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

Vouching for Obama

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 28, 2008

Andrew Coulson has a good read on National Review Online on Obama’s “open mind” (apparently now closed) on school choice, noting that Obama is instead using the old…

Media

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Education

Will Pa. graduation exams improve public education?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 23, 2008

Cross-posted at Capitol Domes Gov. Rendell has been pushing the idea of a statewide graduation requirement that all students pass a test (his latest gives one of…

Media

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Education

Forced Unionism and Teacher Strikes

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 22, 2008

Video from the National Right to Work Foundation  featuring Simon Campbell of Stop Teacher Strikes…

Media

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Education

Time for School Board Transparency

  • October 20, 2008

Commonwealth Foundation launches “sunshine” project on school district labor negotiations HARRISBURG, PA —   Today, the Commonwealth Foundation announced the launch of a new project engaging in an effort to provide…

Press Release

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Education

Video: Flunked Panel Discussion

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 9, 2008

Video of our panel discussion following the film Flunked, co-hosted by the REACH Foundation.  Discussants include Adam Schaeffer of the Cato Institute; school choice parents…

Media

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Education

Video: Leaving Children Behind: Teacher Unions vs. School Choice

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 8, 2008

Video from yesterday’s Policies and Principles luncheon (co-hosted by the REACH Foundation) on school choice and the teachers’ unions is now available on our YouTube Channel. …

Media

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Education

Flunked Trailer

  • Nathan Benefield
  • September 24, 2008

Flunked: The Movie is a documentary looking at the failure of our public schools, and success stories in public education.  Below is the trailer. We will be hosting a…

Media

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Education

‘Tis the Season…for teacher strikes, that is.

  • September 14, 2008

Saucon Valley teachers who make nearly $80K are ready to strike. Nick Falsone writes on his Bedlam in Bethlehem blog for The Express-Times about elementary school teacher Vivian Demko,…

Media

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Education

The Harriet Tubman of School Choice

  • Nathan Benefield
  • September 11, 2008

I’m in Phoenix for a conference of state think tanks and (with panels on education reform today), so I won’t be blogging much over the next few days. I will…

Media

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Education

Schools failing, but don’t give students choices

  • Nathan Benefield
  • September 4, 2008

Tribune-Review article highlights chronically failing schools in the Pittsburgh area (see our report on school perfomance for more how schools are doing), and the No Child Left Behind mandate…

Media

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Education

SAT Scores by State

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 28, 2008

EDITORS NOTE: Click here for the 2014 SAT Scores by state The College Board released their 2008 College Bound Seniors report which details SAT scores. Click here for a…

Media

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Education

The Competitive Impact of School Choice

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 25, 2008

A reader asks, in response to a post about a study show school choice in Ohio had a competitive benefit to public schools, Do you have…

Media

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Education

Is PHEAA reformable?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 24, 2008

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review questions whether PHEAA can be reformed, as the Auditor General suggests, given that the legislators who dominate the PHEAA board don’t think legislators should vote to…

Media

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Education

School Choice Benefits Ohio Public Schools

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 24, 2008

A new study from the Friedman Foundation finds that Ohio’s EdChoice voucher program – offering scholarships to students in failing schools – resulted in academic improvements in voucher-eligible public…

Media

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Education

Protect Our Kids from Preschool

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 23, 2008

Shikha Dalmia and Lisa Snell have a an editorial in the Wall Street Journal about the merits of universal preschool: In the last half-century, U.S. preschool attendance…

Media

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Education

A Real Pennsylvania School “Report Card”

  • August 21, 2008

New report offers more accurate measure of education achievement HARRISBURG, PA — Today, the Commonwealth Foundation released A Pennsylvania School Report Card: How the Commonwealth’s Public Schools Stack Up to…

Press Release

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Education

A Pennsylvania School Report Card

  • August 21, 2008

Politicians and school officials frequently point to student performance  on state tests as a primary measure of the quality of public education.  According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, the…

Fact Sheet

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Education

Money, Money, Money

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • August 21, 2008

Teachers in Scranton are striking for more money Mid Valley school district officials are being criticized for spending too much money PHEAA is under scrutiny for recklessly…

Media

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Education

Phix PHEAA

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 20, 2008

Pennsylvania Auditor General Jack Wagner has released his audit of PHEAA, recommending among other things that PHEAA’s board not be dominated by legislators (news release here).  Wagner does…

Media

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