Common Sense Weekly

Welcome to Common Sense Weekly! This is the Commonwealth Foundation's weekly news roundup of policy issues being debated in Harrisburg and across Pennsylvania.

Be sure to follow us on social media to keep up with all the latest policy fights in our state: Facebook

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Shapiro is Ignoring Students Trying to Escape Failing Schools

According to the Nation’s Report Card, nearly 70% of Pennsylvania’s eighth-graders can’t read or do math at grade level. Results are worse in Philadelphia, where 95% of Black eighth-graders aren’t proficient at math, and 89% can't read at grade level. Moreover, 90% of Hispanic eighth-graders aren’t meeting achievement levels.

Gov. Josh Shapiro has abandoned these kids.

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Would Pennsylvania Taking Control of Its Electrical Grid Affect Energy Bills?

Recent events—including a haphazard lawsuit by Shapiro—have signaled a strained relationship between Pennsylvania and the group running the grid. Increased demand and diminishing supply amidst rising electricity costs have set the stage for a looming energy shortfall and economic hardships, making this issue more urgent every day.

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Shapiro's Energy Plan in a Nutshell

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Cyber Charters are Crucial for Pennsylvania's Most Vulnerable Students

Charter and cyber charter schools are the only tuition-free options for Pennsylvania families seeking educational alternatives to their assigned district public school.

About 60,000 students attend a Pennsylvania cyber charter. And many of these students are the most vulnerable in the commonwealth.

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VIDEO: How Lawmakers Can Understand the State Budget

What should lawmakers do to understand the state budget before voting on it? Our vice president and former lawmaker Steve Bloom explains in a new, quick video.

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VOTE: Shapiro's Self-Promotion Madness

This March, we’re pitting the governor’s top eight cringiest videos against one another. Each round, two videos will face off, and voters on Twitter/X can vote for the “cringiest” of the two.

After each round of voting, we will post updates for the bracket on the Commonwealth Foundation blog.

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