Entries by Editorial Staff

MIT’s Nobel Winner Joshua Angrist on the Economics of Education & Charter Public Schools

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Prof. Angrist explores the controversies and his motivations behind studying K-12 education, emphasizing what policymakers often overlook about education and labor markets. He discusses his groundbreaking research on charter schools, highlighting how his findings have influenced policymakers. Angrist also talks about his Nobel-winning work on the analysis of causal relationships in economics and the innovative research currently underway at Blueprint, his lab at MIT.

Pioneer Institute Statement on the Project Labor Agreement Provision in the Massachusetts Economic Development Bill

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Governor Healey should veto a provision in the recently passed economic development bill that would ease restrictions on public entities seeking to use project labor agreements on public works or building projects.  PLAs require that all trade labor on a project come from unions, essentially locking out the nearly 82 percent of Massachusetts construction workers who choose not to affiliate with a union. Such a provision reduces competition and, in turn, raises costs.  A 2021 RAND report on the effects of PLAs on affordable housing production in Los Angeles found a 14.5 percent increase in construction costs for projects subject to PLAs.  RAND also found that without PLAs approximately 800 additional units of housing (an increase of 11 percent) could […]

Pulitzer Winner Kai Bird on Robert Oppenheimer & the Atomic Bomb

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Mr. Bird focuses on the life and legacy of J. Robert Oppenheimer, “father of the atomic bomb.” He discusses Oppenheimer’s impact on history, his early life and education, and his academic achievements in quantum physics. Bird covers Oppenheimer’s political views, relationships, as well as his leadership in the Manhattan Project and his role in the Trinity test.

Georgetown’s Dr. Marguerite Roza on Federal ESSER Funds & the Fiscal Cliff

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Dr. Roza explores the complexities of education finance and its impact on American K-12 education. She outlines the three phases of school funding over the past 40 years and their effect on equity and student achievement. She highlights that only about half of the K-12 education dollars reach student instruction, with significant funds absorbed by the ever-expanding education bureaucracy.

Harlow Giles Unger on Patrick Henry & American Liberty

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 Mr. Unger delves into the life of Patrick Henry as the country celebrates the Fourth of July. He explores Henry’s early life, his rise as a lawyer and political figure, and his fiery opposition to British policies. Mr. Unger highlights Henry’s famous “Give me liberty, or give me death!” speech and his influential role as governor of Virginia, underscoring his enduring legacy in helping forge American independence. In closing, he reads a passage from his book, Lion of Liberty: Patrick Henry and the Call to a New Nation. 

SJC Agrees with Joint Amicus Brief Filed by Pioneer Public Interest Law Center, Contompasis and Caradonio

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BOSTON – On June 27, Massachusetts’ Supreme Judicial Court agreed with an amicus brief jointly filed by Pioneer Public Interest Law Center, former Boston Public Schools Superintendent Michael Contompasis and former Worcester Superintendent James Caradonio, rejecting the Massachusetts Teachers Association’s (MTA’s) challenge to the language of a November ballot initiative that would eliminate the requirement that students pass English language arts, math and science MCAS tests to graduate from the Commonwealth’s public high schools. Massachusetts law requires the attorney general and secretary of state to jointly prepare a fair and neutral one-sentence statement describing the effect of a yes or no vote.  The “yes” statement slated to appear on the ballot reads: “A YES VOTE would eliminate the requirement that […]

Steven Wilson on Charter Public Schools

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Mr. Wilson delves into his extensive background, including his tenure at Pioneer Institute, his work with Governor Bill Weld, and his contributions to the landmark 1993 Massachusetts Education Reform Act. Steven shares insights into the high academic expectations and success of Boston’s charter schools, emphasizing the importance of recruiting and retaining quality teachers and principals.

Sheldon Novick on Henry James, American Women, & Gilded-Age Fiction

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Mr. Novick discusses the complexities of Henry James’ life and writing career, highlighting his significant literary contributions, the influence of his family’s intellectual legacy, and the realistic portrayal of social tensions in his works. Novick explores Henry James’ life experiences that shaped his novels like The Portrait of a Lady and The Golden Bowl. 

Israeli Harvard Student Maya Shiloni on Campus Antisemitism

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https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/chrt.fm/track/4655F8/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/60211195/thelearningcurve_mayashiloni.mp3

Albert: [00:00:00] Hello everyone again. This is Albert Chang from the University of Arkansas welcoming you to another episode of the Curve podcast. I’m real happy to be here with you guys and along with my co host this week, Alicia Searcy. Alicia, good to see you. Alisha: Good […]

Study Finds Supply Shortage at the Heart of Greater Boston Housing Crisis

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Construction costs, land use regulation and zoning among the reasons why housing development lags growth in jobs, number of households BOSTON – A new Pioneer Institute study recommends that municipal leaders employ strategies like density bonuses and expedited permitting to prioritize the construction of family-oriented housing in urban areas to combat high prices and supply shortages resulting from decades of insufficient housing development. “Across the country, housing production has been low since the 2008 financial crisis,” said Andrew Mikula, author of “Supply Stagnation: The Root Cause of Greater Boston’s Housing Crisis and How to Fix It.”  “The housing crisis is especially acute in Boston because supply in the region never bounced back from the 1991 recession.” As of last November, […]

Kimberly Steadman of Edward Brooke on Boston’s Charter School Sector

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Steadman reflects on her educational background and leadership in urban charter public schools. She discusses the importance of rigorous academic expectations for K-12 students, and how this outlook influences her educational philosophy co-directing the Brooke charter school network. Ms. Steadman shares the challenges faced by Massachusetts charters due to the post-2016 ballot loss, and how she and other charter public school leaders advance supportive policy reforms.