For decades, the American education debate followed a rigid ideological binary: conservatives championed school choice, while progressives condemned it as a threat to public schools. But that divide is beginning to erode. Across the country, more Democratic leaders are supporting programs that give parents greater control over how and where their children are educated. When public schools fall short, having alternatives is no longer a luxury — it’s a necessity.
Nowhere is this shift more evident than in Pennsylvania, where the cracks in the public education system are hard to ignore. Roughly two-thirds of school districts cite student mental health as their top concern. Staffing shortages — from substitute teachers to special education staff — further disrupt learning and weaken schools’ ability to serve students effectively.
At the same time, institutions like the Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School (PALCS) are gaining traction. As the state’s highest-rated online public high school, PALCS offers specialized programs in science, the arts, and career readiness. Its rise reflects a broader trend: families are increasingly seeking out educational models that better meet their children’s needs. (RELATED: School Choice Is Common Sense for Students)
Alabama’s School Choice Success Story
Alabama tells a similar story. Once ranked last in the nation, the state now sits 32nd in fourth-grade math and has seen improvements in reading. These gains didn’t come from major spending hikes, but from targeted reforms — early literacy efforts, better curricula, and improved instruction.
A turning point came in March 2024 with the CHOOSE Act, which gives eligible families $7,000 per child for private school tuition or $2,000 for homeschooling expenses. Though some Democrats call Alabama’s move a diversion of public funds, its deeper purpose lies in affirming a family’s right to guide their child’s education.
One of the clearest examples of the shifting perspective on school choice is Dakarai Larriett, a Democratic U.S. Senate candidate from Alabama. Larriett’s support for school choice is rooted in experience, not ideology.
Raised in Alabama, Larriett saw firsthand how public education can fall short. His mother, a public school teacher for 35 years, worked relentlessly to get him and his sister into top magnet schools — a process full of waitlists and red tape. Many parents, he notes, don’t have the time or knowledge to navigate such a system.
“It would be selfish of me to say I don’t believe in these programs,” Larriett said. “Because I personally benefited from them.”
Still, he recognizes that school choice can deepen inequity when only certain families can take advantage of it.
“What about the kids whose parents don’t know how to navigate the system — or don’t even know they have options?” he asks.
Larriett supports expanding school choice, but with guardrails: transparency, data, and equitable access. “I’m open to any policy that lifts up kids,” he explains. “But I want the data. I want to make sure it works for everyone — not just the lucky few.”
His approach breaks from the traditional partisan script. In an environment where school choice is often dismissed as a conservative cause, Larriett’s willingness to reevaluate old assumptions is both pragmatic and necessary. He doesn’t idealize public education or vilify alternatives. He wants results — and believes the system should be held accountable for delivering them.
Larriett represents a growing wing of the Democratic Party that sees school choice not as an attack on public education, but as a challenge to improve it. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, for example, supported a $100 million school voucher initiative in the state’s 2023 budget. Although he later dropped the proposal under party pressure, his initial support marked a notable break from Democratic tradition.
Critics often argue that school choice drains resources from public schools. But that sidesteps a more urgent question: Are public schools doing their job?
In New York, only 23 percent of eighth graders are proficient in math. SAT scores trail the national average, and over a third of New York City students are chronically absent. Despite heavy investments in diversity and inclusion programs, academic performance continues to fall.
The debate is no longer just about public versus private. It’s about outcomes versus stagnation. Leaders like Larriett and Shapiro aren’t abandoning public education — they’re demanding that it fulfill its promise to serve all students, not just those in well-funded districts.
If education is to remain the great equalizer in American life, it must work for every child.
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