Protect The 1st Foundation
  • About
    • Leadership
  • Issues
  • Scorecards
  • News
  • Take Action
    • Educational Choice for Children Act
    • PRESS Act
    • Save Oak Flat Act
  • DONATE
  • About
    • Leadership
  • Issues
  • Scorecards
  • News
  • Take Action
    • Educational Choice for Children Act
    • PRESS Act
    • Save Oak Flat Act
  • DONATE
Picture

School Choice Flexes Political Muscles in Last Election

11/19/2024

 
Picture
​After extensive analyses of the recent election, let us suggest one more driver behind the dismal performance of Vice President Kamala Harris and the Democrats – their adamant refusal to listen to their constituents about school choice.
 
We’ve long appealed to Democratic politicians to be brave on school choice. For example, when Govs. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania and J.B. Pritzker of Illinois entertained modest tax breaks for school choice for needy children, they withdrew their support after being cuffed about the ears by the public teachers’ union.
 
How much longer can public unions bully elected officials to ignore the appeals of parents for more choice in education, especially from demographic groups long considered dependable Democratic voters? As the late economist Herb Stein said: If something cannot go on forever, it will stop.
 
Consider: Polling data from RealClear Opinion Research underscores that the growing bipartisan support for school choice crosses all demographic and political boundaries. In 2023, support for school choice reached 71 percent among voters, with strong backing from Democrats, Republicans, and Independents alike.
 
Minority support is especially pronounced: 73 percent of Black voters and 71 percent of Hispanic voters favor school choice. This surge in interest, especially among minority voters, likely contributed to a stronger minority turnout for Donald Trump, who has long championed school choice as a civil rights issue. Did Kamala Harris hurt herself by stiff-arming these voters who want better opportunities for their children?
 
The appeal of school choice lies in the frustrations many families feel toward public education systems that have struggled, especially in low-income and minority communities. Some public-school districts serving minority communities have a half-century record of graduating one class of students after another who are largely unprepared for success in adult life.
 
The legacy of underperformance in these schools has led many minority voters to demand alternatives, including charter schools and vouchers, that offer a more personalized approach to education. Protect The 1st advocates for these policies because they fulfill the ability of parents to exercise the First Amendment by extending their values to the next generation.
 
It is no mystery why school choice is sweeping the nation. One-quarter of the states have embraced some form of universal school choice. Texas is about to be next after the recent election added a solid majority to pass Gov. Greg Abbott’s school choice plan next year. The political landscape is shifting, and not just in red states. As long as Democrats consistently buckle to pressure from the government teachers union, they risk alienating a growing segment of an eroding voter base.
 
We urge elected Democrats to bravely reject political pressure from a special interest group. School choice is too important to be anything less than a bipartisan cause.

    STAY UP TO DATE

Subscribe to Newsletter
DONATE & HELP US FIGHT FOR SCHOOL CHOICE

Comments are closed.

    Archives

    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021

    Categories

    All
    2022 Year In Review
    2023 Year In Review
    2024 Year In Review
    Amicus Briefs
    Analysis
    Book Banning
    Campus Speech
    Censorship
    Congress
    Court Hearings
    Donor Privacy
    Due Process
    First Amendment
    First Amendment Online
    Freedom Of Press
    Freedom Of Religion
    Freedom Of Speech
    Government Transparency
    In The Media
    Journalism
    Law Enforcement
    Legal
    Legislation
    Legislative Agenda
    Letters To Congress
    Motions
    News
    Online Speech
    Opinion
    Parental Rights
    PRESS Act
    PT1 Amicus Briefs
    Save Oak Flat
    School Choice
    SCOTUS
    Section 230
    Speaking Of The First Amendment
    Supreme Court

    RSS Feed

we  the  people.

LET  YOUR  VOICE  BE  HEARD:


ABOUT

Who We Are

​Leadership

ISSUES

1st Amendment

TAKE ACTION

Donate

​Contact Us
® Copyright 2024 Protect The 1st Foundation