Education

Audio: Will a Cigarette Tax Really Save Philly Schools?

  • August 5, 2014

Yesterday, radio talk show host Dom Giordano talked to CF’s Nathan Benefield about the proposed cigarette tax to fund Philadelphia schools. Dom asked why we care so much about whether…

Media

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Education

A Note on Philadelphia School Spending

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 4, 2014

Last week, we released a summary of spending, enrollment and staffing trends in the Philadelphia School District over the past decade. After this release,…

Media

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Education

Cigarette Tax Won’t Save Philly Students

  • August 1, 2014

For Immediate Release Commonwealth Foundation Contact: 717-671-1901 Threatened Cuts Exaggerated, Quick-Fix Measures Not the Answer Trends Show More Funding Won’t Fix Philadelphia Schools August 1,…

Press Release

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Education

Philadelphia School Trends, 2002-03 to 2012-13

  • August 1, 2014

The School District of Philadelphia is in desperate need of reform, but its many problems cannot be solved by simply raising taxes and increasing spending.

Fact Sheet

Read More: Philadelphia School Trends, 2002-03 to 2012-13

Education

Will Higher Taxes and Funding Save Students?

  • July 16, 2014

Philadelphia is in the midst of a crisis. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, more than 80 percent of 4th and 8th grade students did not reach proficiency in math and…

Media

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Education

Playing the Education Lottery

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 31, 2014

Last month, families from across Pennsylvania waited anxiously to hear if they had finally won the lottery. But these hopeful parents weren’t looking to win the MegaMillions—they were hoping for…

Commentary

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Education

Time for Paycheck Protection in Pa

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • March 17, 2014

The government liquor monopoly, the pension time bomb, and Philadelphia’s public school crisis—what do they have in common? Each of these public policy disasters was supported by government unions. What’s…

Commentary

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Education

Charter School Reform

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 14, 2014

Good morning, my name is Nathan Benefield; I am the vice president of policy analysis for the Commonwealth Foundation. I wish to thank Auditor General DePasquale for the opportunity to…

Testimony

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Education

The Berlin Wall of Philadelphia’s Public Schools

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 27, 2014

Students in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh had their hopes dashed last week when they lost out on the chance to land one of the few vacant openings in charter schools. In…

Media

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