routinely and secretly negotiate billion-dollar labor contracts with government union leaders from whom they often receive political donations. These labor contracts are a major cost of…
Fact Sheet
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Back-to-school Report Showcases Latest Pa. Education Trends
Harrisburg, Pa., August 22, 2023 — Pennsylvania public school spending soars as enrollment drops and school hiring increases, according to a new Commonwealth Foundation back-to-school policy backgrounder that highlights…
Press Release
Read More: Back-to-school Report Showcases Latest Pa. Education TrendsEnergy
Governor Josh Shapiro’s Wrong Approach to Grid Reliability
Originally published at RealClearEnergy Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro has asked regional power grid operators to enhance the electricity system’s dependability—and he’s got ideas about how to do it. But his…
Media Hit
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Pa. Public Schools Spend More Per Child Than the National Average
Harrisburg, Pa., August 22, 2023 — Pennsylvania per-student education spending is the seventh highest in the nation, according to a new report that analyzes education trends. According to the…
Press Release
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Every kid deserves to be as lucky as me
Originally published at Broad + Liberty I graduated from Little Flower Catholic High School for Girls with a 5.3 grade point average. At Little Flower, I was an active student,…
Media Hit
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Pa. Back to School Public Education Trends
Overview As students head back to school, there are many claims of teacher shortages and funding shortfalls. In reality, public school spending is at a record high, and Pennsylvania ranks…
Backgrounder
Read More: Pa. Back to School Public Education TrendsEducation
School Choice Report, Episode 14
We are excited to have CEO & founder of Q&A, co-founder of Venice Music, and school choice advocate Troy Carter join the show! Mr. Carter’s connections to Philadelphia strong,…
Podcast
Read More: School Choice Report, Episode 14State Budget
House Democrats Need to Get Back to Work
Originally published at Delaware Valley Journal Pennsylvania House Democrats have been acting busy during the state budget impasse—an impasse their own majority leader, Rep. Matt Bradford, inexplicably denied existed…
Media Hit
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School Choice Report, Episode 13
In this episode, host David Hardy sits down with CEO and Executive Director at Freedom Coalition for Charter Schools Janel “Jay” Artis-Wright. Ms. Artis-Wright has spent two decades lobbying, training,…
Podcast
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Josh Shapiro: Bridge Builder or Bridge Burner?
Originally published in townhall.com. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro may have fixed one bridge, but he’s burning others. While the governor brags about …
Media Hit
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Shapiro Could Be the First Prominent Democrat to Deliver School Choice
Originally published in Real Clear Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro could still be the first in his party to provide genuine school choice for his…
Media Hit
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Gov. Shapiro’s Unfinished Budget Already in the Red
Pennsylvania faces a minimum $900 million deficit, while billions more remain in limbo. Harrisburg, Pa., August 10, 2023 – Gov. Josh Shapiro’s incomplete inaugural budget runs—as it stands—a projected $900…
Press Release
Read More: Gov. Shapiro’s Unfinished Budget Already in the RedState Budget
Takeaways from the Unfinished 2023–24 State Budget
Summary The state budget remains unfinished. While Gov. Josh Shapiro signed off on the general appropriation bill (House Bill 611), authorizing more than $40 billion in state general fund spending,…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Takeaways from the Unfinished 2023–24 State BudgetEducation
School Choice Report, Episode 12
From discussing the “why” behind the push for school choice to what hope families could and should have on the education horizon, host David Hardy leads intriguing discussions with Senior…
Podcast
Read More: School Choice Report, Episode 12Taxes & Economy
Gov. Shapiro’s First Six Months the Least Productive in 50 Years
Harrisburg, Pa., August 8, 2023 –Gov. Josh Shapiro has overseen the least productive freshman legislative session in at least 50 years, a new Commonwealth Foundation analysis has found. In the first…
Press Release
Read More: Gov. Shapiro’s First Six Months the Least Productive in 50 YearsTaxes & Economy
Shapiro’s First Six Months Least Productive Legislatively in 50 Years
Overview An analysis by the Commonwealth Foundation of bills signed reveals Gov. Josh Shapiro’s first six months were the least productive of any gubernatorial term in at least 50 years.
Fact Sheet
Read More: Shapiro’s First Six Months Least Productive Legislatively in 50 YearsEducation
If Ohio Can Fix Education, So Can Pennsylvania
Originally published at RealClearEducation There is a big lie recited as gospel: Giving parents educational choice drains money from public schools and ultimately destroys them. Teachers union lobbyists recently…
Media Hit
Read More: If Ohio Can Fix Education, So Can PennsylvaniaState Budget
Underserved students face uncertain future following Gov. Shapiro’s budget decision
Harrisburg, Pa., August 3, 2023 – Commonwealth Foundation Senior Vice President Nathan Benefield issued the following statement following Gov. Josh Shapiro’s decision to line-item veto the Pennsylvania Award for Student…
Press Release
Read More: Underserved students face uncertain future following Gov. Shapiro’s budget decisionEducation
School Choice Report, Episode 11
In this episode, President and CEO of the Children’s Scholarship Fund Philadelphia Keisha Jordan joins host David Hardy. Ms. Jordan is a dedicated nonprofit leader with 20 years of experience…
Podcast
Read More: School Choice Report, Episode 11State Budget
Jennifer Stefano: Forget I-95, Gov. Shapiro should slash the bureaucracy for everybody
Gov. Josh Shapiro should expand the use of bureaucracy-slashing tactics like those that helped expedite I-95 repairs, columnist and Commonwealth Foundation Executive Vice President Jennifer Stefano wrote Monday in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Press Release
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