The moment that school choice sheds the polarizing, partisan name tag is the moment that we can embrace it for the sake of our kids in states such as Pennsylvania. Democrat State Rep. Jason Hughes, of Louisiana, recently reminded us of what’s possible on a national scale. In a political era that has forgotten how to wear a bipartisan hat, or even where it’s stored in the closet, Mr. Hughes delivered a measure of courage at just the right time.
The fight for school choice in state legislatures across the country has been bloody and partisan. It was even recently the driving factor in a Texas Republican primary for the ages that saw anti-school choice incumbents booted as education-minded newcomers seized the opportunity. There is enough money and advocacy on both sides of the issue to make for a lively dispute.
Although the battle has been contentious in legislatures as well as in the public eye, a few concepts are clearly prevailing. First, educational options for kids and families are a good thing and should be encouraged. Next, traditional public schools aren’t for everyone. It’s not the fault of the teachers or even the schools in most cases; it’s the product of an ever-evolving crop of learners, particularly Gen Z students. Finally, it’s past time to admit that education reform is a bipartisan issue. Anyone who looks at our numbers—math and English proficiency for starters—has to believe we can do better.
Louisiana is one of the newest states to go the way of school choice. Nationally, 2023 was known as the “year of school choice,” but in 2024 we’ve seen a new surge of states pick it up. The momentum isn’t waning.
Louisiana’s HB 745, a school choice measure that passed the statehouse and is now primed for final passage in the Senate, garnered an unlikely but historic supporter as it was considered. Rep. Hughes spoke up, broke rank with his party, and declared what is possible for kids and families across his state and the land:
“I can’t close my eyes to 67 percent of third graders in public schools who cannot read. I cannot close my eyes to the number of kids living in poverty in our state that are trapped in failing schools.”
This moment of clarity should serve as a lesson, but not a political one. Mr. Hughes’s boldness was the antithesis of political. In his own words, he “couldn’t close his eyes” to the injustices that he saw in his state’s education system. To be political would be to shut one’s eyes tight, ignoring the struggles of kids in order to toe the party line, appease the teachers’ union, and please the powers that be. But that isn’t what happened, and it was a powerful reminder of what’s possible when politicians favor principle over politics.
As bold Democrats in state legislatures speak up, an unsung advantage for school choice advocates has materialized—courage tends to be contagious. In the final passage of HB 745, four Democrats joined Mr. Hughes in voting “yes.” And just a couple of days after Mr. Hughes’s dramatic speech in Louisiana, Democrat State Sen. Justin Wayne, from Nebraska, made a similar proclamation: “My community can’t wait another generation .... If we care about kids ... then get rid of the politics of it and let’s just give them a chance.” That Nebraskan school choice bill passed 33-13.
Pennsylvania is a state that’s ready for this kind of movement, and we have opportunities that can be seized with some hard work and a bit of courage. Lifeline Scholarships offer our Democrat governor another swing at a failed campaign promise. Pennsylvania’s version of Jason Hughes, Democrat State Sen. Anthony Williams, has introduced Senate Bill 1057, a school choice bill that would focus its attention on aiding students in low-achieving schools. And perhaps the boldest of all is my HB 1904, the Student Freedom Account Act, a universal school choice bill that would affectively offer each and every K-12 child an avenue for excellence, regardless of their zip code.
Any or all of these options would be great, and I pledge my support for each of them with equal vigor. We have the legislation. We have the momentum and the public support. We even have the campaign promises. Now all we need is a few people with the courage to step outside of their political allegiances and stand with me and countless others in defense of our children.