Education

Public Cyber Schools Save Taxpayers Money: Rendell/Zahorchak proposal would increase taxes, reduce public school choice

  • August 2, 2007

HARRISBURG, PA — Today, the Commonwealth Foundation issued a response to Pennsylvania Education Secretary Gerald L. Zahorchak’s proposal to reduce funding to the Commonwealth’s public cyber charter schools.

Press Release

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Education

The Public Schools Edifice Complex

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 2, 2007

How much money should a school receive for a student it no longer has to educate? And, is taxpayer money being wisely spent on classroom instruction or school construction? Those…

Commentary

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Education

The Dollars and Sense of School Choice

  • July 31, 2007

Introduction Every year, most Pennsylvania homeowners receive larger property tax bills due to increases in public school spending. In the nine school years from 1997 to 2006, school property taxes…

Fact Sheet

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Remember in November of ’08

  • Nathan Benefield
  • July 30, 2007

“The ‘reform movement’ in the Pennsylvania Legislature is dead,” writes Brad Bumsted, who ask us all to “Remember, remember the 5th of November…” Okay, so I think Brad is…

Media

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Taking Pennsylvania for a Ride

  • Matthew Brouillette
  • July 30, 2007

Nearly three years ago, the Commonwealth Foundation joined a loose coalition of groups that spanned the political and ideological spectrum. Common Cause, Democracy Rising PA, RockTheCapital.org, Young Conservatives of…

Commentary

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Education

Edifice Complex: Where Has All the Money Gone?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • July 26, 2007

From the 1986-87 to 2005-06 school years, taxpayer spending on Pennsylvania’s government-run K-12 schools increased from $6.6 billion to almost $22 billion—a 72% increase after adjusting for inflation. Between…

Report

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Education

The Truth About Cyber Schools

  • July 25, 2007

An increasing number of parents are choosing Pennsylvania’s public cyber charter schools for their children every year—enrollment grew from 1,848 to almost 16,000 students between 2001 and 2006. Cyber…

Commentary

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Reforming the Budget Process

  • Nathan Benefield
  • July 23, 2007

The Commonwealth Foundation will be joining with other members of the reform coalition (today at 11 am) to discuss the budget process in the “era of reform,” and an alternative…

Media

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