School Choice Report

S2: E11 Featuring President of National School Choice Week Andrew Campanella

What if you could revolutionize your child’s education with just one decision? As we wrap up Season 2, guest host Guy Ciarrocchi sits down with Andrew Campanella, President of National School Choice Week, to explore how families across the nation are breaking barriers and discovering the power of educational freedom. With National School Choice Week just days away (January 26 – February 1, 2025), Andrew shares heartwarming success stories, bold predictions for the movement’s future, and a vision where every child has access to the right school for their unique needs. Whether you’re a parent, educator, or just curious about how school choice can transform lives, this conversation will inspire and inform. Tune in for a fresh perspective on why school choice is more popular than pizza—and how it’s shaping the future of education!

S2: E10 Featuring Marc Magee CEO and Founder of 50CAN

In this episode of the School Choice Report, guest host Rachel Langan, Senior Policy Analyst at the Commonwealth Foundation, is joined by Marc Magee, CEO and Founder of 50CAN. Together, they delve into the findings of 50CAN's groundbreaking survey, which captured insights from over 20,000 parents across all 50 states. Discover how parents view school quality, after-school activities, mental health support, and more. Marc shares surprising trends, like the growing satisfaction with micro-schools and the urgent demand for career and technical education pathways. This conversation highlights the diversity of educational needs across states and how personalized education can transform opportunities for every child. Learn how data-driven advocacy is shaping the future of school choice and what’s next for education reform at the state level. Don’t miss this insightful discussion that blends parent voices, actionable data, and innovative solutions for today’s educational challenges. Tune in now and explore the full survey results at this link [https://50can.org/education-opportunity-survey/].

S2: E9 Featuring Commonwealth Foundation Sr. Education Policy Analyst Rachel Langan

You're in for a treat! In this episode of School Choice Report, host David Hardy interviews Rachel Langan, Senior Education Policy Analyst at the Commonwealth Foundation, about Pennsylvania's Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) programs. These programs offer tax-credit-funded scholarships for low-income students to attend private schools, providing an alternative to underperforming public schools. Langan shares insights from the Commonwealth Foundation's latest report on EITC, highlighting that most scholarship recipients come from families well below the income threshold, are outperforming public school peers, and are more consistently attending school. She discusses how private schools often achieve better results with less funding per student and emphasizes that low-income families could greatly benefit from these scholarships, especially in areas with underperforming public schools. Langan also addresses challenges in notifying eligible families, as many public schools fail to inform parents about scholarship opportunities. For more information on the scholarships mentioned in this podcast, please visit the following: Children’s Scholarship Fund of Philadelphia https://www.csfphiladelphia.org/ [https://www.csfphiladelphia.org/] K12 Scholarships PA https://k12scholarshipspa.com/ [https://k12scholarshipspa.com/] And for a copy of the report mentioned in the podcast, visit ScholarshipReport.org [http://ScholarshipReport.org].

S2: E8 Featuring School Board Director Stacey Whomsley

In the latest episode of School Choice Report, host David Hardy sits down with Stacey Whomsley, a passionate school board director from the Westchester Area School District in Pennsylvania.  Stacey shares her personal journey advocating for school choice, fueled by her experience as a mother of special-needs children and the difficulties they faced during the pandemic. She reflects on the district's unpreparedness for remote learning, which led to significant learning loss, especially for special education students. Despite initial promises for in-person learning, the shift to remote and hybrid models sparked frustration and ignited Stacey's mission for change. During the conversation, Stacey discusses the importance of Educational Opportunity Accounts, which would provide families with the flexibility to choose the best educational options for their children. She also critiques the district's fair funding resolution, asserting that it distorts the real impact on public school funding. Committed to improving educational options and transparency, Stacey continues to champion better choices for students in her district. This episode offers an insightful look at the intersection of personal experience and public advocacy, underscoring the critical need for school choice in today's educational landscape.

S2: E7 Featuring Education Entrepreneur Kerry McDonald

In Season 2's seventh episode, School Choice Report host David Hardy is joined by Kerry McDonald, Senior Fellow at Foundation for Economic Education. Together they discuss the benefits and challenges of homeschooling and highlight the growth of micro schooling and other innovative education models in the US while emphasizing the importance of teacher involvement in driving educational innovation and entrepreneurship. Traditional schooling has limitations, but there is also a need to revolutionize education to meet the realities of the 21st century.