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Celebrating School Choice Week: Charter Public Schools
/0 Comments/in Blog, Blog: Education, Blog: School Choice, Charter Schools, Featured /by Editorial StaffToday marks the beginning of National School Choice Week, an annual celebration of the variety of high-quality academic options available to families across the U.S. Each day this week at Pioneer Institute, we’ll be highlighting charter public schools, the METCO program, digital learning, vocational-technical schools, and independent and parochial schools. We kick off the week with video clips and op-eds featuring Cheryl Brown Henderson and Sephira Shuttlesworth, family members of Civil Rights leaders, who remind us of the central importance of school choice in delivering on the promise of equal educational rights for all. We’ll be sharing school choice success stories all week – join in the conversation today by speaking up on Twitter, using #SchoolChoice, at 2:30 pm Eastern! Event videos Cheryl Brown […]
Our Government Transparency Resolutions for 2017
/0 Comments/in Better Government, Blog, Blog: Better Government, Blog: Transparency, Featured, Transparency /by Mary ConnaughtonAlthough transparency was the expression of choice on Beacon Hill in 2016, the year fell short of what could have been a transformative period of government openness. Long overdue public records law reform was the most dramatic action taken by the Legislature in this vein, but compromise ultimately weakened what otherwise could have been very toothy legislation to advance the public’s interest. Nevertheless, progress was made. Pioneer Institute has long supported many elements of the enacted legislation, including subjecting the MBTA Retirement Board to public records law, making its operations transparent, establishing a public records officer for every agency, promoting electronic records in response to requests, imposing stronger penalties on delinquent agencies, promoting electronic disclosure, and reducing costs to obtain public records. Historically, Massachusetts has ranked at or near […]
Pioneer Celebrates the Legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
/in Blog, Blog: Education, Featured, School Choice, US History /by Editorial StaffToday, America celebrates the legacy of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., whose eloquence and courage mobilized this nation during the Civil Rights era. Over the last several years, Pioneer Institute has promoted U.S. History instruction and school choice options in K-12 schooling. We seek to ensure that schoolchildren will learn about their national heritage and have quality school options that help make Dr. King’s dream a reality for all. Related links: Jamie Gass appeared on WBZ’s Nightside with Dan Rea to discuss MLK’s legacy and education reform. Related videos: Dr. Clayborne Carson, Editor of the MLK Papers & Director of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research & Education Institute: Diane McWhorter, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian & author, Carry Me Home: […]
Aging In America: Help us ensure a better future for older citizens
/0 Comments/in Blog, Blog: Better Government, Featured /by Editorial StaffPioneer Institute’s 2017 Better Government Competition topic, “Aging in America,” is timely and critical. The older population in the United States and elsewhere is expected to increase dramatically in the coming decades as those in the post-war baby boom generation approach retirement. The population of people 65 and over will double – from 36 million to 72 million – by 2030. The 85-and-older population will also double, from 4.7 million to 9.6 million. Senior care will likely become an even more pressing social, economic and political issue. While only 15 percent of the U.S. population is over the age of 65, this demographic accounts for half of all health care spending, using resources such as hospital inpatient admissions, residential care […]
Before the clock strikes midnight…
/in Blog, Featured /by Editorial StaffBefore the clock strikes midnight tomorrow evening, we look back at twelve big wins at Pioneer Institute this past year. Retaining control over Massachusetts’ robust public school assessments Finding solutions to ensure the safety of vulnerable children in the custody of the Department of Children and Families The establishment of an emergency control board to oversee MBTA management Pragmatic solutions to address sick-time abuses at state agencies Increased transparency at the MBTA pension system Advancing the debate on the state’s burgeoning issue of opioid and substance abuse Identified numerous programs aimed at expanding and improving the scope of mental health services The launch of our Healthcare Price Transparency Working Group National media coverage highlighting our investigative surveys comparing the prices […]
Happy Holidays!
/in Blog, Featured /by Editorial StaffBest wishes to you and your loved ones for a healthy, happy holiday season and a prosperous new year! – Your friends at Pioneer Consider giving the gift of Pioneer Membership to friends and colleagues interested in our work: Or help young professionals expand their network through a New Leaders Membership:
Pioneer Institute Statement On The MBTA Contract With The Carmen’s Union
/in Better Government, Blog, Blog: Better Government, Blog: MBTA, Blog: Transportation, Featured /by Editorial StaffIn February 2015, Pioneer Institute issued a statement citing the numerous problems that faced the MBTA and its riders. The release noted that the MBTA board, as then structured, had failed the public, resulting in a highly mismanaged system of mass transit in metropolitan Boston. Pioneer recommended that the current board structure be dissolved and replaced with a board that had greater powers, including exemption from the so-called Pacheco law, and the autonomy needed to begin to fix the T. The recommendation was adopted by the Governor and the Legislature, and a Fiscal and Management Control Board (FMCB) was established. Over a span of less than two years, numerous improvements have been made. These include cutting the MBTA’s operating budget’s structural […]
A Time to Give Back
/in Blog, Featured /by Editorial StaffComing on the heels of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, #GivingTuesday is a day to refocus on what’s most important – a day during the holiday season for business leaders, families, students, community organizations and others to celebrate giving back to the causes we value most. At Pioneer, that means improving the quality of life in this City on a Hill we call Massachusetts. It means solutions that will give all kids access to a good school, sustain innovation in healthcare, promote movement whether through public transit or private mobility, expand job and business opportunities, and ensure that government works. Last year, more than 45,000 organizations in 71 countries came together to celebrate #GivingTuesday. Since its founding in 2012, #GivingTuesday […]
Happy Thanksgiving!
/0 Comments/in Blog, Featured /by Editorial StaffPioneer Institute could not continue promoting world-class schools, affordable healthcare, reliable public transit service, government accountability, and economic prosperity for all without the generous support of our donors. In the coming weeks and months, look for an announcement about our 2017 Better Government Competition, and more in-depth research on the MBTA, academic standards, and other topics. From the Pioneer family to yours, we wish you a happy Thanksgiving!
Major Gift Announcement: The Peters Legacy Society
/in Blog, Featured /by Editorial Staff~In Memory of R. Kingman Webster~ We were deeply saddened to learn of the passing of R. Kingman “King” Webster, a longtime confidant to Pioneer’s founder, Lovett C. “Pete” Peters, a benefactor for almost two decades, and a key member of the Institute’s early Board of Directors. After retiring from a fourth generation, family-owned business in 1989, Kingman and his wife Dee shifted their focus toward philanthropy – concentrating on common sense education reform and helping underprivileged youth trapped in failing schools. In addition to Pioneer, King promoted numerous initiatives such as the “I Have a Dream” project at Arlington Middle School, and the Community Day and Family Development Charter Schools, both based in Lawrence, Massachusetts. Though we have lost […]
The Lottery’s Double Standard
/0 Comments/in Blog, Blog: Better Government /by Prasanna RajasekaranLast month, State Treasurer Deborah Goldberg announced a renewed push for online lottery games, hoping to pass a bill in the upcoming legislative session. The merits of an online lottery are worth considering, but what’s interesting about the Treasurer’s latest statement is how she characterizes the Lottery’s profitability in the context of this push. At first, the Treasurer says the Massachusetts Lottery “is the most successful in the country.” But immediately after, she mentions that 2016 profits were precarious. Without the sales boost from the Powerball jackpot, Treasurer Goldberg claims she “might be reporting a lottery downturn,” especially considering the growth of Massachusetts’ casino industry. These two points – that the Lottery is at once massively profitable and facing a […]
A look at Massachusetts updated public records legislation
/0 Comments/in Blog, Blog: Transparency /by Michael MorisyA version of this article appeared on MuckRock. In September, the Massachusetts Supervisor of Public Records released its proposed update to public records regulations that would be used to carry out the long-awaited public records reform that goes into effect January 1, 2017. Here’s what’s worth keeping an eye on. The first thing to note is that these are *draft* regulations. If you see something you don’t like, it’s not etched in stone — yet. If you’d like to compare the proposed regulations with the current ones, the latter are available on the Supervisor of Public Records website, and you can just flip to page 49 (numbered as page 43). It’s also worth reading some of the other commentary on […]
UMass Survey Suggests over One-third of Annual Mass Lottery Sales Dependent on At-Risk and Problem Gamblers
/0 Comments/in Blog, Blog: Better Government /by Prasanna RajasekaranIn May 2015, UMass-Amherst published a survey that suggests 37% of the Massachusetts State Lottery’s revenue comes from at-risk or problem gamblers. The survey estimates that 389,121 Massachusetts residents are at-risk gamblers and 86,356 are problem gamblers. At-risk gamblers spend at least $3,869 yearly on the Lottery; the number increases to $5,148 for problem gamblers. Considering the aforementioned population estimates, $1.8 billion of the Lottery’s annual revenue is attributable to these vulnerable constituencies. The survey was conducted from 2013 to 2014, so that $1.8 billion would have made up around 37% of the FY 2014’s $4.9 billion in sales. Before jumping to conclusions, it’s necessary to acknowledge a few caveats. First, at-risk and problem gambler expenditures are self-reported and may therefore […]
More Mass. Charter Public Schools: Daughter of Brown v. Board of Ed Plaintiff Makes the Case
/0 Comments/in Blog, Blog: Education, Blog: School Choice, Charter Schools, Featured, School Choice /by Editorial StaffLast Monday, Pioneer hosted the event “Equal Access to Excellence: Charter and District School Reform,” which was co-sponsored by the Program on Education Policy and Governance at the Harvard Kennedy School, the Center for Education Reform, the Massachusetts Charter Public School Association, SABIS®, the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, Families for Excellent Schools and the Black Alliance for Educational Options. The keynote address was delivered by Cheryl Brown Henderson, whose father, the late Rev. Oliver L. Brown, was lead plaintiff in Brown v. Board of Education, the landmark 1954 U.S. Supreme Court case that banned segregation in public education. Cheryl is founding president of the Brown Foundation for Educational Equity, Excellence, and Research, and the owner of Brown & Associates, an […]
How much do frequent gamblers contribute to Massachusetts Lottery revenues?
/0 Comments/in Blog, Blog: Better Government /by Prasanna RajasekaranEach year, the Massachusetts State Lottery conducts an annual tracking survey of its players. The purpose of the survey is to analyze, among other things, spending patterns, advertising awareness, and social media adoption. Pioneer Institute, through a public records request, received access to the Massachusetts State Lottery Commission’s 2016 Annual Tracking Survey PowerPoint presentation – a comprehensive summary of this year’s findings. The survey brings to light a great deal of information, but one section titled “Player Segments” is particularly compelling. Here, the Lottery describes the spending patterns of frequent Lottery players (i.e. people who play the Lottery at least once a month). Consider this: the Lottery made $5.23 billion in sales for FY 2016. According to the survey, $4.6 billion […]