SCHOOL CHOICE NON DEBATE

The Great School Choice Debate, hosted by The Independence Hall Tea Party Association on March 6, was a passionate discussion of Senate Bill 1, the school choice bill currently in the state senate. At issue was whether SB 1, a limited-scope bill granting a voucher to low-income families (in which the state subsidy would follow the child, not the school), is the only legislation achievable at this time, or whether a broader, more comprehensive bill can be passed.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t the healthy debate that it should have been because Senator Anthony Williams, one of the bill’s prime sponsors and a confirmed panelist, arrived well after the event had ended. It seems he was misinformed of the time, despite everyone else getting it right.

Although mistakes happen, it is curious that this is the second time in one month that the senator committed to a school choice discussion, and failed to show. Some may chalk that up to bad staffing, but others who have been around politics don’t believe in such coincidence.

Column from Chris Freind:

Participants:

- Reverend Joe Watkins, former Lt. Gov. candidate, MSNBC commentator and Executive Director of the Students First organization.
- Dom Giordano, talk-show host extraordinaire on 1210 WPHT, the region’s largest talk-radio station. Giordano was slated to be the moderator, but sat with Watkins so the discussion wouldn’t be lopsided.
- State Representative Curt Schroder, a proponent of statewide school choice. Schroder was a House member in the mid-’90s when a comprehensive school choice bill barely missed passage;
- Chris Freind, author of numerous columns and participant in several television segments advocating school choice, including why SB 1 is flawed legislation that will most likely fail if it is not amended in the House to expand choice. I was also Executive Director of the REACH Alliance, the preeminent statewide school choice organization, during the school choice battles in the 90’s.

I've seen other reports with some of this, plus added info from our own Freepers. We need full choice access as soon as practicable. To do that it looks like we need to revise the PA Constitution. How do we accomplish that?

To do that it looks like we need to revise the PA Constitution.

Even the critics of SB1 don't think it school choice will be unconstitutional as per the state constitution providing the money goes to the parents first and comes from the general fund.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.