Education
Commonwealth Court ruling is a massive win for education choice advocates
Originally published in The Philadelphia Inquirer After a more than eight-year slog, the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court affirmed what the Pennsylvania Constitution has said all…
Read More: Commonwealth Court ruling is a massive win for education choice advocatesEducation is the first stepping-stone on the path to success, but Pennsylvania students face severe inequality among public school districts. Thousands who can’t afford private school are trapped in failing schools or situations that aren’t the right fit. The solution to this crisis is school choice. By offering families options outside their zip code-assigned district schools, students are better able to find their path to success. Charter schools, tax credit scholarships, education savings accounts (ESAs), homeschooling, and other types of education choice must become a priority in Pennsylvania.
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Pittsburgh Teachers’ Strike Averted, but Transparency is Still Needed
After nearly nine months without a contract, the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers (PFT) and Pittsburgh Public Schools have tentatively reached an agreement, which will stave off this Friday’s impending…
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Philadelphia’s Soda Tax Falls Flat
Mayor Jim Kenney's administration has scaled back its pre-K program goals after Philadelphia's soda tax failed to meet revenue projections. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the city is reducing the…
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Will Philly’s New School Board Welcome Choice?
Yesterday the Educational Nominating Panel for Philadelphia’s new school board voted to recommend board candidates to Mayor Kenney. Here is who made the list: Sarah-Ashley Andrews, Jenne Ayers,…
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Education Spending Myths vs. Facts
In his recent budget address, Gov. Wolf continued to push the myth that the previous administration cut a billion dollars in state education spending and our schools remain underfunded.
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School Choice Boosts Student Achievement Around the Globe
“Make every week school choice week.” This is the advice from the Cato Institute’s Corey DeAngelis as he explained the results of his recent study, The Public Benefit…
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PA Schools Spend Far Above National Average
Pennsylvania ranks 9th in the country for per-student funding of public schools. School districts in the commonwealth receive, overall, $3,700 more per student than the national average. This data comes…
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Top 10 Reasons to Support ESAs
Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) are funding breakthroughs that refocus education spending where it should be: on students. ESAs place educational choice back into the hands of parents and families,…
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The Invisible School District Income Tax
Editor’s Note: This is the second of a series of occasional blogs by a Philadelphia resident highlighting policy problems holding back the City of Brotherly Love. If a tree…
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Transparency a Must for Philly School Board Nominations
“The liberties of a people never were, nor ever will be, secure when the transactions of their rulers may be concealed from them.” These words are as true today as…
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Education Savings Accounts Earn High Marks from Pa. Voters
As parents and students celebrate National School Choice Week with events in Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia, a new poll shows Pennsylvanians want to put more educational choices…
Press Release
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ESAs Empower Parents, Protect Public Schools
It's National School Choice Week and this year Pennsylvania lawmakers have an incredible opportunity to help students trapped in failing schools. SB 2 holds the lowest performing schools…
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New Board, New Opportunities in Philadelphia School District
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney recently appointed a 13-member nominating panel that will shape the district’s new school board. High on the panel’s list of requirements should be instilling a…
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ESAs Heading to New England
News of a $560 million Powerball lottery ticket being sold in New Hampshire seems to have overshadowed news of the state House of Representatives passing education savings accounts (ESAs) last…
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Taxpayers Notch Another Win Against Ghost Teaching
Reading residents received an early Christmas present this week, as the city’s teachers’ union agreed to reimburse taxpayers for the costs of ghost teaching in the Reading School District.
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Impact of Education Savings Accounts Under SB 2
In Pennsylvania, tens of thousands of children are trapped in failing schools. While current programs such as tax credit scholarships and charter schools help, they cannot meet families’ demands for…
Fact Sheet
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ESAs Offer a Path Forward for Erie Students
Erie students have been trapped in failing and violent schools for too long. While tax credit scholarships and charter schools help, families need more options. Education savings accounts…
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Education Savings Accounts
Education savings accounts (ESAs) empower parents to customize their child's education. Administered by the state but controlled by the parents, ESAs can be used for multiple educational services. If enacted…
Commentary
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How to Combat Harrisburg School Violence
“I have been kicked, punched, hit, scratched. I've had a student physically restraining me in front of my other students…. And many of the personal things that I have bought for…
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Philly’s School Reform Commission Ends, Questions Abound for Residents & Taxpayers
The Philadelphia School Reform Commission has voted to dissolve itself. The 16-year experiment has been a mixed bag. The school district continues to face tough financial times with a looming…
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Read More: Philly’s School Reform Commission Ends, Questions Abound for Residents & TaxpayersEducation
Another Step Forward for Kids
Governor Wolf allowed HB 178, an act amending Pennsylvania’s Public School Code, to become law on Sunday. The bill is a big win for Pennsylvania's families. It includes three…
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School Reforms Put Families and Students First
State lawmakers embraced a trio of significant reforms with the passage of HB 178—an act amending Pennsylvania’s Public School Code. The legislation would expand a popular scholarship program, protect…
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