PA’s Democrat Governor Josh Shapiro Ripped for ‘Betraying’ Children over School Choice While Eyeing Presidency

Pennsylvania’s Democrat governor is being criticized for not keeping his campaign promises when it comes to school choice.

Gov. Josh Shapiro recently talked about a potential 2028 presidential bid during an interview on HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher, but some are unhappy with how he has handled the issue of his states’ young students and their opportunities to grow academically.

In a Friday opinion piece for the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), Rachel Langan highlighted the fact Shapiro had promised to pass a scholarship program to assist young scholars in struggling neighborhoods who want to be able to afford the school of their choice.

However, Langan argued Shapiro appears willing to leave those students and schools behind in his possible bid for the presidency.

The article continued:

While campaigning in 2022, Mr. Shapiro promised to pass Lifeline Scholarships. The scholarships would give low-income children in failing public schools between $5,000 and $10,000 to pay for safe and high-quality private schools. In these failing public schools, only 10% of students are proficient in math, and only 33% are proficient in English. In Hazleton, six of the seven public schools are failing academically, with the last one not far behind.

But Mr. Shapiro still hasn’t signed Lifeline Scholarships into law. While the Republican-controlled state Senate is on board, the leaders of the narrowly held Democratic majority in the House have balked. As the leader of their party and the state’s chief executive, Mr. Shapiro could use his bully pulpit to pressure his fellow Democrats. Instead, he has caved at the first sign of disagreement. Despite continuing to mention the scholarships, including calling them “unfinished business” in 2024, the governor hasn’t lifted a finger to keep the promise that helped sweep him into the state’s highest office.

In February, the Williamsport Sun-Gazette reported Shapiro proposed an additional $526 million in funding for public schools.

In a social media post on Sunday, Republican strategist Andrew Surabian blasted the governor over the school choice issue highlighted in Langan’s piece.

“Josh Shapiro campaigning on commonsense school choice policies and then getting elected and immediately bending the knee to the leftwing teachers union is incredibly on brand for today’s Democrat party. Even the supposed ‘moderates’ are controlled by the extreme left,” he wrote:

Conservative communicator Steve Guest also commented on Langan’s article, writing, “Josh Shapiro’s 2028 campaign is off to a rough start.”

Shapiro, who in 2023 cut millions in taxpayer funds to a pro-life program that supported counseling and housing for pregnant women, was the person whom now former Vice President Kamala Harris (D) rejected as her running mate in the 2024 presidential election, as Breitbart News reported.