Education
It’s the year of school choice, as is every year to follow
Originally published at LNP Those involved in the educational freedom movement often proclaim, “This is our year.” Yet, we can’t agree on which year that is. Forbes and the…
Read More: It’s the year of school choice, as is every year to followPennsylvania’s future is in the hands of the next generation. Parents and students—not activist agendas—should drive the Commonwealth’s education policy. While policymakers have been entrusted with ensuring the next generation receives a quality education, parents should be empowered to choose the quality education that meets their unique child’s needs. Charter schools and tax credit scholarships are integral pieces of school choice, but more reforms are needed to make school choice a reality for all Pennsylvania students.
Education
Why Penn’s sudden defense of free speech feels disingenuous
Originally published at The Philadelphia Inquirer The latest from the University of Pennsylvania’s campus is that faculty members are now demanding a “New Constitution” that…
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Commonwealth Foundation Pa. Survey Finds President Biden, Donald Trump in Dead Heat
Harrisburg, Pa., December 19, 2023 — When it comes to candidates who Pennsylvanians are unwilling to vote for, Joe Biden and Donald Trump are in a dead heat, according to a…
Press Release
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Commonwealth Foundation Survey Finds Voters Struggling to Pinpoint Governor Shapiro’s Successes
Harrisburg, Pa., December 19, 2023 — When asked to list significant accomplishments by Gov. Josh Shapiro, 61 percent of Pennsylvania voters either stated he had not (36 percent) or were unsure…
Press Release
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Tax Credit Scholarships: An Investment in Educational Opportunity
Summary Pennsylvania scholarship organizations awarded 77,640 K–12 scholarships through the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) in the 2021–22 school year. The average 2021–22 scholarship…
Fact Sheet
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School Choice Spotlight on Private Education – Syreeta Campbell
Syreeta lives in North Philadelphia and has chosen to send her son to private school because of the opportunities available to him there that are non-existent at his local…
School Choice Spotlight
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School Choice Report, Season 1 Finale
In our School Choice Report Season 1 finale, host David Hardy is joined by Ursinus College Associate Professor of Education John Spencer. Professor Spencer believes schooling ought to be thought…
Podcast
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Is Educational Freedom Poised to Transcend Union Power?
Originally published at The American Spectator Philadelphia students lose out on academic work necessary for their long-term success because they spend part of their school day navigating through unsafe…
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Pennsylvania Legislature Passes Historic $150M Increase in Education Tax Credit Programs
Harrisburg, Pa., December 15, 2023 – Today, the Pennsylvania Senate and House of Representatives sent to the Governor’s desk a new school code bill, House Bill 301, which makes a groundbreaking…
Press Release
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A Tale of Two Chambers in Pennsylvania
Originally published in The Mercury The Pennsylvania General Assembly is currently a Dickensian tale of two chambers. One chamber — the Senate — exemplifies the best of the times:…
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Pa. Tracking Poll: Biden Faces Political Headwinds on Eve of Pa. Visit
Harrisburg, Pa., December 7, 2023 – As President Biden prepares for his ninth visit to Pennsylvania in 2023—his most-visited state aside from Delaware, his home state—he is struggling to connect with…
Press Release
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Stagnating PSSA Scores Illustrate Desperate Need for Education Opportunity
Harrisburg, Pa., November 28, 2023 — The Pennsylvania Department of Education’s (PDE) 2023 Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) scores demonstrate the critical need to reform the state’s education system, new …
Press Release
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School Choice Report, Episode 22
In the latest School Choice Report, Commonwealth Foundation Distinguished Sr. Fellow David Hardy interviews Dr. James Woodworth, Research Fellow with the Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO). They delve into…
Podcast
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2023 PSSA Scores Highlight the Need for Educational Opportunity
Summary The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) released Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) scores from spring 2023. Test results show that fourth- and eighth-grade students struggle to…
Fact Sheet
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To address the achievement gap, students need choice
Originally published at The Philadelphia Tribune To be sure, closing the achievement gaps in education — specifically, the ones that separate the poor from the wealthy and the students…
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The hard-fought but inevitable reward of school choice
Originally published at The Sentinel Students like Myles Slade-Bowers remind us of how far Pennsylvania has come with education reform. Myles was supposed to attend Steelton-Highspire High…
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Rigor. Standards. Responsibility.
Originally published in The Philadelphia Citizen This November marks the 50th anniversary of the murder of a lesser-known Black hero, arguably the most innovative educator of his…
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Pennsylvania Senate Stands with Students (Again); House Democrats Cut Hundreds of Millions of Dollars for Low-Income Families (Again)
Harrisburg, Pa., November 15, 2023 – Today, the Pennsylvania Senate sent House Bill (HB) 301—a key portion of the state’s school code—to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives with overwhelming bipartisan support.
Press Release
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Pennsylvania exports a lot — especially bad political leadership
Originally published at Broad + Liberty As the nation’s sixth-largest manufacturing state, Pennsylvania exports a lot of things — from food and pharma to energy and defense. Unfortunately, as…
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School Choice Report, Episode 21
Derrell Bradford is the president of 50CAN: The 50-State Campaign for Achievement Now. He leads communications and policy, and trains and recruits local leaders across the country to serve…
Podcast
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Commonwealth Foundation CEO Charles Mitchell joins the Dawn Stensland Show on November 7, 2023
Commonwealth Foundation CEO Charles Mitchell discusses Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s shift on education policy.
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Jennifer Stefano: Josh Shapiro is the least productive Pennsylvania governor of the last 50 years
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s lack of bipartisan leadership during his first nine months as governor has resulted in the passage of very few policy initiatives, notes Philadelphia Inquirer columnist…
Press Release
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