PA Education-Funding Lawsuit Opens the Floodgates for Reform

Originally published at RealClearPennsylvania

In February, the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania issued a controversial decision that could end a long-running, high-profile lawsuit over the state’s funding of public schools. The decision does not provide a specific remedy or even mandate more funding, as the litigants requested. Instead, it requires the executive and legislative branches of government to go back to the drawing board and come up with a new education policy – not necessarily a more expensive one – that doesn’t create disparities across school districts.

It was wise for the court to leave the remedy to the legislative and executive branches, avoiding any further encroachments on these branches’ authority. But the Commonwealth Court’s decision also opens the door for the judicial branch to take a leading role in educational policy for the foreseeable future.

That could be a good thing for students.

Read more at RealClearPennsylvania