Education Voters PA

09/25/2026

Fresh off the printer and just in time for fall! 🍂

Our brand-new dark blue Support & Defend Public Education tees are here — and for a limited time, you can get one shipped right to your door for just $20!

Want to stock up? We still have a limited number of our original light blue tees in sizes Small–2XL. Add one to your order for just $10 more.

Wear your support for public education loud and proud!

Get yours today:

By Keystone Research Center

09/24/2026

Our friends in the Alliance to Reclaim Our Schools and Public Schools Strong are offering Four Weeks of Power, a FREE virtual training series focused on building the skills to turn concern about public education into meaningful action.

Over four sessions, participants will dig into grassroots organizing, building a strong base, one-on-one conversations, leadership development, and building a team that can take action in your community.

📅 Wednesdays beginning September 30
⏰ 7–8:30 PM ET
💻 Virtual and free to attend

Whether you’re a parent, educator, advocate, or community member, this is a great opportunity to sharpen your skills and connect with others working to strengthen public education.

Learn more and register: https://www.mobilize.us/reclaimourschools/event/1013699/?utm_source=pss&link_id=1&can_id=c2dab483de901514e0b59ab489a58578&email_referrer=email_3415322&email_subject=turn-frustration-into-power-for-public-schools&

Join us for this introductory organizing training program that covers the basics of grassroots organizing skills, with a focus on base building, leadership development, and building strong committees. You will learn best practices in holding one-to-ones, conducting outreach, building strong local co...

09/23/2026

Public schools field teams made up of students who live within their district boundaries.

Private and parochial schools operate without those same geographic boundaries, allowing them to draw athletes from across townships, counties, state lines, and even internationally.

The playing field is already uneven.

Now, Gov. Shapiro faces a decision about whether Pennsylvania will participate in the new federal private school voucher program which would send additional taxpayer dollars to private schools.

Our public schools shouldn’t be put at an even greater disadvantage.

Read our latest on why this debate isn’t just about what happens in the classroom, but also about what happens on the field.

As students head back to school this fall, Governor Josh Shapiro faces a crucial decision. Before the end of the year he must use his authority to either opt Pennsylvania into a federal private school voucher program or reject it. For the sake of our students, our local communities, and basic fairne...

09/17/2026

There’s been a lot of spin about how the new federal voucher program will supposedly benefit public schools.

Here’s the thing: the money does not go directly to public school districts.

It flows from taxpayers → Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGOs) → individual student scholarships that can only be used to pay for eligible fees. And being eligible doesn’t guarantee a student will receive a scholarship.

This program does NOT create a direct funding stream for public school districts.

No amount of spin changes how the program is structured.

Read more below:

Certain organizations and individuals are spreading a wild amount of disinformation about the federal school voucher program, a centerpiece of Donald Trump’s signature One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Trump’s voucher program provides a dollar-for-dollar federal tax credit up to $1700 for individual t...

09/15/2026

We’re in Harrisburg today for an in-person planning session with some of our coalition partners, reflecting on where we’ve been, looking ahead to what’s next, and continuing to build the partnerships that make this work possible.

There’s always more to do for Pennsylvania’s public schools, and we’re ready to keep moving forward together.

09/09/2026

"If Governor Shapiro opts Pennsylvania into the federal voucher program, he will guarantee that tens of millions of additional tax dollars will be funneled into private school coffers.

This additional money will inevitably help those institutions upgrade elite athletic facilities, expand scholarships for top recruits, and enhance amenities, further increasing their competitive advantage over our local school district teams."

Read our full op-ed below:
Published in the Centre Daily Times

“Instead of supporting a rigged system that favors private institutions at the expense of our local public schools, he should champion a system where everyone plays by the same rules.”

09/04/2026

Susan Spicka, executive director of Education Voters of Pennsylvania, also contends that the program’s income limits are too high.

“The program is near-universal,” she said in a recent webinar on the topic. “Meaning voucher dollars would pay for the private school tuition of all but the wealthiest families, and they will really become a subsidy for the most privileged students in Pennsylvania.”

It’s still not clear, she said, whether the scholarships will go directly to schools or will pass into the hands of families. If the latter, Spicka says the program will be ripe for abuse.

Read the full story below:

Pa. Gov. Josh Shapiro has until the end of 2026 to opt the commonwealth into a new federal tax credit program. What's the debate around the decision?

09/02/2026

We can’t keep saying that kids are our future without investing in their future.

And one of the most important ways we can do that is by supporting the public schools that open their doors to every student, every day.

As students, educators, and families across Pennsylvania head into the first month of a new school year, check out this great video from our friends at We Believe. It's a reminder of why investing in public education matters for all of us.

09/01/2026

Organizations that seek to privatize our public schools continue to make inaccurate and increasingly desperate claims about public school funding. This op-ed sets the record straight.

No amount of spin or bad math can change the fact that PA's school funding system was declared unconstitutional in 2023.

Lawmakers in both parties have made a commitment to funding our public schools and closing an adequacy gap that leaves students in low-wealth communities across the commonwealth behind.

Andrew Lewis of the Commonwealth Foundation says Pennsylvania’s public education is “anything but adequate” (“Pa. public education is anything but adequate,” Aug. 23). On one point, we agree: Too many Pennsylvania kids still don’t have what they need to reach thei...

08/25/2026

Advocacy toolkits are getting packed up and sent out today for our next Public Education Champions cohort!

Did you know that more than 65 advocates have already gone through the PEC program?

We’re incredibly grateful for every person who is willing to take the time to learn more about public education, strengthen their advocacy skills, and stand up for the public schools in their community.

We can’t wait to get started with our newest group of Public Education Champions!