Josh Shapiro's Voucher Problem
Or, why he shouldn't be VP
Now that Kamala Harris will be the Democratic nominee for President, some attention is being directed at her choice of running mate.
Peter Greene - a retired educator from Pennsylvania - says it shouldn’t be his state’s Gov. Josh Shapiro.
The New Republic has also taken notice of Shapiro’s support of school vouchers:
Just before October 7, he drew fire from teachers’ unions and public education advocates for supporting a Republican-backed plan to funnel $100 million in public money to private and religious schools. Although he was ultimately forced to back down under pressure, many are deeply and understandably skeptical of his commitment to public education—if Shapiro is ultimately passed over, there is a good possibility that will be a major reason why.
Shapiro is often referred to as a moderate in his party, and it strikes me that a Democrat can earn the “moderate” label simply by selling out public schools and supporting privatization schemes like charter schools or vouchers.
Harris has other options, of course. Most of them are strong supporters of public schools (Roy Cooper of North Carolina, Tim Walz of Minnesota, and Andy Beshear of Kentucky all come to mind).
In Kentucky, Beshear has stood in the way of the Kentucky legislature’s GOP supermajority and its attempts to privatize the state’s public schools: shows
What it Looks Like When Governors Stand Up for Public Schools
Andy Beshear shows what it looks like when a Governor supports his state's public schools. Beshear has consistently called for improved funding for schools and significant raises for teachers in the face of GOP opposition.
I'm against charter schools.
They are wrong for our commonwealth. They take taxpayer dollars away from the already underfunded public schools in the Commonwealth, and our taxpayer dollars should not be redirected to for-profit entities that run charter schools.
This!