Pennsylvania’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

Climategate is an Embarassment

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 12, 2010

Penn State sophomore Samuel Settle pens a letter on why he is embarrassed of professor Michael Mann’s behavior, and his school’s white-washing of an investigation. Click here for our…

Media

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Education

Penn State Whitewashes Climategate Investigation

  • February 3, 2010

HARRISBURG, PA – The Commonwealth Foundation today released the following statement in response to Penn State’s internal investigation of alleged scientific misconduct by Michael Mann, a prominent global warming…

Press Release

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Education

PSU Clears Mann on 3 of 4 Allegations

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 3, 2010

Penn State’s internal investigation into the scientific conduct of Michael Mann cleared him of three of the four allegations against him. The report states they could find “no credible…

Media

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Education

Milwaukee Voucher Program Raises Graduation Rates

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 2, 2010

A new study from School Choice Wisconsin finds that students receiving a scholarship through the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program (MPCP) were 18% more likely to graduate than Milwaukee…

Media

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Education

The Higher Education Bubble

  • February 2, 2010

Subsidies in the form of loans or grants to students have been an integral part of higher education…

Media

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Education

The Growth and Benefits of Cyber Education

  • Nathan Benefield
  • January 27, 2010

The Heritage Foundation has a new background on online education, from a national perspective.  They write: As many as 1 million children (roughly 2 percent of the…

Media

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Education

Mann-Made Global Warming?

  • Matthew Brouillette
  • January 19, 2010

Climategate was born in late November 2009 with the release of more than a thousand emails and other documents from the Climate Research Unit at the University of East Anglia…

Commentary

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Education

New Head Start Study Shows No Long-Term Effects of Preschool

  • Nathan Benefield
  • January 14, 2010

A study on students in Head Start released yesterday by the US Department of Health and Human Services shows no long-term academic improvement from the program.  In fact, the…

Media

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Education

Climategate & Penn State

  • January 12, 2010

Just days after news broke about what has been dubbed "Climategate," Penn State University (PSU) announced that it would investigate the conduct of Michael Mann, a professor in PSU's Department…

Fact Sheet

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Education

PA’s “Race to the Top” Plan Upsets Cyber Schools and PSEA

  • Nathan Benefield
  • January 11, 2010

The Pennsylvania Department of Education’s “Race to the Top” plan – attempting to get about $400 million from federal taxpayers via the “stimulus” – has drawn a number of critics.

Media

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Education

Following Our Bad Example: The Tuition Tax Idea Spreads

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • December 21, 2009

The consideration of a tuition tax is appealing to populations beyond Pennsylvania as cities look to prop up budgets.  Leave it to California to be the first to jump on…

Media

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Education

Revamp Charter School Laws To Increase School Choice

  • December 14, 2009

Pennsylvania came in 11th among 40 states in the annual ranking of state charter school laws by the Center for Education Reform. While the Commonwealth has been better in…

Media

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Education

New Higher Ed Proposals are More of the Same Failed Policies

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • December 14, 2009

Gubernatorial candidate Dan Onorato has proposed a series of higher education policies aimed at increasing the amount of college grads by 6% in 4 years and improving affordability. All…

Media

Read More: New Higher Ed Proposals are More of the Same Failed Policies

Education

Higher Taxes and Tuition Coming for PA College Students

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 11, 2009

The Tribune Review reports Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl is continuing to threaten a tax on tuition, attempting to use a jedi mind trick to persuade universities to cough up…

Media

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Education

The ABC’s of School Choice

  • December 10, 2009

The Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice, a renowned advocate for school choice programs, recently published their 2009-10 edition of “The ABC’s of School Choice” in which they highlight…

Media

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Education

Costing-Out the Price of Education

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 9, 2009

Testimony of Nathan A. Benefield, Director of Policy Research, Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives to the Pennsylvania Senate Education Committee December 8, 2009 Thank you, Sen. Piccola and…

Testimony

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Education

State Report on PA’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 8, 2009

The Pennsylvania Legislative Budget and Finance Committee put out a preliminary report on the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) a few months ago, but the report has been sitting…

Media

Read More: State Report on PA’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit

Education

Penn State Professor Feeling the (Metaphorical) Heat

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 3, 2009

Following the Commonwealth Foundation’s call for a legislative inquiry into use of tax dollars to stifle, rather than foster, scientific inquiry in the case of Penn State professor Michael…

Media

Read More: Penn State Professor Feeling the (Metaphorical) Heat

Education

Pittsburgh Tuition Tax Podcast

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 1, 2009

Elizabeth Bryan and I discuss the proposed tuition tax in Pittsburgh in a podcast. Joining us for part of the conversation is Aaron Gross, a student…

Media

Read More: Pittsburgh Tuition Tax Podcast

Education

Penn State to Launch Inquiry in “Climategate”

  • Nathan Benefield
  • November 30, 2009

Penn State University is going to “look into” the emails from and about university professor Michael Mann, which indicate, among other things,…

Media

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Education

Taxing Tuition: The Future of Higher Education?

  • Elizabeth Stelle, Nathan Benefield
  • November 30, 2009

With Pittsburgh on the brink of bankruptcy thanks to its continual out-of-control spending, Mayor Ravenstahl and his allies on City Council have hatched a new scheme to collect more money…

Commentary

Read More: Taxing Tuition: The Future of Higher Education?