By: Joe D'Orsie
Joe D'Orsie, Pennsylvania State Representative, wrote in The Epoch Times regarding the potential for Pennsylvania to adopt school choice measures based on similar actions taken in Louisiana and other states.
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.
State Rep. Joe D’Orsie is in his first term of service to constituents in the 47th Legislative District, which consists the townships of Conewago, East Manchester, Hellam, Manchester, Springettsbury (Districts 02, 03, and 07) and the boroughs of Hallam, Manchester, Mount Wolf, and Wrightsville. He serves on the House Commerce; Education; Game and Fisheries; and Labor and Industry committees.