School Choice Coming to Pennsylvania?

While a pledge to balance his budget presents a tremendous challenge, it also affords Governor-elect Corbett an incredible opportunity to identify the core mission of state government and perhaps redefine the state’s roles in many areas especially public education. One interesting aspect of Governor-elect Tom Corbett's vision for education reform, Pennsylvania schools would be graded "A through F" so parents can clearly gauge how well their children's schools are performing.

Mr. Corbett’s Education Plan also supports flexible funding for students by linking funding directly to students and the schools they choose to attend. The plan considers it critical that students in failing schools be able to choose an educational alternative and the state will allow funding to follow the student’s academic choice. Corbett feels students have a right to attend a good school and not be forced to attend a failing one by virtue of their zip code.

It’s been reported that Pennsylvania Senate Republican leaders are developing a new education bill, which would phase in a school choice / voucher program over 3 years. Year 1 could provide grants of several thousand dollars for low-income students attending public schools graded "F" to attend the public, private or parochial school of their choice. The voucher program would expand in the second year to poor students already in private schools and further expand in year three to include low-income students, regardless of their school district.

School Choice and voucher programs have been debated by Pennsylvanians for years, and it looks as though the debate is starting to heat up. The 2011 Pennsylvania education budget will offer Tom Corbett a very difficult challenge, and educational reform offers Tom Corbett a very unique opportunity for succeeding in refocusing funding of public education in Pennsylvania.