The work of a Stanford University Professor whose research has formed the foundation of efforts, such as one scheduled to appear on the Massachusetts ballot in November, to impose surtaxes on high earners is flawed because it excludes the vast majority of millionaires, according to a new study published by Pioneer Institute. Professor Cristobal Young’s […]
Policy makers should raise tuition rate, cap on program enrollment BOSTON – With little fanfare or controversy, Massachusetts’ inter-district school choice program has allowed students to access better schools and spurred competition between districts, but the 27-year-old choice law should be updated to ensure the program’s continuing success, according to a new study published by […]
The purpose of transparency laws is to promote more effective, accountable and responsive government. Engaged citizens are essential for our form of government to thrive over the long-term. According to the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, “the founding fathers of our nation strove to develop an open government formed on the principles of democracy […]
Despite federal laws to the contrary, state education agency claims providing services at private schools would violate amendments to state constitution BOSTON – Over the past dozen years, thousands of private and religious school students in Massachusetts have been denied hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of special education services to which they are entitled […]
Read press coverage of this report in the Boston Business Journal and State House News Service. Tools are more user friendly and cover growing number of procedures, but still used by just a small fraction of potential market BOSTON – A Pioneer Institute study finds some significant improvements in the online cost estimator tools created by […]
Between September 2015 and the fall of 2017, Pioneer Institute released a series of reports on the University of Massachusetts that chronicled rising fees and tuition, a flood of new administrative hires, the high salaries of top university brass, the university’s out-of-control capital plans, shaky financial planning premised on recruiting an ever-increasing number of out-of-state […]
BOSTON – Massachusetts Education Reform Act co-author and former Senate President Tom Birmingham praised the historic success that has been achieved since the law was enacted in 1993, but expressed concern that the Commonwealth is veering away from basic principles of the law that produced that success at a State House event marking the 25th […]
Under Massachusetts law, the state Legislature is not considered a “public body” in the traditional sense, and therefore enjoys exemptions from open meeting and public records laws. Pioneer Institute believes this is unconstitutional. The state constitution says the Legislature should be accountable to citizens “at all times.” The laws that apply to municipalities and the rest […]
Weaker ELA and math standards have already produced declines in student achievement BOSTON – The draft of the Massachusetts History and Social Science Curriculum Frameworks that was released for public comment in January would follow in the footsteps of recently adopted English, math, and science standards by representing a decline in academic quality, content, and […]
Would take particular toll on those relying on home value appreciation to fund retirement BOSTON – The tax hike on those with annual taxable incomes of $1 million or more that would result from a proposed amendment to the state constitution scheduled to appear on the Commonwealth’s November ballot will likely ensnare an ever-increasing number […]
This St. Patrick’s Day, join us in calling for an end to bigoted, 19th-century anti-Irish and anti-Catholic legal barriers that block access to better schools for hundreds of thousands of underprivileged children. “Big Sacrifices, Big Dreams: Ending America’s Bigoted Education Laws,” a Pioneer Institute documentary production, seeks to raise public awareness about these constitutional amendments […]
Each year, the Better Government Competition focuses on one of the country’s greatest public policy challenges. Families today are struggling to afford college, young adults are saddled with crippling debt, and government workforce development programs and existing education models have not been reliable pipelines to stable employment. In recognition of these challenges, Pioneer Institute’s 2018 […]
Passage of November 2018 ballot measure will make Massachusetts far less competitive BOSTON – Passage of Proposition 80, the tax hike proposal scheduled to appear on the November 2018 Massachusetts ballot, will fail to generate the level of revenue growth projected by its backers, according to a new Pioneer study. The ballot measure would add […]
Passage of November 2018 ballot measure would jeopardize Massachusetts’ long-term economic health BOSTON – Passage of Proposition 80, the tax hike proposal scheduled to appear on the November 2018 Massachusetts ballot, would accelerate migration out of Massachusetts, especially to Florida and New Hampshire, according to a new Pioneer study. Proposition 80 would add a 4 […]
Read this full op-ed in CommonWealth magazine. By Tom Birmingham and Ken Campbell Years of missteps are leaving students behind “SUCCESS IS TO BE measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life,” said Booker T. Washington, the famous turn-of-the-20th-century black educator, “as by the obstacles… overcome.” February is both Black History and […]
Outcome will affect similar petition pending before Massachusetts SJC Today, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in a case with important implications for Massachusetts in which an Illinois public employee is challenging the requirement that he pay an “agency fee” to a union as a condition of employment. Closer to home, a group of […]
In the month of February, the nation honors the achievements of African Americans; their stories and historical accomplishments are worthy of recognition year round. That’s why Pioneer Institute has sponsored events, produced videos, and published opinion pieces informing the public about important leaders and key milestones in the African-American experience, as well as the need […]
This report earned media coverage on WGBH radio, WBZ radio, and Fox 25 TV, Bloomberg radio; The Boston Globe, the Associated Press, MassLive/The Springfield Republican, Newburyport News, Gloucester Times, Salem News, Lawrence Eagle-Tribune, Greenfield Recorder, CommonWealth magazine, and The Lowell Sun. Cap on state and local tax deductions to hit Massachusetts hard BOSTON – Recent passage of […]
Brief argues that Proposition 80 violates the state constitution, would result in harmful fiscal policy BOSTON – PioneerLegal, Pioneer Institute’s public-interest law initiative, together with the Tax Foundation, has filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Judicial Court in support of the Massachusetts High Technology Council and others, in the case Christopher Anderson et al. […]
Join us as we celebrate Catholic Schools Week, with special film screenings of our new documentary, “Big Sacrifices, Big Dreams: Ending America’s Bigoted Education Laws,” at Boston College High School in Boston, MA on Monday, January 29th at 6:30pm; Marian High School in Framingham, MA on Tuesday, January 30th at 6:30pm; and Bishop Connolly High […]
Hear Greg Sullivan discuss this report on Bloomberg Radio. Raising taxes on companies and high earners has resulted in less revenue, exodus of large employers and wealthy individuals BOSTON – Proponents of a 2018 statewide ballot initiative that would add a surcharge on the state taxes of those earning over $1 million annually should look […]
Watch a video interview of the author on BNN News, and read coverage in the Boston Business Journal and The Boston Globe. More riders would boost T revenue, cut employee commuting costs, provide savings for employers, reduce traffic congestion and help the environment BOSTON – Increased use of employer-sponsored commuter benefit programs could boost MBTA revenue […]
Read op-eds about the film, by Raymond Flynn, former Ambassador to the Holy See, and Pioneer’s Jamie Gass in The Daily Caller, The Lowell Sun, and the Fitchburg Sentinel & Enterprise. Constitutional amendments in 38 states born of anti-Catholic bigotry now harm families practicing wide range of faiths BOSTON – A new documentary film, “Big […]
Constitutional amendments in 38 states born of anti-Catholic bigotry now harm families practicing wide range of faiths BOSTON – Four area Catholic schools will hold public screenings of a new documentary film, “Big Sacrifices, Big Dreams: Ending America’s Bigoted Education Laws,” to be released by Pioneer Institute during National School Choice Week, beginning January 21st, […]
Today, we honor the legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., whose life and work helped advance the American promise of equal opportunity for all. A key element of that promise is access to high-quality educational options. Pioneer Institute has held numerous public forums on Dr. King’s heroic legacy, and the continuing struggle […]
By Jamie Gass and Ze’ev Wurman This op-ed appeared in The Daily Caller and The New Bedford Standard Times. “If I have seen further,” declared the great 17th-century English scientist Sir Isaac Newton, “it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” This season marks Newton’s 373th birthday, and his humility before renowned thinkers — Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler, and Descartes — set […]
Each year, the Better Government Competition focuses on one of the country’s greatest public policy challenges. Families today are struggling to afford college, young adults are saddled with crippling debt, and government workforce development programs and existing education models have not been reliable pipelines to stable employment. In recognition of these challenges, Pioneer Institute’s 2018 […]
With the New Year fast approaching, here are 12 reasons to donate to Pioneer before the clock strikes 12:00 and ushers in 2018: In January, the Institute begins its national release of the documentary film, Big Sacrifices, Big Dreams: Ending America’s Bigoted Education Laws, which recounts the shameful history behind opposition to school choice and the […]
Wishing you and your loved ones warmth and joy this holiday season!
By Tom Birmingham | The Boston Pilot | December 15, 2017 We are all shaped by our own experiences. When it comes to education, I spent nine years in Chelsea public schools, followed by high school at Austin Prep, an Augustinian Catholic school north of Boston. St. Augustine’s dictum from his Confessions, “Tolle, lege,” “Take […]
