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
Philadelphia private school managers a failure or success story?
The Fordham Institute blasts a Philadelphia Inquirer story calling the Philadelphia public school’s removal of six private managers a “blow to the experiment”: Kristen Graham of…
Media
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Cyber School Funding Formula: The Wrong Mixture
State Rep. Karen Beyer, along with the Rendell administration, lobbyists for the teachers unions, and the school boards association, has been doggedly seeking to reduce funding for Pennsylvania’s public cyber…
Commentary
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Shady Accounting at the Pennsylvania Department of Education
Allegheny Institute’s latest policy brief reveals how the Pennsylvania Department of Education classifies federal monies as local tax revenue. “By making it appear that the local revenue…
Media
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The Liberace Complex?
The York Daily Record has a story on the South Eastern School District paying $97,000 for – wait for it – a grand piano. I may have to…
Media
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Academic progress? Think again
A new study by the Center for Education Policy claims significant improvement in student achievement across the country. The Cato Institute discounts the study…
Media
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School Officials Raise Salaries Again
An article in the Pottstown Mercury today highlights the salaries of school officials in the Pottstown School District. The school board voted on raises for administrators twice in the…
Media
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“Intellectual Diversity” means no Milton Friedman?
Several University of Chicago professors are protesting the university’s plan to unveil a Milton Friedman Institute, because that would “reinforce among the public a perception that the university’s faculty…
Media
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State pre-K program “getting results”?
The PA Department of Education issued a statement, patting themselves on the back, claiming that the “Pre-K Counts” program was working as intended. They cite an increase in…
Media
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Abandoning The SAT – Fraud or Folly?
Interesting discussion about universities ending use of the SAT at Wake Forest (presumably applicable to the ACT – which I took, and scored crazy high on) at Minding the…
Media
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Popping the Tuition Bubble
Interesting article in The American about the idea of financing higher education by promising a set portion of future earnings for loans. The idea of “human capital contracts” was…
Media
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Putting Children Last
The Wall Street Journal blasts efforts by Democrats—coerced by the teacher’s unions—to end the DC Opportunity Scholarship program, a program which saves kids from failing schools and…
Media
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Real Savings: Cutting Cybers vs. School Choice
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and Post-Gazette have stories on the renewed push to reduce cyber school funding. Rep. Karen Beyer and other proponents are touting that: The bill…
Media
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Charter Schools Make the Grade
Bob Maranto has an editorial in the Philadelphia Daily News on the reporting on charter school scandals. He notes that charter schools are more accountable – in that they…
Media
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Higher Graduation Rates For Milwaukee Choice Students
A New Study from School Choice Wisconsin finds that choice schools in the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program have substantially higher graduation rates than the Milwaukee public schools. Furthermore, as…
Media
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School boards fall prey to Edifice Complex
Several PA school boards put their Edifice Complex on display this past week. The Danville School Board voted to renovate three elementary schools, rather than save…
Media
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Homeschooling saves taxpayers
This analysis from the Heritage Foundation (it was released in April, but I missed it until the hullabaloo over Subway and homeschoolers) finds than homeschooling saves American taxpayers…
Media
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Home Skool Stoodents Spel to Gud
I found this story (HT to Michelle Malkin) interesting, mainly because of the irony. Subway is holding an essay contest which excludes homeschoolers—who have…
Media
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PA 12th in ranking of charter school laws
The Center for Education Reform issued a ranking of charter school laws by state. Pennsylvania earns a respectable 12th, earning a ‘B’, but has room for improvement.
Media
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NEA on the Presidential Candidates
The National Education Association put out their candidate guide, giving both the candidates’ positions and the NEA’s positions on power grabs for union leaders education issues. Here is the…
Media
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The myths of cyber schools
A May 11 article on cyber schools in the Daily Local repeats claims that cyber schools are a major drain on taxpayers (though with a strong rebuttal…
Media
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Talking Cyber Schools
I discuss Cyber Schools on this week’s Lincoln Radio Journal with Lowman Henry of the Lincoln Institute. Our recent policy brief on cyber schools is here. I…
Media
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