Op-Ed by RFA’s Kate Shaw featured in the Daily News

Posted by Briana Pressey on Feb 18, 2011 in Blog

Philadelphia Daily News: An op-ed authored by RFA’s executive director, Kate Shaw, was featured in the Daily News on Thursday, Feb. 17. The op-ed uses our policy brief on educational vouchers - Educational Vouchers: Facts, Figures, and a Summary of the Research - to make the case that very few statistically significant effects on student achievement have been found from the implementation of vouchers. Furthermore, RFA as lawmakers consider Senate Bill 1, RFA is calling on them to use reputable research and proven practices to guide decision-making, not poltics and personal agendas.

RFA’s Kate Shaw discusses vouchers on Fox News

Posted by Alison Murawski on Feb 16, 2011 in Blog

RFA’s executive director, Kate Shaw, appeared on Fox News Good Day Live this morning to participate in a discussion about the future of educational vouchers in Pennsylvania. This conversation was especially timely as the State Senate went into session to consider voucher legislation – Senate Bill 1 – today. Click here to see the news clip.

As the debate on vouchers heats up, it is clear that our work to examine only the most reputable, rigorous research on the topic has struck a chord. In fact, over the weekend, an opinion piece in the Pottstown Mercury referenced the brief.

What Do Vouchers Mean for Public Schools?

Posted by Briana Pressey on Feb 11, 2011 in Blog

Philadelphia Daily News: This op-ed written by Daylin Leach questions the effectiveness of Senate Bill 1 and what it means for Philadelphia public schools. The vouchers provide eligible students with an average of $9,000 to attend any school that accepts them, but the school that they wish to leave does not save any money.

In the midst of the ongoing debate on Senate Bill 1, several questions arise regarding the future of education in Philadelphia and what it means for the city’s students. RFA has conducted rigorous research in order to answer some of these questions in our brief – Questions and Answers About Educational Vouchers:Facts, Figures, and a Summary of the Research.

The Voucher Debate Continues

Posted by Briana Pressey on Feb 8, 2011 in Blog

Philadelphia Daily News: The debate about educational vouchers has continued to gain momentum under the administration of Gov. Corbett, and with the introduction to Senate Bill 1 by Sens. Jeffrey Piccola and Anthony Hardy Williams. The Daily News discusses whether the voucher system, which provides parents with tuition certificates to send their children to participating private schools, will aid in achievement or further undermine the public school system. RFA weighed into the debate by using our expertise in research to compile a summary of existing literature on the topic. Our brief – Questions and Answers about Educational Vouchers: Facts, Figures, and a Summary of the Research – is designed to help inform the debate by providing objective facts and figures on this important topic.

Vouchers Gain Increasing Relevance

Posted by Briana Pressey on Jan 21, 2011 in Blog

The discourse on educational vouchers is gaining increased momentum now that Gov. Corbett has officially taken office. An article that appeared on the front page of the Philadelphia Inquirer mentions research summarized by RFA in our briefing paper – Questions and Answers about Educational Vouchers: Facts, Figures, and a Summary of the Research. Our perspective on educational vouchers can also be found on the Philadelphia Public School Notebook blog, and has even made it to Twitter.