Entries by Editorial Staff

Pioneer Institute and the Tax Foundation File Amicus Brief in Graduated Income Tax Ballot Initiative Case

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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. v. Maura Healey. The plaintiffs assert that Proposition 80, a ballot initiative to install a graduated income tax for Massachusetts, violates the state constitution and should not be allowed to appear on the Commonwealth’s November ballot. Proposition 80 calls for adding an additional 4 percent state tax on all annual taxable income above $1 million and earmarking the resulting revenue specifically for transportation and education. […]

Join Us on Catholic Schools Week for Special Film Screening Events

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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 School in Fall River, MA on Thursday, February 1st at 5:30pm. View a film trailer featuring Sarah Kelter, a student at Framingham’s Marian High School: “Big Sacrifices, Big Dreams” profiles four American families, two of which are from Massachusetts. Their pursuit of educational opportunity is impeded by so-called Blaine Amendments, which prohibit state money from supporting families sending their children to religiously affiliated schools. There […]

New Study Looks to Connecticut as Cautionary Tale for Impact of Proposed Ballot Initiative Hiking Taxes

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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 at the experience of Connecticut, where multiple rounds of tax hikes aimed at high earners triggered an exodus of large employers and high-earning individuals that resulted in declining tax revenue, according to a new study published by Pioneer Institute. “Before going to the polls next year, voters should take a close look at the impact that tax hikes similar to the ones being proposed have […]

New Study Urges MBTA to Expand Corporate Pass Program

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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 significantly, reduce employee commuting costs, provide employer savings, reduce traffic congestion and yield environmental benefits, according to a new study published by Pioneer Institute. “In 2015, the Governor’s Special Panel to review the MBTA found that the T needed to urgently pursue revenue opportunities and identified increasing ridership as the first item on the agenda,” said Jim Stergios, Pioneer Institute Executive Director.  “The Corporate Pass […]

New Documentary Highlights Impact of Bigoted “Blaine Amendments”

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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 Sacrifices, Big Dreams: Ending America’s Bigoted Education Laws,” profiles four American families, two from Massachusetts, whose pursuit of educational opportunity is impeded by so-called Blaine Amendments, which prohibit state money from supporting students in religiously affiliated schools. Four area Catholic schools will hold screenings of the film during National School Choice Week, beginning January 21st, and Catholic Schools Week, beginning January 28th. It will be […]

Film Screenings at Area Catholic Schools to Educate Public about Barriers to School Choice

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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, and screened again during Catholic Schools Week, which begins on January 28th. The film will be shown at Fontbonne Academy in Milton at 6:30pm on January 23rd; Boston College High School at 6:30pm on January 29th; Framingham’s Marian High School at 6:30pm on January 30th; and Bishop Connolly High School in Fall River at 5:30pm on February 1st. Trailers for the film can be viewed […]

Celebrating the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday and School Choice

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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 to realize his dream. You can watch video highlights from our many events on Civil Rights below. Pioneer is also proud to announce next week’s release of a new documentary film, “Big Sacrifices, Big Dreams: Ending America’s Bigoted Education Laws,” that traces the ordeals of four different families who must make sacrifices to send their children to schools that offer instruction rooted in religious faith, […]

Op-ed: American Public Education Is Failing Miserably In Math And Science

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Op-ed: American Public Education Is Failing Miserably In Math And Science January 9, 2018 by Editorial Staff

This op-ed appeared in The Daily Caller and The New Bedford Standard Times. By Jamie Gass and Ze’ev Wurman “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 in motion a towering life that redefined math, science, engineering, optics, and […]

Announcing Pioneer Institute’s 2018 Better Government Competition Topic: “Making Higher Education & Career Training Options Affordable & Effective”

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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 Better Government Competition seeks ideas to make postsecondary education options for high school graduates more affordable, accessible, and effective. Download the Contest Guidelines Enter here. Share the Contest Guidelines: http://bit.ly/2Ai7zYQ Share the Guidelines on Facebook Share the Guidelines on Twitter Entry Deadline: Papers of up to five (5) pages due by Friday, March 23rd  at 4:00 PM ET. Submit an idea paper of five or fewer pages describing […]

12 Reasons to Give to Pioneer Before Midnight

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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 impact on families in states across the union. In March, Pioneer will release a book sharing the best practices from Massachusetts’ gold-standard charter public school movement with other states. Pioneer’s examination of the University of Massachusetts’ reckless expansion plans prompted the Baker administration to revamp the decision-making process for state college and university capital projects. Pioneer is one of the highest-rated charities among the thousands […]

Op-ed: A Novel Solution To An Old Problem

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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 up and read,” became Austin’s school motto. I believe that I benefitted from Catholic education and wish more young people could do the same, but economic trends and constitutional amendments in 38 states that prohibit public money from going to religious schools are among the factors that have staggered many Catholic schools. Cristo Rey high schools are returning Catholic education to urban areas. Under the […]

Report: Economic Freedom Up Slightly Across U.S.

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Massachusetts ranks 13th in North American index BOSTON – Massachusetts ranks 13th out of all 50 states in this year’s Economic Freedom of North America report, released today by the Pioneer Institute in conjunction with Canada’s Fraser Institute. “Massachusetts has real competitive advantages over other states – a top-rate education system, talent across financial services, consulting and important research and innovation sectors,” said Jim Stergios, executive director of Pioneer Institute. “But state government has also advanced policies that make Massachusetts an expensive place to live and work. We have a well-earned reputation for over-regulation and huge debt obligations that are a drag on the economy.  Several issues on the ballot in 2018, including additional tax increases and restrictions on labor […]

Study: Updated Massachusetts K-12 Standards Are Worse in English, Still Mediocre in Math

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Check out news coverage: “Report warns of falling test scores” (Salem News, Newburyport Daily News, Gloucester Times); Bloomberg Bay State; Accuracy in Academia; The Lowell Sun; The Fitchburg Sentinel & Enterprise; RealClearEducation. The Lowell Sun published an op-ed as well, here. Both 2010 and 2017 standards demonstrably inferior to state’s pre-2010 academic standards BOSTON – The 2017 update of Massachusetts’ English and math K-12 academic standards represents further deterioration in English, while the math standards are essentially unchanged from the 2010 version, according to the first independent evaluation of the newly revised standards, which is published by Pioneer Institute.  The 2010 standards, which were based on Common Core, led to […]

Op-ed: Our schools ignore US history at our peril

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By Tom Birmimgham | Nov. 30, 2017 State must make good on requirement for history instruction and testing ABOUT 25 YEARS AGO, as a member of the Massachusetts Senate, I co-authored the Massachusetts Education Reform Act. Drafting a complex bill with such far-reaching consequences requires significant compromise, but one thing my counterparts in the House of Representatives and then-Gov. Bill Weld all agreed upon was the importance of educating students about our nation’s history. As a result, the law explicitly requires instruction about the Declaration of Independence, the Federalist Papers and the US Constitution. We also made passage of a US history test a high school graduation requirement. Sadly, subsequent generations of political leaders have not shared our view of the importance of US history. It is now […]

Op-ed: It’s Time to Strengthen—Not Reduce!—History in Our Classrooms

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By Tom Birmingham This op-ed appeared in the print edition of American Heritage magazine (Volume 62 Issue 5), with a preface from the Editor. The op-ed also appeared in the MetroWest Daily News and Milford Daily News. It is painful to see a state such as Massachusetts — so central to our Nation’s past — plan to cut back even more on the teaching of American history. In recent years renowned historical sites such as Old Sturbridge Village have reported a dramatic decrease in visits by students because of a reduced emphasis on teaching history in schools (despite the efforts of many dedicated teachers), and an increase in paperwork to justify field trips. (Parenthetically, American Heritagewas launched in 1949 at Old Sturbridge Village, which still guards the original carved eagle […]

Happy Thanksgiving from Pioneer Institute!

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Thanksgiving is a time to gather with friends and family, share a traditional feast, and express gratitude for the freedoms we enjoy. We at Pioneer have much to be thankful for, most importantly for your trust in and support of the Institute.  We are also grateful for the opportunity to organize informative events, engage high-profile scholars and experts to develop new ideas and reforms, and advance public conversations on our most pressing policy challenges. In the coming months, keep an eye out for an exciting new documentary film raising awareness about the bigoted history behind opposition to school choice, the kickoff to our 2018 Better Government Competition (which, psst, is on college affordability), a book on how Massachusetts birthed the […]

Press Release: Definitive Biographer of Pope St. John Paul II to Keynote Cristo Rey High Schools Event

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Update: Watch the event videos below, in order.   Pioneer Institute to simultaneously release study on Cristo Rey schools BOSTON – George Weigel, who wrote a bestselling two-volume biography of Pope St. John Paul II; former Ambassador to the Vatican and three-term Boston Mayor Raymond Flynn; and Jeffrey Thielman, co-founder of the Cristo Rey Network of Catholic schools, will be among the speakers at “Witnessing Hope: Cristo Rey Schools & Catholic Education,” a Pioneer Institute and Catholic Schools Foundation forum to be held Monday, November 13th from 8:30 to 11:00 a.m. at the Omni Parker House in Boston. Thielman is also the co-author of “Cristo Rey Schools: A Model of 21st-Century Catholic Education,” a Pioneer Institute White Paper that will […]

2017 Lovett C. Peters Lecture in Public Policy to Focus on Politics and Polarization on American Campuses

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Social Psychologist & National Commentator Jonathan Haidt to Deliver Keynote Address at Pioneer Institute Annual Dinner BOSTON – Dr. Jonathan Haidt, the leading national commentator on controversial speech at colleges and universities, will deliver Pioneer Institute’s 2017 Lovett C. Peters Lecture on Tuesday, November 7th, in Boston. “With the escalating battle over free speech on campuses across America, Dr. Haidt’s work to promote civil dialogue on political issues is vitally important,” said Jim Stergios, Pioneer Institute Executive Director. “We look forward to hearing Dr. Haidt’s thoughts on how future generations can move beyond the current impasse created by ideological extremism, intolerance, ignorance, and censorship.” Dr. Haidt is an American social psychologist and Thomas Cooley Professor of Ethical Leadership at New […]

Moving the Needle on Healthcare Cost Containment & Reform

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Today, Pioneer Institute submitted recommendations to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ Special Senate Committee on Health Care Cost Containment and Reform. Pioneer applauds provisions of the proposed legislation that would reduce emergency room use and re-admissions, expand scope of practice, and embrace telemedicine. The Committee should also be commended for looking to other states’ accomplishments in this area. But the current bill raises some concerns. In some instances, we believe it diminishes the potential for greater cost savings by adding unnecessary regulatory burdens. The projected savings relative to 2020 spending are quite modest, at less than 0.2 percent. The Medicaid buy-in program as it is presented is a radical change from the existing program structure – it will require more elaboration […]

Join us 11/13: “Witnessing Hope: Cristo Rey Schools & Catholic Education”

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As the country is engaged in a national discussion about equality of educational opportunity, school choice, and religious freedom, join us at a public forum featuring nationally recognized experts on Catholic leadership and schooling, that will highlight a successful model of Catholic high school education. Date: November 13, 2017 Time: 8:30 am – 11:00 am Location: Omni Parker House Hotel, 60 School Street, Boston, MA Register Now  

Study: Proposition 80 Would Give MA 2nd Highest Combined State & Federal Capital Gains Tax Rate in U.S.

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Read coverage of this report in the Boston Herald: “Study: ‘Millionaire’s tax’ would hurt state” and the Boston Business Journal: “‘Millionaires’ tax’ would make Mass. an outlier in capital gains tax, says group” Unlike federal government, gains could move taxpayers into higher state bracket  BOSTON – If voters approve Proposition 80, scheduled to appear on the statewide ballot next year, Massachusetts’ top capital gains tax rate would go from 30th highest in the nation to fourth and the commonwealth’s highest combined state and federal rate would move from 25th to second, according to a new Policy Brief published by Pioneer Institute. “Proposition 80 would have an outsized impact on capital gains,” said Greg Sullivan, the author of “Back to Taxachusetts […]

Is it time to expand water transportation in Greater Boston?

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A recent Pioneer Institute report explored the benefits of increased investment in the MBTA’s water-based public transportation service to meet the growing demand among commuters in Massachusetts’ coastal communities. In the brief video clip below, Pioneer Institute Research & Policy Associate Matt Blackbourn shares key findings from this report, which he co-authored with Pioneer Research Director Greg Sullivan, regarding ferry service performance and costs compared to other MBTA transit modes and peer agencies across the country. Click the button below to read the report, and the video player below that to watch the clip. Recent media coverage: This report received extensive media attention, including radio coverage on WGBH and WBUR. Click on the links below: The Boston Herald: “Study suggests […]

U.S. Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Arguments in Janus v. AFSCME

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Pioneer Institute Signed onto Amicus Brief Urging Court to Accept Case BOSTON – The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear arguments in Janus v. AFSCME, a case involving an Illinois public employee who sued the defendant claiming that being compelled to pay an agency fee violates his First Amendment right to freely express dissent. Pioneer Institute, through its public interest law initiative PioneerLegal, signed onto an amicus brief at the invitation of the Pacific Legal Foundation that supported Janus’s petition asking the Supreme Court to hear his agency fee case. “We recognized that many observers believed the time was right for the Supreme Court to accept the case as its key issues – particularly those based on First Amendment […]

Don’t Stop the Momentum on T Reform

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Today, Pioneer Institute submits testimony in support of MBTA bus maintenance and management reform at a hearing of the Massachusetts State Senate Committee on Post Audit and Oversight. The MBTA is proposing to outsource bus maintenance at 3 of its 9 garages, a practice which has been successful at regional transit authorities across the state. The proposal would have minimal impact on the agency’s mechanics, who would remain in the Machinists’ union; but would free the T to make needed management improvements currently prohibited by contracts that limit the duties of Supervisors. Modernization of business practices as a result of the proposal could save taxpayers $11 million per year. Studies have found opportunities for improvement in the operation’s software system, […]

Press Release: Pioneer Files Amicus Brief on Behalf of Plaintiffs in Boston Charter School Case

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Joins with Black Alliance for Educational Options and Cheryl Brown Henderson to argue that case should be allowed to proceed to discovery BOSTON — Through its public interest law initiative PioneerLegal, Pioneer Institute has filed an amicus brief in an important case about public education that will be argued today before Massachusetts’ Supreme Judicial Court (SJC). In 2015, five Boston Public School students who did not win lotteries for admission to charter public schools and were relegated to failing district schools brought suit, asserting that they were denied equal protection and the right to an adequate public education as guaranteed by the Massachusetts Constitution.  The trial court dismissed the suit, and the appeal is before the state’s highest court. Pioneer […]

The Dignity of Liberty

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Click the button below to download (may take extra time), or below that, scroll through the report in the Scribd viewer on this page. The Dignity of Liberty: Pioneer Institute’s 2016 Annual Report by Pioneer Institute on Scribd Our fiscal year ends on Saturday! Please make a tax-deductible contribution below. [wpdevart_countdown text_for_day=”Days” text_for_hour=”Hours” text_for_minut=”Minutes” text_for_second=”Seconds” countdown_end_type=”date” end_date=”30-09-2017 23:59″ start_time=”1505850604″ end_time=”0,1,1″ action_end_time=”show_text” content_position=”center” top_ditance=”10″ bottom_distance=”10″ countdown_type=”button” font_color=”#000000″ button_bg_color=”#888888″ circle_size=”130″ circle_border=”5″ border_radius=”8″ font_size=”30″ countdown_font_famaly=”monospace” animation_type=”none” ]Thank you for helping us meet our end-of-year deadline with your generous contribution![/wpdevart_countdown]

Study: Ferry Service Could Provide Opportunity for MBTA Expansion without Huge Upfront Costs

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Read press coverage of this report in the Boston Herald: Study suggests MBTA float ferry service expansion and Editorial: “Ferrying off to work“; The Boston Globe: “Look to the harbor to ease Boston’s transportation woes,” “Steady stream of studies fuel transportation debates,” and here; The Boston Business Journal: “Seaport ferry, funded by business, would be open to public“; and State House News Service: “SENATE REPORT ASSERTS PUBLIC DISSATISFIED WITH MASS. TRANSPORTATION“; The Lynn Daily Item: “LYNN FERRY’S FUTURE BUOYED BY REPORT”; and The Salem News: “Our view: Ferry expansion can help ease traffic woes” Service has low capital costs, is cost effective by a number of measures, and could be an inexpensive channel to address critical transit needs in the region BOSTON – A comprehensive study […]

10 Days, 10 Reasons to Give

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[wpdevart_countdown text_for_day=”Days” text_for_hour=”Hours” text_for_minut=”Minutes” text_for_second=”Seconds” countdown_end_type=”date” end_date=”30-09-2017 23:59″ start_time=”1505850604″ end_time=”0,1,1″ action_end_time=”show_text” content_position=”center” top_ditance=”10″ bottom_distance=”10″ countdown_type=”button” font_color=”#000000″ button_bg_color=”#1e73be” circle_size=”130″ circle_border=”5″ border_radius=”8″ font_size=”30″ countdown_font_famaly=”monospace” animation_type=”none” ]Thank you for helping us meet our end-of-year deadline with your generous contribution![/wpdevart_countdown] There are 10 days remaining before our fiscal year ends.  Here are 10 reasons why a contribution to Pioneer Institute is worth your investment: 1. Our documentary film exploring legal barriers to school choice will be released this fall and reach half a million viewers nationwide.  2. The state invested $50 million in vocational-technical school facilities due to Pioneer’s work.   3. The Institute will release nationwide a new book highlighting policies that have made Massachusetts’ charter schools the best in the country. 4. […]

Op-ed: Education focus, testing on history, civics critical to well-informed citizenry

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By Tom Birmingham Read this op-ed as published in WGBH News, The Springfield Republican, The Berkshire Eagle, The Fitchburg Sentinel & Enterprise, The Lowell Sun, and The New Bedford Standard Times. BOSTON — Sunday marked the 230th anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Constitution, which is being celebrated today. Sadly, this is one of the many facts of which students in our public schools are largely unaware. It’s long past time for that to change. In recent years, much effort has rightfully been devoted to improving math and science education, while U.S. history education has been marginalized. Consequently, American students score better in math and science than they do in civics on the National Assessment of Educational Progress. When Horace […]