Parental activism and public support level the playing field as government unions block Lifelines to students in failing schools.

Originally published at Broad + Liberty

When government union leaders sent a letter to elected officials urging them to oppose scholarships for low-income students, they left out that part about declining test scores. 

The letter signatories — the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA), American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 13 (AFSCME 13), American Federation of Teachers (AFT), Pennsylvania American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations affiliate (PA AFL-CIO), Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Pennsylvania State Council, United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW), and several other unions — also failed to point out that the public school system is on the receiving end of ever-expanding buckets of taxpayer money despite offering a poor return on those investments to the very students who would be eligible for scholarships. 

Under the sins of omission, the letter — addressed to Gov. Josh Shapiro and members of the General Assembly — also sidestepped any discussion of how taxpayers and students would benefit from Lifeline Scholarships, referred to as the Pennsylvania Award for Student Success (PASS) Program in the 2023–24 budget. 

Read more at Broad + Liberty