Pennsylvania’s Dem Gov Tried To Play Politics With School Choice. Now, Nobody Is Happy With Him

Pennsylvania Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro has tried to toe the line on school choice in his state, but now he is facing attacks from all sides as he jumps to the top of the Democratic vice presidential nomination shortlist.

Shapiro backed a Republican proposal for school vouchers in his 2022 campaign for governor that included $100 million for private school tuition, which he later walked back after facing pushback from Democrats in the state’s House who said that they would not pass it, according to The Associated Press. Now, Shapiro has been put in the spotlight as one of the top contenders to be Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate in the upcoming presidential election, despite drawing continued condemnation from pro-school choice groups and last week from 28 anti-school choice groups due to his wavering position on the issue.

Shapiro faced another controversy in late July when a watchdog group alleged that a teachers’ union in Pennsylvania laundered $1.5 million into the governor’s 2022 campaign. The Freedom Foundation filed three complaints with multiple parties, claiming that the Pennsylvania State Education Association was laundering the money.

“Rather than use his position to build a coalition that would ensure Pennsylvania kids had the best educational opportunities, the governor let teachers unions flex their muscles and push their radical, political agendas at the expense of the next generation,” Alleigh Marré, executive director of the American Parents Coalition, told the DCNF. “Governor Shapiro is either beyond ineffective and powerless, or he’s just another politician in the pocket of teachers unions. When it comes to their child’s education, parents deserve to have options. Policies such as school choice and transparency in curriculum allow for just that.”

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