Education

Shadow School Choice: When Public Schools Turn Students Away 

• Rachel Langan
• March 19, 2025

Summary The School District of Philadelphia outsources special education to private schools when the district is unable to meet the student’s special education needs. The U.S. Department of Education guarantees…

Fact Sheet

What’s Shapiro Hiding?

• Common Sense Weekly
• February 13, 2025

Welcome to Common Sense Weekly! This is the Commonwealth Foundation’s weekly news roundup of policy issues being debated in Harrisburg and across Pennsylvania. Governor Shapiro’s Super Bowl Appearance Highlights…

Blog

Education

No Choice

• Rachel Langan
• February 6, 2025

Originally published in The Philadelphia Inquirer. In a recent Inquirer article, Donna Cooper, executive director of Children First, stated that “the overwhelming majority of parents choose public schools.”…

Media Hit

Fairness

Election Reform in Pennsylvania

• November 25, 2024

Summary Ahead of the 2020 election, Pennsylvania allowed no-excuse mail-in voting for the first time. Officials overwhelmed with millions of ballot requests, last-minute state guidance, and litigation resulted in delayed…

Fact Sheet

State Budget

Proposed Tax Cuts and the 2024 State Budget

• May 28, 2024

Key Points A responsible budget in fiscal year (FY) 2024–25 must grapple with Pennsylvania’s aging and shrinking workforce challenges through sound tax and regulatory reform. State Senate Republicans proposed two…

Fact Sheet

Education

Stefano: Do-nothing Dems in the Pa. House hold bipartisan reforms hostage

• February 6, 2024

Pennsylvania is losing people and industries to other states as a result of the state’s “crippling economic policies,” writes Philadelphia Inquirer columnist and Commonwealth Foundation Executive Vice President Jennifer Stefano in her Monday Inquirer …

Press Release

Health Care

The Personal Option for Health Care in Pennsylvania

• Elizabeth Stelle
• November 8, 2023

Summary Keep and expand the health care systems that work: Protect Direct Primary Care (DPC) practices. Allow expanded Association Health Plans (AHPs) so small businesses can offer more affordable coverage.

Backgrounder

Education

Pennsylvanians Deserve the Truth on Education Spending

• Nathan Benefield
• September 18, 2023

Originally published at RealClearPennsylvania Pennsylvania’s Basic Education Funding Commission has begun holding hearings on how to remake the state’s public schools funding formula after a state court determined that the existing…

Media Hit

Energy

Review of Regulation Constitutional Amendment

• January 26, 2023

What is the Constitutional Amendment on Legislative Review of Regulations? This amendment would allow the legislature to reject a proposed regulation by passing a concurrent resolution with a simple majority…

Backgrounder