Priya Brannick
Senior Fellow
Priya Brannick is a Senior Fellow with the Commonwealth Foundation.
Priya has a Master of Arts in International Commerce and Policy from George Mason University and graduated magna cum laude in 2002 with a degree in journalism from Texas Christian University. Before joining the Commonwealth Foundation, she was an international affairs journalist for WORLD Magazine and the Communications Director for the Institute on Religion and Public Policy.
Priya’s primary research areas include education reform and labor policy. Her expertise has been featured in various media outlets including: KDKA, WITF, WHYY, the Patriot News, and the Philadelphia Inquirer, amongst others.
A native of Zambia, Africa, Priya has lived, worked, and traveled across the United States (and still admits to a strong fondness for soccer). She is deeply passionate about America’s founding principles, crafting sound public policy to better people’s lives, and ballroom dance.
Education
The Learning Revolution
Online learning serves a significant and growing number of students, and represents a significant shift in how we educate Pennsylvania's children. In light of the growth of cyber and hybrid…
Report
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The Occupy Movement’s Wrong Target
Now that the Occupy Wall Street movement has gone national, Pennsylvania is seeing its fair share of protests. While they’re still a ragtag, oddly camera-shy bunch with ill-defined…
Media
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Lawmakers Can Save Students in Duquesne
Jake Haulk at the Allegheny Institute points out that Duquesne City School District spends almost $20,000 per student every year (state average is about $14,000). But less than…
Media
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Prevailing Wage Reform Bills Pass Committee
Six bills to reform Pennsylvania’s prevailing wage law passed the House Labor and Industry Committee today, and will now go to the full House for a vote. The state’s 1961…
Media
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Reading is Poorest City in U.S.
Just released Census Bureau figures show Pennsylvania’s poverty rate has climbed, rising to 13.4 percent in 2010 compared to 11.6 percent in 2007, when the recession first hit.
Media
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Teacher Qualifications vs. Teacher Effectiveness
Teachers are an important factor affecting student performance, and teacher salaries make up the biggest chunk of public school spending. So ensuring that the best teachers instruct our kids should…
Media
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Big Labor’s Stranglehold in Pennsylvania
Here’s a depressing, if unsurprising, statistic: In a new index assessing whether states favor government union bosses or taxpayers, Pennsylvania ranks 5th worst. The Competitive Enterprise Institute ranked…
Media
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What Do France, Hungary and Pennsylvania Have in Common?
A Hungarian, a Frenchman and a Pennsylvanian walk into a bar…okay, so they may not have the same tastes in beer, but turns out they would have the same ability…
Media
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PSEA Behind Phony Grassroots Effort
In 2009-10, the PSEA spent more than $2.6 million on political activities and lobbying. By the next year, that figure had ballooned to $4.2 million, an increase of about 60%.
Media
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Pennsylvania’s Cost of Government Day
By the calculation of Americans for Tax Reform, Pennsylvania just reached its Cost of Government Day. That is, it took the average Keystone worker until Aug. 15, or 227…
Media
Read More: Pennsylvania’s Cost of Government DayGovernment Accountability
Government Transparency in Pennsylvania Becomes a Reality
The last few months saw immense partisan animosity and demeaning comments during numerous spats under the Capitol Dome. But amid the fiscal fist fights over school choice, a natural gas…
Commentary
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How Does Seniority Mandate Help Kids, Exactly?
Here’s a letter to the editor I sent to the Erie Times on furloughing teachers: National Education Association board member Sam Talarico unsurprisingly takes strong exception to the…
Media
Read More: How Does Seniority Mandate Help Kids, Exactly?Public Union Democracy
Disappointing Results from State Union Contract Deals
So far, the Corbett administration has concluded new four-year contracts with Pennsylvania’s two largest state worker unions, which represent 55,000 government workers—and the taxpayers are the losers. The deals with…
Media
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More Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying from School Districts
Public schools complain of underfunding, yet they are spending your tax dollars to lobby for more funding and against school choice, as property taxes skyrocket. The latest salvo comes from…
Media
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The End of Last In, First Out?
Last month the state Senate passed SB 612, which allows schools to furlough teachers for economic reasons, which is currently prohibited. The House is preparing to vote on a…
Media
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