Presenting Pioneer’s New Annual Report: “Shaping Our Future”

In this report back to you, our community of supporters, we change our format to focus on impact. We do this understanding that we cannot control the future any more than one controls one’s luck. In “Shaping Our Future,” we aim to show how we’re working to shape probabilities for success, with an emphasis on liberty and giving more individuals and families opportunity to pursue happiness.

None of this work and the impact it is having would be possible without you. Pioneer is, as Alexis de Tocqueville put it, a voluntary association of free individuals. Your choosing us, placing your trust in and committing resources to Pioneer, is sincerely gratifying.

If you’re already a member, thank you for your support. If you are not yet, please consider joining today. Your tax-deductible gift will help us continue our work!

Recent Research:

Op-ed: State should revive US history requirement

0 Comments

/

March 25, 2016

To teach students how to exercise the rights and responsibilities associated with active citizenship in a democracy, Massachusetts should revive the requirement that public school students pass a US history MCAS test to graduate from high school.

https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/Fed.jpg 328 800 Editorial Staff https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_440x96.png Editorial Staff2016-03-25 16:32:552016-03-25 16:40:06Op-ed: State should revive US history requirement

Guest Opinion: Time to end Know-Nothing legacy once and for all

0 Comments

/

March 22, 2016

We should expel the Know-Nothings’ anti-Irish-Catholic amendment from the Massachusetts constitution, and remove bigoted Governor Gardner’s portrait from a position of prominence in our Statehouse.

https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/Hallway-1024x676.jpg 676 1024 Jamie Gass https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_440x96.png Jamie Gass2016-03-22 08:34:222019-08-20 14:46:39Guest Opinion: Time to end Know-Nothing legacy once and for all

Pioneer Calls for Creation of $20 Million Middle Cities Infrastructure Fund

March 21, 2016

Read news coverage in The Enterprise of Brockton. Convention…

https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/Map-1.jpg 855 1429 Editorial Staff https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_440x96.png Editorial Staff2016-03-21 10:32:562018-10-12 15:05:17Pioneer Calls for Creation of $20 Million Middle Cities Infrastructure Fund

Sunshine Week 2016: Highlights from Pioneer’s Government Transparency Team

0 Comments

/

March 18, 2016

Each Sunshine Week, Pioneer shares highlights of its government…

https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/Sunshine-Week-2016.jpg 533 800 Mary Connaughton https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_440x96.png Mary Connaughton2016-03-18 08:47:242016-03-18 08:47:24Sunshine Week 2016: Highlights from Pioneer’s Government Transparency Team

Recent Ruling on MBTA Retirement Fund Major Victory for Transparency & Accountability

0 Comments

/

March 10, 2016

The Boston Globe and the Boston Herald reported on an important…

https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/MBTA_Green_Line_B.jpg 768 1024 Editorial Staff https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_440x96.png Editorial Staff2016-03-10 14:09:152019-07-11 11:29:23Recent Ruling on MBTA Retirement Fund Major Victory for Transparency & Accountability

Studies: Western Mass. Charter Schools Using Data to Improve Achievement

0 Comments

/

March 9, 2016

Case Studies Describe Best Practices Of Two Successful Western…

https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/SABIS-1.jpg 918 1884 Editorial Staff https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_440x96.png Editorial Staff2016-03-09 11:09:142019-07-17 15:57:04Studies: Western Mass. Charter Schools Using Data to Improve Achievement

Benchmarking Tools For Municipal Officials – Budget Season Edition

0 Comments

/

March 1, 2016

Understanding how your community performs relative to its peers…

https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/MassAnalysisScreen.png 948 1110 Editorial Staff https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_440x96.png Editorial Staff2016-03-01 08:04:022016-03-01 09:40:48Benchmarking Tools For Municipal Officials – Budget Season Edition

Column: The last of ‘The Last of the Mohicans’

2 Comments

/

February 29, 2016

Public school children are unlikely to read "The Last of the Mohicans," a masterpiece of American literature, thanks to Common Core's emphasis on "informational texts."

https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/Last-of-the-Mohicans-2.jpg 1627 2142 Jamie Gass https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_440x96.png Jamie Gass2016-02-29 14:46:432021-01-28 14:59:58Column: The last of ‘The Last of the Mohicans’

The Real Source of UMass R&D Spending

2 Comments

/

February 25, 2016

UMass issued a report and a press release Tuesday citing a record…

https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/UMass-Featured-e1441140894273.png 742 900 Greg Sullivan https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_440x96.png Greg Sullivan2016-02-25 14:43:392016-02-25 16:25:22The Real Source of UMass R&D Spending

Time to End Mass. Legislature’s Self-Exemption from Open Meeting Law

February 25, 2016

PRESS RELEASE: Pioneer Contends the Legislature’s Self-Exemption…

https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/State_House_at_night.jpg 518 691 Editorial Staff https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_440x96.png Editorial Staff2016-02-25 07:34:212020-02-14 13:52:56Time to End Mass. Legislature’s Self-Exemption from Open Meeting Law

New Study Reveals MBTA’s Reckless Financial Derivatives

2 Comments

/

February 23, 2016

Read coverage in The Bond Buyer: "MBTA Lost $236M in 15 Years…

https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/MBTAtunnel.jpg 2452 3777 Editorial Staff https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_440x96.png Editorial Staff2016-02-23 07:58:002019-07-10 14:50:52New Study Reveals MBTA’s Reckless Financial Derivatives

National Survey Finds Limited Access To Price Estimates For Routine Hospital Procedure

4 Comments

/

February 21, 2016

Price for MRI of knee ranges from $400 to $4,544 BOSTON -…

https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/hospital-hallway-1.jpg 1197 1706 Editorial Staff https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_440x96.png Editorial Staff2016-02-21 09:00:492018-10-12 15:05:18National Survey Finds Limited Access To Price Estimates For Routine Hospital Procedure

Fordham’s PARCC v. MCAS Report Falls Short

0 Comments

/

February 16, 2016

Guest post by Richard P. Phelps The Fordham Institute has long…

https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/testing.jpg 168 300 Editorial Staff https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_440x96.png Editorial Staff2016-02-16 14:09:192018-10-12 15:05:18Fordham’s PARCC v. MCAS Report Falls Short

Presidents Day: The Innovative JQA

0 Comments

/

February 15, 2016

Guest Post by Jordan Harris Although several Presidents have…

https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/JQA.jpg 560 1260 Editorial Staff https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_440x96.png Editorial Staff2016-02-15 13:01:142016-02-15 14:45:38Presidents Day: The Innovative JQA

Study: Continuing Decline Over Last Decade In Massachusetts’ “Middle Cities”

February 11, 2016

Read news coverage of this report in The Springfield Republican, The…

https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/MiddleCities.jpg 320 500 Editorial Staff https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_440x96.png Editorial Staff2016-02-11 11:55:542018-10-12 15:05:19Study: Continuing Decline Over Last Decade In Massachusetts’ “Middle Cities”

Out-of-Control Administrative Staffing Budget Increases at the MBTA

February 9, 2016

With talk of fare hikes and ongoing performance problems, Pioneer…

https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/MBTA-T-sign-e1438701323593.png 300 300 Editorial Staff https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_440x96.png Editorial Staff2016-02-09 13:37:562019-07-10 14:50:52Out-of-Control Administrative Staffing Budget Increases at the MBTA

Column: For the T, riders should come first

0 Comments

/

February 3, 2016

Excerpt from Jim Stergios' column in The Boston Globe.  REVIEWS…

https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/MBTA4.jpg 641 960 Jim Stergios https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_440x96.png Jim Stergios2016-02-03 08:22:292016-02-03 08:24:13Column: For the T, riders should come first

Comparing Retirement Benefits for MBTA and other State Employees

0 Comments

/

February 2, 2016

Pioneer’s latest report, A $49 Million Sweetheart Deal: How…

https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/Red-line-trains-1-e1454445457796.jpg 1472 1544 Michael Weiner https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_440x96.png Michael Weiner2016-02-02 15:39:022019-07-11 11:29:24Comparing Retirement Benefits for MBTA and other State Employees