Shapiro, lawmakers must choose — students or special interests?

Originally published in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

In education policy, there are two main groups of stakeholders: parents and special interests. Parents want the best opportunities for their children, while special interests benefit from maintaining the status quo.

The first group is much more numerous. The latter, unfortunately, has far greater political power — with dozens of taxpayer-funded lobbyists and millions in campaign contributions collected at taxpayer expense.

School union executives and lobbyists are the biggest players. Pennsylvania’s two largest teacher unions, the Pennsylvania State Education Association and American Federation of Teachers Pennsylvania, spent more than $50 million from union dues on lobbying and political activity during the past 15 years.

Read more at the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review