I was shocked when I heard that Josh Shapiro endorsed a voucher bill for Pennsylvania. His opponent is an insurrectionist who was in D.C. and a QAnon nut. Why did Josh pander to Republicans?
I wrote him this letter at contact@joshshapiro.org
Dear Josh,
I was so excited when you won the Democratic primary for Governor.
But when I learned you support vouchers, I was shocked and disappointed.
Research shows that kids who use vouchers fall behind their peers in public schools.
Vouchers will send public money to religious schools that discriminate against children with disabilities, children who are LGBT, children who don’t share the same religious faith, children with low test scores. SPrivate schools choose, not families. Public schools belong to everyone and are not allowed to exclude children.
Democrats support fair and adequate funding for public schools.
Why do you support vouchers?
Diane Ravitch, Ph.D.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
We have got to press the point that public education is a public/common good intended for the benefit of all and provided for by all. Education is not a commodity to be bought and sold. It used to get to me when some smart alec would comment that his parents paid my salary. My response was always that I did too. (Put that in your pipe and smoke it. I paid part of my own salary! I didn’t say this part out loud.) I should of added that I paid for his education, too!
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“Onward Charterin’ Soldiers”
Ps I know it was about vouchers but it’s six of one and a half dozen of the other. And Charterin’ is much closer to the original “Christian”
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I remember when vouchers started gaining supporters, and way too many Democrats thought this was just grand, without bothering to check the outcomes. Most Democrats have managed to evolve beyond this, but those who remain are the ones who like the deep pockets and generosity of Charters.
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I should have said Charters, not just vouchers!
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Onward Charterin’ Soldiers
Onward, Charterin’ soldiers,
marching as to war,
With the cross of DeeFERs
going on before!
Gates, the royal Master,
leads against the foe;
Forward into battle,
see his banner go!
Ps I know it was about vouchers but it’s six of one and a half dozen of the other. And Charterin’ is much closer to the original “Christian”
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“Why did Josh pander to Republicans?”
As long as Democrats know they have the liberal vote no matter what they do, why wouldn’t they try to go as far right as they can to attract Republican votes?
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What a totally fact-free comment. “Democrats” don’t support vouchers – a few Democrats do. Just like “progressives” don’t support Putin’s annihilation of Ukraine civilians even if a few here do.
For the record, if “Democrats” actually supported all the far right things you imply they do when you so successfully worked to help defeat the Democrat in 2016, the laws of this country would already look like the laws of Florida and Texas, and progressives would be in danger and this discussion of vouchers would be meaningless. If “Democrats” actually supported all the far right things you said they do when you so successfully worked to defeat the Democrat in 2016, the Republicans you helped empower would not have enshrined a far right Supreme Court working so hard to prevent people from voting for Democrats.
The reason the Republicans are so far right is because they know that no matter how much they embrace fascism, there are useful idiots who claim to be progressives and work so hard to amplify the most ridiculous attacks on Democrats and the most ridiculous lies about how defeating Democrats is the way to a progressive future, and defeating Republicans is absolutely unimportant.
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NYCPSP,
Do me a favor and don’t respond to Dienne’s comments. Make a general point, if you will, but I can’t have the two of you engaged in tit-for-tat.
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Diane,
Got it. It was informative to read Rich Migliore’s post below to understand how real public school supporters work for a more progressive future. I am trying to imagine how dangerous and destructive to public education it would be if Rich Migliore instead organized parents to help amplify the message that all Democrats will sell out public education. Nothing would be more harmful to public education – and to democracy itself – in PA than to have Mastriano as Governor.
Real public school parents – as opposed to privileged ones who send their kids to private school while they claim that there is no difference between the 2 parties – understand the difference. As AOC said when the so-called liberal media was trying so hard to get her to amplify the dishonest talking points to demonize the Dems and help empower the right wing, it is much better to be lobbying Democrats for progressive legislation than the far right neo-fascist Republicans. Just ask Rich Migliore, as I am sure he knows enough about Pennsylvania politics to understand the difference.
Thank you for writing to Josh Shapiro.
WHYY’s website had an article from August 24, 2022: “Slashed funding, equity, parent choice: Pa. gov. candidates have hugely different education plans”. It didn’t mention Shapiro’s support of vouchers, so I assume that came lately.
WHYY is the PBS station in Philly. I am not sure why Shapiro more recently endorsed vouchers, but I suspect his support is more in ignorance which is why it is great that you and others are helping to inform him.
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WordPress sucks.
That’s the second time in a row it put reply in the wrong place.
They really need to hire some programmers with a clue because the folks who produced this software are utterly clueless.
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What on earth are you talking about?
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Josh Shapiro must be getting big bucks from the charter school/voucher crowd. Sadly, too many Democrats have been co-opted by the school reform crowd. There’s no mention of charter schools or school vouchers at his web site though.
The following is from his web site on education: Quote – Every child in Pennsylvania — regardless of race, class, or zip code — deserves access to a quality education and the opportunity to shape their own future. A strong education system is foundational to a functioning democracy, and it’s critical to moving Pennsylvania forward. [snip] Josh will make our children’s mental health a priority and ensure that every school building in the Commonwealth has at least one mental health counselor, and end our reliance on standardized testing so we can create more time for kids to learn and more flexibility for teachers to teach. Josh will empower students with the skills necessary to succeed in whatever path they choose, ensuring every high school student has access to vocational, technical, and computer training. End quote
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Methinks he cleaned up his website. His past remarks, however, are on the record. He better clean them up too.
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The reference to. Zip code comes right out of the Deformer hymnal.
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The Deformer hymnal. ROFL!!!!
Some selections
We’re all grifters with one father.
Brother and sister sucklings, too.
If you cherish charters and vouchers,
Bill’s big bucks will come to you.
or
Bill Gates loves the little grifters.
All of the grifters of the world.
Charters, vouchers, testing blight,
online schools are his delight.
Bill gates loves the little grifters of the world.
or
The Poxology
Praise Bill from whom most big bucks flow.
Praise him ye toadies here below.
Praise ye the rich, rapacious host,
But mind ye, Bill doth pay the most.
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Thirty years of charter failure is enough.
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I am a Democratic Committee person in Haverford Township PA (Ward 9 – 1st Precinct) where we have no charter schools. Our public schools are Awesome and we do well on the PSSA tests. I will be addressing the issue with Josh the next time I see him. I am also an advocate for public education as I am a retired teacher and administrator from the Philadelphia School District where I have witnessed the decimation of our schools because of “privatization.”
Because of the hard work of our Democratic Committee in Haverford Township, our entire school board are Democrats, even though it is a largely Republican township. I am also a proud member of the Alliance for Philadelphia Public Schools (APPS) who constantly stand up for propriety in public education and Democracy in education.
One of our most important tasks is to make people aware of the macro and micro politics and the truth of what is really going on in our nation, our state and our schools.
Thanks so much for your help!
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Dear Rich Migliore,
Thank you for your comment and for your public service. If you see Josh Shapiro, please explain that school choice is for Republicans, not Democrats. Democrats support the commonweal and the commonwealth. Both charters and vouchers have been tried for 30 years and failed. His goal
should be to make every school
a well-resourced community school.
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Well said, Diane!
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Thanks, Rich!
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Endorsing vouchers may well be a way for Josh Shapiro to broaden his appeal to more conservative voters in Pennsylvania that are uncomfortable voting for Mastriano. I think the most important thing is that Mastriano loses in this election. I think most here agree.
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TE,
I certainly agree. But I won’t withhold criticizing him for endorsing Mastriano’s position on vouchers. Mastriano is horrible. Josh doesn’t need to pander to Trumpers.
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TE, if current polls are correct, Shapiro will crush Mastriano. The Republican Party isn’t helping his campaign because they think he is a lost cause. Maybe they don’t want another Trump sycophant in power.
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Dr Ravirch,
If polls were correct I would have drunk several bottles of champagne with my friends in 2016, celebrating the first woman to be elected president of the United States. Those bottles are still in my basement.
Perhaps you can forgive me for not thinking that the poles are correct..
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We will see.
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Works for me. He must be hearing some voices saying “lay low” with it. “Don’t make any promises.” Hopefully he’s not on the stump preaching it at rallies.
If it gets him independent and moderate voters, voters sick of being associated with ExPres b.s and can’t vote for anyone he endorses, and undecideds – – that works.
This is not so much “pick your battles” (and we have got to win this war, not battles, of who fills the seats.
If he’s not portraying it as a “campaign promise” (like those guys care about that anyway), this is a battle to pick with him after he gets elected.
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I guess that about puts teachers where they are in the mind of the voter. Teachers were the darling for about the first month of the pandemic. After that, they returned to their status as whipping boy.
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Amazing how effectively succinct one can be when one has complete command and understanding of an issue.
Let’s hope it gets through to Shapiro and he actually reads and take it to heart. Some things are more important than campaign contributions.
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At this point, it looks like Pennsylvania can’t win no matter who is elected, the KOCH ALEC Libertarian Theofascist RINOs win no matter who wins.
So, how many states are now firmly in the theofascist column besides Texas and Florida?
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Missouri is except man rural Rethugs will not vote against their public schools. . . as much as the Kochsuckers would like.
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I beg to differ. When we vote for Dem, we know they may or may not be for public schools. It’s a toss up. Those who vote Rep very much vote against their public schools, whether they admit it or not. They sure seem to agree a lot with what the Kochsuckers are promoting!
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Strong letter, keep after him if you can…
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Mr. Shapiro got a $125,000 campaign donation from school choicers Students First PA, the arm of AFC. Hope he didn’t sell out for that….
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Thanks so much for the open letter to Shapiro. DFER did a lot of damage. It’s high time to call them out and hold them to account.
As long as you are writing letters — Jessica Grose wrote a disturbing “choice” promotional article in the NYT , disguised as an Opinion piece. First, she cited “The 74” as if it were actual journalism rather than a billionaire-backed channel for school privatization. She wants to keep the “learning loss” ball in the air, using it as fodder for all kinds of new budget drains on public schools. Interestingly, none of the parents she claims to have heard from have taken any kind of positive action to help their children in the wake of pandemic circumstances. Instead, like good consumers, they just list what kinds of K12 education they would like to buy with those public dollars. She closed comments before anyone could call her out for the overt bias.
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Great question. More importantly, why to Democrats keep willingly falling into this rabbit hole?
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maybe because our childern are fling WAY BEHIND other nations in reading and math. get rid of the teachers union and fire school board members if the grade level achievements aren’t ment.
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Mike,
Sorry but you are wrong.
Our kids are not scoring any differently on international tests than in the past. Our scores are dragged down by the high rate of child poverty in this country as compared to others.
As to the teachers’ unions, in high-scoring nations like Finland, every teacher and principal is unionized.
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