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