Pioneer Institute Files Amicus Curiae Brief in U.S. Supreme Court School Choice Case

Pioneer Institute has filed an amicus curiae brief in Carson v. Makin urging the Supreme Court of the United States to strike down a provision of Maine law. The Court will hear oral arguments in Carson this morning (December 8) at 10 am. The Maine law being challenged allows districts that don’t have their own schools to contract with a school or pay for students that choose to attend public or private schools, but explicitly excludes religious schools.

Study: Systemic Failure in IDEA Implementation for Private School Students with Disabilities in Additional States

On the heels of a $3.8 million settlement for private school students with disabilities in Massachusetts for the state’s failure to comply with provisions of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) that require provision of equitable, publicly funded special education services to students in private schools, a Pioneer Institute study finds that two states and three school districts around the country for which data are available also appear to be out of compliance.

New Book Offers Roadmap to Sustainability for Massachusetts Catholic Schools

Catholic schools in Massachusetts must focus on the characteristics that make them academically successful and distinguish them from traditional public schools, but must also seek new models and governance structures that will help them achieve financial sustainability, according to a new book published by Pioneer Institute. The book, "A Vision of Hope: Catholic Schooling in Massachusetts," will be the topic of a webinar co-sponsored by Pioneer and the Catholic Schools Foundation to be held on Wednesday, January 27 at 2:00 pm. 

New Study Provides Toolkit for Crafting Education Tax-Credit Scholarship Programs

In the wake of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down a key impediment to private school choice, Pioneer Institute has published a toolkit for designing tax-credit scholarship programs. Now available in 18 states, nearly 300,000 students nationwide use tax-credit scholarships to attend the school of their family’s choice. TCS policies create an incentive for taxpayers to contribute to nonprofit scholarship organizations that aid families with tuition and, in some states, other K–12 educational expenses. This paper explores the central design features of TCS policies—such as eligibility, the tax credit value, credit caps, and academic accountability provisions—and outlines the different approaches taken by the TCS policies in each state.

Public Statement: Pioneer Institute Applauds U.S. Supreme Court Ruling in Espinoza School Choice Case

Pioneer Institute applauds today’s U.S. Supreme Court’s decision striking down a bigoted state constitutional amendment in Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue. Like Massachusetts, Montana is among nearly 40 states with so-called anti-aid amendments, which have roots in 19th century anti-Catholic, anti-immigrant discrimination.

Public Statement on MA DESE Blocking Federal Funding to Religiously Affiliated Special Needs Students

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s (DESE) legal office has played a key role in denying students at religious schools services funded by the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) for more than a decade.

Pioneer Alert: Supreme Court Will Rule on Highly Significant School Choice Case

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Today, the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) announced that it would…

Pioneer Institute Files Amicus Brief Urging Supreme Court to Hear School Choice Case

Claims amendment to Montana Constitution motivated by anti-Catholic…

State DPH Continues to Deny Private School Students Millions in School Nurse Services

State should establish a fund to provide partial support for…

Study Finds Declining Student Achievement and Increased Harm to School Choice Since Common Core

Read coverage of this report in The Daily Caller, Breitbart News,…

New Documentary Highlights Impact of Bigoted “Blaine Amendments”

Read op-eds about the film, by Raymond Flynn, former Ambassador…

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

Update: Watch the event videos below, in order. https://youtu.be/KP73PcC6uKk https://youtu.be/DEQLGcG6CnY https://youtu.be/MMq6eVfWASI https://youtu.be/PUDVuCUM5bA   Pioneer…

Study Finds Common Core Incompatible With Catholic Education

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Singular focus on workforce development conflicts with Catholic…

Event To Call For Moving “Know-Nothing” Governor’s Portrait From State House Wall

Bigoted Know-Nothing Amendments still part of state constitution Read…

Survey: Proposed Voucher Large Enough to Give Majority of Low-Income Recipients Access to Religiously Affiliated Schools

BOSTON - An annual voucher of between $6,000 and $8,000 would…

Study Proposes School Voucher Plan for 10,000 Low-Income Mass. Students

New Study Proposes School Voucher Plan for 10,000 Low-Income…

State Scholarship Tax Credit Program Would Help Low-Income Students

Study Finds State Scholarship Tax Credit Program Would Provide…

Urban School Models Forum to Feature Pulitzer Prize Winner, Fmr DC Mayor

Pulitzer Prize Winner, Former D.C. Mayor, Two Former State Education…

Exploring Jewish Day Schools in Massachusetts

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A new Pioneer Institute study of Jewish day schools in Massachusetts calls for the creation of an education tax credit program to ensure that children have the widest possible access to the schools their parents choose for them.

POLL FINDS LIKELY MASSACHUSETTS VOTERS OVERWHELMINGLY FAVOR MORE SCHOOL CHOICE

Likely Massachusetts voters overwhelmingly support educational choice, according to a poll conducted by David Paleologos’ firm, DAPA Research, for Pioneer Institute.

No More Know Nothing Laws: School Choice in Massachusetts

Pioneer Institute hosts event with national education reform experts Kevin Chavous and Jay Greene, releases new research on Catholic and Jewish Schools

Four Models of Catholic Schooling in Massachusetts

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Author(s): Cara Stillings Candal, Ed.D. — Publication date:…

Dumping Massachusetts’ Know-Nothing Amendments: Church, State, and School Reform

Pioneer released a research paper on Massachusetts Catholic schools, giving them high marks for providing a high-quality education and a safe learning environment for poor and working-class families at a substantially lower cost than the average public school’s per-pupil expenditure.

School Choice Models and Public School Reform

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School Choice Models and Public School Reform Event to feature…

The Know-Nothing Amendments: Barriers to School Choice in Massachusetts

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Barriers to School Choice in Massachusetts Author(s): Cornelius…

School Choice Without Vouchers: Expanding Education Options Through Tax Benefits

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Authors: William Howell and Mindy Spencer Date: October 2007…

Competition in Education: An Update of School Choice in Massachusetts

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Author(s): — Publication date: 2000-01-01 Category: Education…