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Governor is ignoring students trying to escape failing schools

According to the Nation’s Report Card, nearly 70% of Pennsylvania’s eighth-graders can’t read or do math at grade level. Results are worse in Philadelphia, where 95% of Black eighth-graders aren’t proficient at math, and 89% can’t read at grade level. Moreover, 90% of Hispanic eighth-graders aren’t meeting achievement levels. Gov. Josh Shapiro has abandoned these kids. The declining performance in public schools has occurred despite record increases in public school funding, including more than $4 billion in increases in state taxpayer funding in the last four years ...

Invest in schools — not bureaucracy

If an investment yields stagnant or negative returns despite increased funding, the rational thing to do is back off. This logic rarely applies in government, but we’re in a unique moment. The U.S. Department of Education -- which has long exemplified the sunk-cost fallacy with past investments motivating continued spending -- may face a reckoning as the Trump administration pushes to devolve education back to the states. First, let’s be clear: The department traditionally funds only 8% to 10% of K-12 education, and new Secretary of Education Linda McMahon seems rightly concerned ...

The future of Social Security — or not

Since Social Security was signed into law on Aug. 14, 1935 there has never been a missed payment. But now as the third Wednesday of the month draws near, I’m very apprehensive about going into my bank account to see if the deposit is there. I have several bills that are automatically withdrawn from my account and if my Social Security money isn’t there, I will not just be overdrawn, I will be in serious trouble. Former Social Security Commissioner Martin O’Malley warned in a recent issue of Fortune magazine, “Ultimately, you’re going to see the [social security] system ...

Avoiding the temptation and trouble of government by decree

One of the complaints against modern government is that it has become administration by decree. Presidents rely upon what is essentially lawmaking prerogative by virtue of Executive orders. The founders of the United States created a coequal branch in the Executive. They wanted the Executive to be powerful. In a sense, the Executive in the United State was a replacement for the English monarch whose power was restrained by the Parliament. The Federalist Papers, mostly written by Alexander Hamilton who was a great fan of the English system of government, stressed the importance of a ...

Stay safe with lithium ion batteries

Lithium Ion batteries have entered our lives and homes very quickly in the last few years. They power smart phones, laptop computers, power tools, bikes, scooters and electric cars. These batteries are rechargeable and are able to offer higher energy efficiency and higher energy output than their predecessor, the lead acid battery. Although they offer improved performance, they have a chance of becoming a hazard that I don’t think the general public is aware of or prepared for. Overcharging, physical damage, improper handling and overheating may cause Lithium Ion Batteries to enter ...

Turn frustration into action — support local journalism

When Luen Ng died at 75 after being struck by a hit-and-run driver in Northeast Philadelphia, few people outside her family knew her story. But a Spotlight PA investigation revealed something that should concern every Pennsylvanian: for months before her death, the agency tasked with protecting vulnerable older adults failed to act with urgency despite clear warning signs of self-neglect and dementia. Her case was one of more than 1,500 in 2023 alone where older adults in the commonwealth died amid open cases of suspected abuse or neglect. The story didn’t make national headlines. ...