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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Education
ESA Opponents Want to Keep Kids Trapped in Failing Schools
Governor Wolf and the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA) are waging a fear campaign against education savings accounts (ESAs). Both have complained ESAs “don’t help students learn” and “don't hold…
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Read More: ESA Opponents Want to Keep Kids Trapped in Failing SchoolsEducation
UPDATED: Senate Committee Passes Education Savings Accounts Bill?
Update: After a proxy vote was filed by Sen. Tomlinson, a member of the Senate Education Committee member who was absent from today’s committee meeting, the vote on Senate Bill…
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Read More: UPDATED: Senate Committee Passes Education Savings Accounts Bill?Education
ESA Basics: Understanding this New Lifeline
Children trapped in Pennsylvania's worst-performing schools could soon have new educational opportunities. On Wednesday, Senator John DiSanto (R-Dauphin County) introduced Senate Bill 2, establishing Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) in Pennsylvania.
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Read More: ESA Basics: Understanding this New LifelineEducation
Education Savings Accounts Bill Introduced in State Senate
Today, Senator John DiSanto (R-Dauphin County) introduced Senate Bill 2, which would establish education savings accounts (ESAs) in Pennsylvania. ESAs are an innovative education choice program providing alternatives for…
Press Release
Read More: Education Savings Accounts Bill Introduced in State SenateEducation
Gov. Wolf Reverses Unlawful Moves
Admist the budget stalemate, there is some welcome news out of Harrisburg. Within a single week, thousands of home care workers, educators, and taxpayers were relieved from the governor’s punitive…
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Read More: Gov. Wolf Reverses Unlawful MovesEducation
What to Make of the PSSA Results
Newly released Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) scores show little to no change in academic achievement across the commonwealth. What do these scores mean? The PSSAs posted on…
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Read More: What to Make of the PSSA ResultsEducation
Wolf Administration’s Disregard for the Law is Hurting Pennsylvanians
Gov. Wolf's refusal to release approval letters for the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) programs is causing needless pain for families, students, schools, and…
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Read More: Wolf Administration’s Disregard for the Law is Hurting PennsylvaniansEducation
Gov. Wolf’s Indefensible Decisions Continue to Hurt Students
Pennsylvania’s successful scholarship programs—the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC)—are in danger once again. The Wolf Administration has delayed the programs’ approval letters, which…
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Read More: Gov. Wolf’s Indefensible Decisions Continue to Hurt StudentsEducation
Diverse Students Need Diverse Choices
Were a doctor to give every patient an aspirin regardless of their diagnosis, most would consider the doctor unqualified. Sure, the patients with a fever or a headache might be satisfied, but…
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Read More: Diverse Students Need Diverse ChoicesEducation
Parents, Children, and Lawmakers Celebrate Education Savings Accounts
Dozens of parents, children, and educational choice advocates packed the Joshua Learning Center in Harrisburg to rally for education savings accounts (ESAs). Sen. John DiSanto's soon-to-be released legislation,…
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Read More: Parents, Children, and Lawmakers Celebrate Education Savings AccountsEducation
News Release: State Senate to Introduce Education Savings Accounts
In a step toward dramatically increasing educational opportunity for students in Pennsylvania’s lowest-performing schools, today Senator John DiSanto unveiled his plan to introduce legislation establishing Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) in…
Press Release
Read More: News Release: State Senate to Introduce Education Savings AccountsEducation
Charter Schools Help District Schools
The evidence is clear that charter schools increase academic performance among students they serve. Some wonder, though, about charter schools’ impact on nearby public schools. Is it possible that…
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Read More: Charter Schools Help District SchoolsEducation
Senate Nixes Tax Credit Scholarship Expansion
Late last night the Senate Appropriations Committee amended the Education Code, HB 178, without including an increase for Pennsylvania's popular tax credit scholarship programs. An earlier version of the…
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Read More: Senate Nixes Tax Credit Scholarship ExpansionEducation
News Release: Wolf Rewards Ghost Teacher, Union Campaign Contributor with Cabinet Nomination
Failing to show up for work is usually grounds for dismissal, but for Gov. Wolf, it’s reason for promotion. In nominating Jerry Oleksiak as the next Secretary of Labor &…
Press Release
Read More: News Release: Wolf Rewards Ghost Teacher, Union Campaign Contributor with Cabinet NominationEducation
Education Code Boosts Private Scholarships, Protects Excellent Teachers
The state House recently passed SB 227, which serves as the education code for the 2017-18 fiscal year. Chris Comisac of Capitolwire.com (paywall) has details on the substance…
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Read More: Education Code Boosts Private Scholarships, Protects Excellent TeachersEducation
Op-Ed: Contract Secrecy Plagues Public Schools
Taxpayers were kept in the dark, only to be slipped a $395 million bill—along with the admission that there’s no way to pay for it—at the 11th hour. These secret…
Commentary
Read More: Op-Ed: Contract Secrecy Plagues Public SchoolsEducation
Wolf Cost Pa. Kids 8,000+ Scholarships
Scholarships awarded by Pennsylvania's tax credit programs plummeted by 8,404 in 2016, compared to the previous year. To put that number in context: 8,400 students would comprise the…
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Read More: Wolf Cost Pa. Kids 8,000+ ScholarshipsEducation
Can School Choice Reduce Crime?
We know different parents have different preferences regarding how their children are educated. Some may place an emphasis on standardized test scores, while others want certain moral or religious values.
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Read More: Can School Choice Reduce Crime?Education
Policy Memo: Education Savings Accounts: Myths and Facts
Education Savings Accounts help children grow, satisfy parents, and can improve the quality of education in Pennsylvania. This memo addresses falsehoods raised by opponents of parental choice in education.
Memo
Read More: Policy Memo: Education Savings Accounts: Myths and FactsEducation
ESAs Advance to Another State—Will Pa. Be Next?
This week, North Carolina became the sixth state to authorize education savings accounts (ESAs)—flexible spending accounts used by parents to customize their child’s education.
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Read More: ESAs Advance to Another State—Will Pa. Be Next?Education
Measuring Academic Success with Education Savings Accounts
How do we determine if a school is succeeding? Many will point to a combination of test scores, graduation rates, and student growth. Certainly, these are important factors—but by no…
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