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!

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.

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/

K12 Scholarships PA

https://k12scholarshipspa.com/

And for a copy of the report mentioned in the podcast, visit ScholarshipReport.org.

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.

In Season 2's seventh episode, School Choice Report host David Hardy is joined by Kerry McDonald, Senior Fellow at Foundation for Economic Education.

In this episode of the School Choice Report podcast, host David Hardy is joined by Norton Rainey, CEO of ACE Scholarships, based in Denver, Colorado. ACE Scholarships is dedicated to providing children from low-income families with scholarships to private schools for grades K-12 and advocating for expanded school choice.

David and Norton delve into the significance of school choice and its potential to offer quality education access to lower-income families. Norton shares the inspiring history of ACE Scholarships, which has grown from serving 500 students in its first year to over 80,000 kids today. This growth has been made possible due to bipartisan efforts in states like Louisiana and Georgia.

Join us for an insightful conversation on the importance of education reform, the impact of ACE Scholarships, and how expanding school choice can shape America's future and provide opportunities for underserved communities.

In this episode of the School Choice Report podcast, host Dave Hardy sits down with Joelle Fortin, a dedicated mom of five and former public school teacher with over a decade of experience. Joelle shares her inspiring journey of transitioning from the traditional public school system to the innovative world of micro schooling. Amid the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Joelle began homeschooling her children, which led her to open a micro school that now supports homeschool families with students in grades five through eleven.

Get ready for an electrifying episode of the School Choice Report! Commonwealth Foundation President and CEO Charles Mitchell sits down with former US Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos for an inspiring and insightful conversation. Together, they share their unwavering commitment to unlocking every child's potential and empowering families with the freedom to choose the best educational path for their children.

Betsy and Charles passionately discuss how education freedom policies can revolutionize the educational landscape in Pennsylvania and deliver exceptional outcomes while putting power back into the hands of families and students.

Tune in to hear their case for broadened bipartisan support and the bold leadership that's needed to champion these transformative policies. Don’t miss this episode filled with hope, innovation, and a vision for a brighter educational future for all!

We're excited to welcome back Professor Robert Strauss to the podcast!

In this episode he joins host David Hardy to discuss teacher retention and its significant challenges in Pennsylvania, with Professor Strauss highlighting the history of teacher preparation programs and the difficulties in hiring and retaining teachers.

Later they discuss the barriers in recruiting and retaining teachers of color, emphasizing the need for solutions. Professor Strauss also emphasizes the need for reform in teacher certification, citing low passing scores on standardized tests and a mismatch between certified teachers and available positions.

Finally, the conversation touches on the decline of public education, erosion of trust, and rise of charter schools, as well as the challenges of school choice, including resistance from teachers unions.

In this episode of School Choice Report, guest host Guy Ciarrocchi interviews Don Asplen, CEO of Achievement House Cyber Charter School. They discuss what cyber charter schools are as well as their benefits. Currently, nearly 70,000 Pennsylvania children attend one of the fourteen cyber schools in the Commonwealth. They are at the forefront of the fastest growing sector of education in Pennsylvania.