School finance is one of the most complex issues in state government. Because of that complexity, much confusion exists regarding the effect on both state and local school district budgets from various forms of educational choice. This paper is intended to help illuminate this issue and explain the ‘how and why’ of fiscal effects on the state and local public schools.
Higher Education
Who Teaches the Teachers?
Every state requires public school teachers to be “certified,” and most of that certification runs through a university school of education. New research by TPPF’s Kate Bierly asks a simple question: is that credential actually worth anything? The answer, backed by decades of data, is no. Teacher training used to happen in “normal schools.” The practical, two-year...
July 23, 2026