Pa. Ranks 36Th in Education Freedom, Heritage Foundation Report Says

Pennsylvania has landed in the bottom third of states for educational freedom, ranking 36th overall in a new report from The Heritage Foundation’s Education Freedom Report Card.

The commonwealth dropped six places from its 2025 standing, weighed down by declines across three of its five core evaluation categories: education choice, teacher freedom, and transparency; and in return on investment and civics education. The rankings draw on a mix of policies and multi-year statistics, including 2020-21 school spending data, 2024 national assessment results, and more recent information on teacher certification and school choice.

State lawmakers are already sparring over what the numbers mean for classrooms. Rep. Barbara Gleim, R-Carlisle, told The Center Square that Pennsylvania deserves its low placement and warned against falling any further. Gleim, chair of the House Education Committee’s Basic Education Subcommittee, pointed to neighboring West Virginia, which ranked 11th overall and outpaced Pennsylvania across all five categories.

Look how much better they are.

Gleim said of West Virginia, noting it was one of the first ones in the nation to have universal school choice.

Pennsylvania secured its best placement in education choice, landing at 26th, though that still marked a two-spot drop from 2025. Although the study recognized that the state already features private and charter options, the foundation proposed broadening private school choice initiatives, implementing K-12 education savings accounts, relaxing regulations on homeschooling and charter institutions, and granting households wider latitude in picking public schools.

That policy debate collides with immediate financial strain on the ground. Gleim raised concerns about charter school funding reductions, noting that two or three charters are on the brink of closing because the funding was cut so badly.

On academic transparency, Pennsylvania fell eight spots to 32nd. Although state law mandates that school districts permit parents to review curricula, the foundation urged officials to broaden access to taxpayers, policymakers, and voters, adopt a parental bill of rights, and reject the application of critical race theory.

Meanwhile, the state’s return on investment ranking improved one spot to 35th, but the underlying spending figures remain a point of intense friction.

Following cost-of-living adjustments, Pennsylvania occupies the ninth spot nationwide for per-pupil spending at $20,615 annually, yet it stands 17th regarding combined fourth- and eighth-grade math and reading marks on the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Unfunded teacher pension liabilities, totaling 6.3% of the state’s gross domestic product, further affected its ranking.

Gleim argued that increased spending has not produced corresponding academic gains, noting that education spending climbed from approximately $12 billion to $18 billion since 2017-18 while reading scores declined. Over the past decade, statewide education staffing grew by 5%, according to her observations, despite student enrollment dropping by 2%.

That relationship between spending and achievement also defined a gubernatorial debate. Universal free school breakfast funding for roughly 1.7 million public school children was spotlighted by Democratic Gov.-elect Josh Shapiro as a key administration investment, whereas Republican contender and state Treasurer Stacy Garrity questioned whether higher expenditures have actually boosted student achievement.

Federal assessment figures highlighted by Garrity indicated that 69% of eighth graders across Pennsylvania failed to meet the reading proficiency benchmark on the NAEP.

During the 2024-25 academic year, the percentage of students proficient in mathematics climbed from 40.2% to 41.7%, whereas English language arts proficiency dropped from 53.9% to 49.9%.

Teacher certification requirements also dragged the state down, with Pennsylvania falling six places to 37th in teacher freedom. The report cited certification requirements, limited alternative pathways, and restrictions on license reciprocity as barriers to entering the profession.

Teacher shortages are made worse, in Gleim’s view, by what she regards as the most rigorous and lengthy certification process in the country.

Pointing to the hurdles encountered by out-of-state educators, military spouses, and seasoned tradespeople pursuing vocational instruction credentials, she noted that an electrician possessing 25 years of industry background might still be required to finish about 58 additional college credits out of pocket in order to secure a vocational teaching license.

Civic education remained near the bottom, with Pennsylvania ranking 48th for the second consecutive year. Although high schoolers are mandated to take a civics or citizenship test, earning a passing grade is not a prerequisite for receiving a diploma. Gleim suggested encouraging or requiring all schools to include a civics unit in social studies curricula.

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