education

COMMENTARY

Commentary: Gov. Shapiro has a unique opportunity to continue leading on public education

BY: - November 16, 2023

Pennsylvania has an opportunity, as well as a court-ordered mandate, to fix our state’s unconstitutional public education funding system.

Pa. Senate passes ‘explicit content’ legislation after heated debate over whether it’s a book ban

BY: - October 24, 2023

Democrats argued the measures are a de facto book ban, and a redundant effort to exclude content by and for marginalized communities.

COMMENTARY
Students, families, and education advocates join Children First and Education Voters of Pennsylvania to host a rally on the Capitol steps to “ring the bells of justice,” and call for equitable funding for Pennsylvania public schools. The rally, which took place Friday, Nov. 12, 2021, occurred on the first day of the landmark trial that could change how Pennsylvania funds its 500 school districts. (Capital-Star photo by Marley Parish)

Opinion: The public deserves to speak at Basic Education Funding Commission hearings

BY: - September 6, 2023

By Brenda Morales and Sylvia Witherspoon Just beneath the hustle and bustle of the start of another school year – fundraising campaigns for school supplies, family debates about new backpacks, and wringing every least deal from chain stores – lies a persistent truth: Pennsylvania’s school districts are chronically underfunded, leaving children, families, and their teachers […]

COMMENTARY

Teaching civility in schools will re-instill an attitude of respect | Lloyd E. Sheaffer

BY: - August 28, 2023

Again it is that wonderful time of the year: back to school. While parents applaud and students complain, both contingents know the ten-month term is essential to a well educated citizenry. The three Rs—Reading, ’Riting, and ’Rithmetic—are as vital now as they were in 1852 when Massachusetts enacted the first compulsory education law in the […]

Here’s what to know about new federal policies for repaying student loans

BY: - August 24, 2023

WASHINGTON — Following the Supreme Court’s summer ruling against 40 million federal student loan borrowers who would have qualified for debt relief, the Biden administration crafted a year-long delay in repayments. The policy, known as an on-ramp, is set to begin next month. Additionally, hours after the Supreme Court’s decision, the Department of Education unveiled […]

Biden administration provides guidance on diversity in college admissions

BY: - August 15, 2023

WASHINGTON — The Department of Justice and Department of Education jointly released guidance on Monday to colleges and universities about how to consider race in admissions decisions, following the Supreme Court’s summer decision that struck down affirmative action in higher education. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, on a call with reporters, said higher education institutions can […]

Pennsylvania Capitol Building. May 24, 2022. Harrisburg, Pa. (Photo by Amanda Berg, for the Capital-Star).

How Pennsylvania’s budget impasse has affected tuition rates at state-related universities

BY: - July 25, 2023

Pennsylvania lawmakers likely won’t solve the budget impasse before schools return this fall, forcing the state’s four state-related universities to consider, and in some cases already approved, tuition increases for the upcoming year.

What does the budget impasse mean for Pennsylvania K-12 schools?

BY: - July 20, 2023

Pennsylvania is still without a finalized spending plan, and K-12 school districts could feel the impact of the budget impasse if the standstill drags into the upcoming academic year.

Biden debt relief plan will forgive federal student loans for roughly 30,000 Pa. borrowers

BY: - July 19, 2023

Nearly 30,000 Pennsylvanians qualify for student debt forgiveness under a new plan from the Biden administration to provide borrowers with relief.

Pennsylvania House passes bill giving schools flexibility to hire substitutes

BY: - July 7, 2023

The House sent the bill to the GOP-controlled state Senate, which isn't scheduled to return to Harrisburg until mid-September.

Funding the 500: A landmark school funding case put K-12 spending on trial

BY: - June 19, 2023

Advocates and educators expect a significant downpayment on education, and they’re waiting to see how officials begin to fix the existing funding system while making workforce investments amid a worsening educator staffing crisis across 500 public school districts

Funding the 500: Closets for classrooms, mold, staffing crisis hurts K-12 students

BY: - June 19, 2023

A four-month trial in a landmark case filed in 2014 put inequities among K-12 schools on full display. In testimony, current and former educators detailed how deteriorating buildings, staffing shortages, and lack of resources affect student outcomes — usually for the worse.