Education 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.

Education

Report: Philly graduation rate 33% lower than suburbs

  • Nathan Benefield
  • April 1, 2008

A new report on graduation rates in the largest US cities has troubling news for Philadelphia (and most urban districts). The Philadelphia City School District ranks 34th among the…

Media

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Education

New Reports on Education and School Choice

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 31, 2008

Here are a few new reports that make for handy reference guides for legislators, advocates, researchers, or anyone interested in education reform. American Legislative Exchange Council: 2007…

Media

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Education

School Choice Tax Credit Saves Money in IL

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 28, 2008

An analysis by the Illinois Policy Institute of the Illinois Education Expense Tax Credit finds that an increase on the cap for that credit to $4,000 per child would…

Media

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Education

Merit selection and education lawsuits

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 28, 2008

Our sister think tank, the Show Me Institute, has an interesting post on the intersection of merit selection of judges (i.e. the Missouri Plan) and education cases – namely…

Media

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Education

Lobbying by State Universities

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 25, 2008

The blog, “Left of Centre,” has some details about lobbying by PA’s state universities, following up an article in the Daily Collegian. Of interest to those following lobbying…

Media

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Education

Wisconsin’s Virtual Schools Could Close this Summer

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 24, 2008

Intriguing piece in School Reform News on how the Wisconsin teachers’ union is also working to undermine cyber schools – rather than targeting funding, they are going after cyber…

Media

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Education

Teachers Unions Exposed

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 11, 2008

TeachersUnionExposed.com is a new website (from the Center for Union Facts) focusing on teachers’s unions role in blocking education reform, bargaining away quality, and protecting bad teachers. They…

Media

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Education

Home-Schooling Under Attack

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 7, 2008

Here is some commentary on the recent California court ruling that would require parents homeschooling their children to have full teaching credentials/certification. Acton Institute PowerBlog Cato-At-Liberty…

Media

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Education

Determining the Cost of an Adequate Education

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 5, 2008

The Pennsylvania General Assembly recently commissioned a $650,000 study to determine what it “costs” to educate a child. The firm winning the commission reported that the state should increase spending…

Commentary

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Education

Empowering Families

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 28, 2008

Ken Blackwell commentary on the mistakes states are making by continuing to push for taxpayer-funded state-run preschool – to the detriment of educational choice and parental control.

Media

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Education

Study: Milwaukee school choice program saves taxpayers money

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 25, 2008

A new study released by the School Choice Demonstration Project at the University of Arkansas, demonstrates how Milwaukee’s Parental Choice Program saves Wisconsin taxpayers money, as voucher amounts are…

Media

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Education

Curriculum reform “isn’t enough”

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 20, 2008

Reason’s Lisa Snell lays the smackdown on arguments by Sol Stern in his article “School Choice Isn’t Enough” (Click here for previous post), which labels instructionist reform…

Media

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Education

The School Choice Gold Standard

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 15, 2008

The Friedman Foundation has a new report grading the various scholarship, voucher, and tax credit programs across the US on three categories – student restrictions (how many students can…

Media

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Education

School choice suggested for Pittsburgh

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 13, 2008

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review discusses how a Milwaukee-like school choice program might work in Pittsburgh, after speaking with former Milwaukee mayor John Norquist. Norquist will be speaking at an event on…

Media

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Education

Don’t write off vouchers

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 12, 2008

Robert Enlow in USA Today on the merits of school voucher programs. Enlow is providing the counterpoint to a piece arguing for moving away from the push for…

Media

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Education

PHEAA must pay legal fees

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 11, 2008

The Commonwealth Court ruled that PHEAA must pay $48,000 in legal fees to the AP, WTAE TV, and the Patriot News for “wanton disregard in withholding public records”:…

Media

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Education

Budget Preview

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 4, 2008

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette story previews Rendell’s budget proposal, including “Rebuilding Pennsylvania”, involving a three-year, $860 million ($287/year average) in new spending on infrastructure, mostly through new borrowing. He also promises…

Media

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Education

Voucher foes hurt poor kids

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 2, 2008

Editorial in the Chicago Sun Times on President Bush’s “Pell Grants for Kids” and the unions’ mindless rhetoric denouncing school choice.

Media

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Education

Is School Choice Enough?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • January 28, 2008

A interesting discussion on City Journal on the subject of school choice. The discussion in a response to an article by Sol Stern implying that school choice advocates…

Media

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