Democrats Are Fighting For School Choice Again

With Election Tuesday less than two weeks away, politicians are making their final attempts to persuade voters. And this year, in an exciting development, some Democrats are pushing the issue of educational freedom. Could the left be finally catching on about the popularity of school choice policy? Believe it or not, it wouldn’t be the first time.

Democrats have been a part of the modern school choice movement since the beginning in 1991, when a bipartisan group of proud Wisconsinites led by Democrat Polly Williams created the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program. The program—still in place today—allows students from lower-income families in Milwaukee to access scholarships to pay for private school tuition. Following the program’s implementation, a broad coalition including notable Democrats like Bill Clinton and Barack Obama supported education opportunities in the form of school choice for years. More recently, however, most Democrats have effectively ceded the issue to the right; they have sided instead with special interests like teacher unions that have deep pockets and staunchly oppose educational opportunity. Luckily, this election cycle, Democratic politicians are channeling their inner Polly Williams and are ready to put students first once again.

For example, Josh Shapiro, Pennsylvania’s Democratic gubernatorial candidate, proudly supports the state’s Lifeline Scholarship program—an education savings account program that would make more than $6,500 available to 191,000 families for education expenses, including special-needs therapies, books, private school tuition, and other uses.

Shapiro recently defended his support for the program to local journalists, saying educational freedom is not an “either-or” but a “both-and”: “I think we can invest in public education and empower parents to put their kids in the best opportunity for them to succeed, and I don’t think we have to harm public schools in the process,” he said. 

Last week, Illinois’ Governor J. B. Pritzker followed Shapiro’s lead, voicing his support for the state’s Invest in Kids Program, which offers tax credits to individuals and businesses who donate to organizations that give scholarships to students from low- and middle-income families. Pritzker’s support for the program was a significant change for the governor; in the past, he has vehemently opposed the Illinois school choice program. Indeed, in 2018, he wanted to cut the entire program. Now he’s reversed course. Parents looking for education options outside an abysmal Chicago Public School System can take heart.

Undoubtedly, Pritzker and Shapiro’s decisions to buck the party line on school choice are an effort to win favor with voters. It’s a smart move, backed by the numbers. The polls show Pennsylvania and Illinois voters overwhelmingly support educational choice for families.

This trend isn’t unique to these two states. A national poll from June found voters everywhere generally support school choice. In particular, when asked whether parents should have “the right to use the tax dollars designated for their child’s education to send their child to the public or private school which best serves their needs,” Democrats supported educational freedom at rates of over 60 percent.

Democratic politicians in other states would be wise to take note of the changing political landscape and continue the momentum by helping their party take back the issue of educational freedom. If they do, they will likely represent their constituents’ interests, create a better American education system, and give themselves a better shot at winning their elections. 

If Democrats want to take back the issue of education, they should start by embracing school choice.