Americans Want Education Reform. Why Don't Democrats? | Opinion

Millions of American children return to school every August with new pencils and notebooks. Unfortunately, for more than a million kids, supplies are the only thing that has changed. They will return to the same failing schools because of a political status quo that stifles opportunities for students, relief for teachers, and peace of mind for parents.

Despite overwhelming bipartisan support for education reform among voters, efforts to expand enrollment and financial flexibility for parents remain a party-line issue. In the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic, support for school choice jumped by more than 10 percent among all Americans to 71 percent. Democratic voters back school choice by a two-to-one margin overall, largely driven by the 73 percent support such measures enjoy in the Black community—the party's most committed voting bloc.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Georgia state Rep. Mesha Mainor both made headlines this summer because of their public commitments to education reform—but while Shapiro backed away from his own proposal amid pressure from his party, Mainor remained strong in her conviction that all kids deserve an excellent education.

As a gubernatorial candidate, Shapiro broke ranks with his fellow Democrats by supporting Lifeline Scholarships—a school choice program that would provide funding to families attending the bottom 15 percent of Pennsylvania's lowest-performing schools. Mainor supported a similar proposal in Georgia, becoming the only Democrat to vote in favor of a GOP-sponsored school voucher bill.

"I support school choice, parent rights, and opportunities for children to thrive, especially those that are marginalized and attend a failing school," Mainor said. Shapiro employed similar rhetoric when explaining why he had brokered a budget deal that would have allotted $100 million to help children escape failing schools. "I believe every child of God deserves a shot here in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and one of the best ways we can guarantee their success is making sure every child has a quality education," he said.

Unsurprisingly, government unions mobilized. In a joint statement, the Pennsylvania State Education Association and seven other unions—some of which were not even education-related—attacked Shapiro's support of the scholarship program, calling it "irresponsible" and "unacceptable." Mainor faced even more blowback. In a May appearance on Fox News, she described how teachers' union executives—and the Democrats they bankroll—attacked her in the months following her fateful vote. By standing up for her beliefs, Mainor found herself "in the crosshairs" of the Georgia Democratic caucus and teachers' union establishment, who sent nearly weekly messages urging voters to remove her from office.

Mainor brushed aside the political blowback and pressure from her party leaders. She represents Georgia's 56th legislative district, covering a portion of the Atlanta Public School District. Georgia classified 175 failing schools—including several in Mainor's district, such as Bethune, Dunbar, and Gideons elementary schools—as "low-performing." At Dunbar Elementary, only 17 percent of students score at or above the proficient level for math and reading. Both of Mainor's children are enrolled in Atlanta public schools, but she recognized that many of her constituents are enrolled in institutions that are failing their kids.

Believing every kid deserves an excellent opportunity and future regardless of their zip code should not be a partisan issue, but Mainor felt she could not stand for this principle while remaining a Democrat.

Shapiro, a political rising star who has already garnered whispers of a future White House run, had the opportunity to prove her wrong. Instead, he caved, abandoning Pennsylvania's most vulnerable kids at the 11th hour.

On July 5, Shapiro pledged to use his line-item veto pen to zero out the Lifeline program, forcing tens of thousands of Pennsylvania schoolchildren to return to the same institutions that had failed them time and again. Six days later, Mainor left the Democratic Party, becoming the first black Republican woman to serve in the Georgia General Assembly.

Real education reform requires lawmakers willing to represent the will of their constituents rather than the entrenched interests that now have a stranglehold on establishment Democrats. For that to happen, we need more courageous elected officials like Mesha Mainor. Democratic politicians across the country—including Josh Shapiro, who could still become the first Democratic governor to sign a significant school choice initiative into law—have opportunities to channel that same courage.

Jennifer Stefano is Executive Vice President of the Commonwealth Foundation, Pennsylvania's free-market think tank. Twitter: @JenniferStefano.

The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.