Is Educational Freedom Poised to Transcend Union Power?

Originally published at The American Spectator

Philadelphia students lose out on academic work necessary for their long-term success because they spend part of their school day navigating through unsafe environments, a college freshman told lawmakers as part of ongoing testimony from school choice advocates that will continue through December. 

“Hundreds of thousands of kids are not being educated properly, which contributes to our city’s growing violence,” observed Jaslin Vasquez-Gonzalez, a St. Joseph’s University student, while addressing members of the Pennsylvania House Education Committee. “They are not being given a place where they feel safe, so they end up in the streets where they are more likely to be put in jail or killed.” 

Joining Vasquez-Gonzalez, parents, teachers, and administrators also testified and shared their vision for expanded educational opportunities benefiting students who cannot afford private school tuition without financial assistance. That’s why they are encouraging elected officials to move forward with the proposed Lifeline Scholarship Program, referred to as the Pennsylvania Award for Student Success (PASS) in the current state budget impasse. The school choice program would offer Education Opportunity Accounts (EOAs) to students attending public schools that the state ranks in the bottom 15 percent of standardized testing. 

Read more at The American Spectator