A group of public education advocacy organizations has urged Vice President Kamala Harris, a presidential candidate, not to consider Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro as her potential running mate due to his support for private school vouchers.
Following President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the presidential race and his endorsement of Harris, speculation arose about who she might pick as a running mate at the upcoming Democratic National Convention.
Shapiro, a popular governor from a crucial swing state, has been rumored to be a frontrunner. A recent poll in Pennsylvania showed that 49% of respondents approve of Shapiro, while 31% disapprove, with a margin of error of 3.3%.
More than two dozen organizations, including Pennsylvania’s 412 Justice, signed a letter to Harris requesting a running mate who strongly advocates for public education, which led to the call not to select Shapiro.
The coalition accuses Shapiro of not championing public education and supporting voucher programs instead.
Private school vouchers use state funds to subsidize tuition for private and religious schools. Republicans often advocate for vouchers to enhance educational opportunities, while many Democrats and educators oppose them, citing a diversion of public education funds.
Shapiro has expressed support for vouchers in the past, including initial agreement on a $100 million program with the state’s Republican Senate, which he later vetoed. He has emphasized the need to couple vouchers with increased public education funding, pointing to a recent $1.1 billion budget addition for K-12 education in the state.
In a recent social media post, Shapiro highlighted his efforts to improve public education, emphasizing significant funding increases for K-12 schools and enhanced support for various educational programs.
Shapiro’s spokesperson, Manuel Bonder, defended the governor as a staunch supporter of public education against claims made by the coalition.
The letter drew parallels between Shapiro’s education policies and a conservative agenda called Project 2025, which aims to dismantle the Department of Education and implement other education cuts.
Despite the criticism, some education policy advocates voiced support for Shapiro, acknowledging his substantial contributions to public education funding.
Peter Schweyer, the Democratic chair of the Pennsylvania House Education Committee, praised Shapiro’s funding initiatives for public schools despite his own anti-voucher stance.
The letter concluded by emphasizing the crucial role of public education in democracy and endorsed other governors, such as Roy Cooper of North Carolina, Andy Beshear of Kentucky, and Tim Walz of Minnesota, as strong proponents of public education.