Previously, Pennsylvania Governor Shapiro had backed a $100 million voucher program in the state budget, with the support of Senate Republicans.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, has withdrawn his support for school choice initiatives due to opposition from fellow Democrats and teachers’ unions
However, Pennsylvania Governor Shapiro announced on Wednesday that Pennsylvania Governor Shapiro would abandon the proposal after House Democrats refused to compromise. In a statement, Pennsylvania Governor Shapiro stated that if the budget is passed, which is already past its deadline, he will veto the vouchers through a line-item veto.
The voucher program aimed to provide private school scholarships to students in underperforming school districts. The Pennsylvania State Education Association, the largest teachers’ union in the state, strongly opposed the program, describing it as a “voucher scheme” in a statement released in June.
This incident reflects a growing trend among Democrats who are critical of initiatives aimed at enabling students to leave struggling public school districts
In May, Democratic Governor Roy Cooper of North Carolina declared a state of emergency, likening a Republican plan to fund school choice programs to an “atomic bomb on public education.” Similarly, in April, the head of the Nevada Democratic Party, Daniele Monroe-Moreno, expressed her disapproval of parental input in public schools, stating that she wished she could control parental actions but couldn’t.
Pennsylvania Governor Shapiro’s decision to abandon the voucher program highlights the challenges faced by proponents of school choice in Pennsylvania, as opposition from within Pennsylvania Governor Shapiro’s own party and teachers’ unions ultimately led to its demise.
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