Why these Philly parents chose to send their kid to private school

PHILADELPHIA -- Lawmakers in Harrisburg all seem to have an opinion about what Philadelphia parents and students want.

And the debate over education is heightened this year, as legislators again fight over a potential school voucher program to send students to private schools using taxpayer dollars and attempt to design a new school funding system.

While the fight over a new voucher system heats up, with school choice supporters, public education advocates, teachers unions, and even Jay-Z pouring money into the fight, there is already a school choice program operating in the state.

Currently, Pennsylvania parents can choose to send their children to private school through two existing programs that allow businesses or individuals to get tax credits in exchange for donating to a school or scholarship fund. Families can apply to send their child to a private school using those funds. The programs total $470 million in scholarships per year, according to the advocacy group Education Voters of Pennsylvania. These programs are different from vouchers, which would give parents state funds directly to use toward a child’s school tuition and other expenses.

Philadelphia families receiving those scholarships represent a small fraction of the nearly 200,000 students who attend Philadelphia public schools, charter schools, or cyber charters, and many parents, educators, and public school advocates argue that the money would be better spent on improving public education in the state.

The tax credit programs have high income maximums, and only one of them is targeted to help students who live in low-performing districts. Many Democratic lawmakers, who largely oppose vouchers, note that these programs are ripe for waste, fraud, and abuse. But the issue is more complicated for some Philly lawmakers who support school choice — and their constituents who use the existing programs.

‘Where there’s a will, there’s a way’

Kamesha Callands of West Oak Lane still has vivid memories of her time as a public school student: the smell of urine, the falling ceiling tiles, how frequently she was bullied, her behind-the-crowd reading scores.

She was determined to send her daughter, Sabrina Callands-Edmonds, to private school.

Callands, as a School District of Philadelphia student, attended public, charter, and private schools during her own K-12 education. After her charter school closed, she was able to attend a private school through the Children’s Scholarship Fund of Philadelphia, one of many tax credit-funded programs available across the state. Her mother, Darlene Callands, has been a tireless champion for school choice, including as the founder of the advocacy group African Americans for Educational Opportunity.

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