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** 1. Shapiro boasts of education improvements while most students are not proficient in math ([link removed])
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By Beth Ann Rosica

The state of Pennsylvania spent$16.8 billion ([link removed]) last year to fund public education, and the return on investment is abysmal. In 2024, 53 percent of students were proficient in reading and writing, while only 40 percent were proficient in math.

Last year, we conductedan in-depth analysis ([link removed]) of fourteen school districts in Southeastern Pennsylvania and came to the conclusion that it will take more than money to solve our education crisis in the Commonwealth.

This year’s analysis yields strikingly similar conclusions after researching the same fourteen districts, comparing 2024 test scores in reading and math against starting teacher salaries.

Public school students in grades three through eight take the Pennsylvania System of Student Assessment (PSSA ([link removed]) ) every year which includes English Language Arts (ELA) and Math.

Why It Matters. Notably absent from his address was any mention of academic achievement and outcomes for Pennsylvania public school students. There were no talking points about how the increased funding will have any bearing on reading and math skills for those students who are not proficient.

Teacher compensation does not appear to be related to academic performance. Second, Pennsylvania is a large, diverse state, composed of urban, rural, and suburban areas. The cost of living in Southeastern Pennsylvania is vastly different from the rural areas of the state. A blanket starting salary assumption makes no sense.

Continue Reading ([link removed])


** 2. Not so fast — violent crime is up even as murders are down ([link removed])
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By Ben Mannes

Philadelphia’s local politicians took a victory lap in the media, touting stats that the city’s 2024homicide rate ([link removed].) dropped to the lowest point it has been in a decade. The media has covered this as a decrease in violent crime, notingthe largest drop in gun violence of all major U.S. cities ([link removed]) but is the 50 percent drop in murders from three years ago due to increasing public safety, or better medicine at the city’s hospitals?

In the press, Krasner touted hisfunding ([link removed]) of nonprofit anti-violence groups across the city for their work to help prevent crime. “We’re talking about sparing a life every day, every day because of the incredibly important work that is done at many different levels with prevention, with enforcement,”Krasner ([link removed]) said Monday, Dec. 30, 2024. “That, frankly, is a surprise all by itself because we’re the brokest to the ten largest cities,” continued Krasner.

In the first month and a half of 2025, the downward trend in murders continues with 22 homicides YTD, showing a 35 percent decrease. However, despite the drop in murder statistics, there have been more than 1,281 nonfatal violent crimes reported by police so far this year, nearly a 49 percent increase. So what explains this sharp contrast?

Why It Matters. In Philadelphia, recent crime statistics illustrate this phenomenon. As of February 6, 2025, the city reported 22 homicides, reflecting an 18.52 percent year-to-date decrease. However, during the same period, total violent crimes increased by 48.13 percent, with 1,151 incidents reported. This disparity indicates that while fewer violent encounters are resulting in death, the overall occurrence of violent incidents has risen.

The shift presents a complex challenge. The reduction in homicide rates may create a false sense of security, leading the public and policymakers to believe that violent crime is decreasing overall. In reality, theprevalence ([link removed]) of violent incidents remains high, but the outcomes have changed due to medical interventions.

Continue Reading ([link removed])


** 3. Lightning Round
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* Guy Ciarrocchi: Yes, America, there is a swamp ([link removed])
* Andy Bloom: Stuck in the middle ([link removed])
* Kyle Sammin: The Eagles are flying high. Will the city join them? ([link removed])
* Richard Koenig: Mary Gay Scanlon flails against the Musk bogeyman ([link removed])
* Rutledge Mayor asks Delaware County Council to consider universal basic income ([link removed])
* Rep. Seth Grove: Government waste is no accident ([link removed])
* Thom Nickels: Where do dead journalists go? ([link removed])


** 4. What we're reading
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Dems in disarray? Has the opposition party learned all the wrong lessons from their 2024 defeat? Are they doomed and in danger of long-term irrelevance? Veteran journalist Joe Klein seems to think so. As the Primary Colors author asked on his Substack ([link removed]) this week, “Can this party be saved? I have my doubts. The intellectual corrosion is comprehensive; it is only matched by the self-righteous arrogance.” As Klein concedes and all long-term observers of the scene must admit, the Democratic Party is not going to fall apart and die. But if they want to win elections, they ought to start thinking, talking, and acting like the average voter again.

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With gratitude,

— The Editors at Broad + Liberty
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