It’s National School Choice Week. Here in Pennsylvania, winter weather shut down roads across Harrisburg and forced the cancellation of a rally at the Capitol in support of investments directly in our students over educational systems. The need for school choice in Pennsylvania does not pause because of the weather, and for thousands of families, it remains deeply personal and pressing.
A few years ago, during a previous Harrisburg National School Choice Week rally, a young student took the stage to sing. Afterward, she shared something that stopped many in their tracks. She said that school choice, and being able to attend a school that met her individual needs, saved her life.
That statement was not political rhetoric or exaggeration. It was the honest testimony of a student whose future changed because her parents were able to choose an educational environment that truly met her needs.
That is the gravity of school choice.
Across our Commonwealth, far too many children are trapped in public school districts that fail to meet their academic needs. Their parents often recognize the problem, but without resources, the ability to choose another option remains out of reach. School choice helps close that gap by recognizing a simple truth: parents know their children best, and they should be empowered to act on that knowledge.
School choice opens doors to opportunity by allowing families to select the learning environment that fits their child, rather than forcing a child to fit into a single system. It acknowledges that students learn differently, face different challenges, and flourish in different settings. When parents are given real options, students are given a better chance to succeed.
That reality was echoed by Alexis Sneller from PA Family Institute’s team, who has shared her own educational journey. She attended a hybrid school, a private school, was homeschooled, and later enrolled in a cyber charter school. Her experience reflects what so many families understand firsthand: schooling is not one size fits all, and flexibility can make the difference between merely getting by and truly thriving.
PA Family’s Director of Communications, Josue Sierra, has seen this truth play out over generations. His parents chose homeschooling so his education could be tailored to his learning style, interests, and academic challenges. Today, as a parent himself, that same freedom allows him to choose homeschooling as the right option for his own children. School choice did not just shape his education. It continues to shape his family’s future.
Through the PA Family Institute’s Family Choice Scholarship Program, families across Pennsylvania are able to access educational options that would otherwise be financially impossible. These scholarships exist because of both the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) programs and the generosity of business owners who choose to invest in students rather than systems. For many families, this support is life-changing.
We regularly hear from parents and students who are overwhelmed with gratitude. Some students write to say they would not be able to attend their school without this help. One student, Isaac, thanked us for giving him the chance to learn in a school with fewer students, where he could receive more individualized attention. These stories reflect real lives being changed through educational opportunity.
Yet there is also a sobering reality we cannot ignore.
Tens of thousands of families in Pennsylvania who apply for these scholarships are turned away, not because their need is any less real, but because available funding is limited. Too many parents reach out hoping for help, only to learn that there is nothing left to give.
The snow may have canceled this week’s rally, but it did not cancel the need for action. Pennsylvania must move toward policies that fund students rather than institutions, and that expand educational freedom for families across the Commonwealth.
When parents are empowered to choose, students are given the chance to flourish. The message still needs to be heard, and with your engagement and support, it will be.
As Governor Josh Shapiro delivers his 2026–2027 budget address next week, we urge him to put Pennsylvania families first by expanding educational options that meet the unique needs of every child. Empower parents with real choices by funding students rather than systems, and give families across the Commonwealth the freedom to choose the educational path that helps their children succeed.
For more information on how your business might earn a tax credit through a donation to our scholarship fund, please contact us at familychoice@pafamily.org.
