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Commentary:Kermit KomplexParents breaking the law to get their children a better educationby Lowman S. Henry, CEO There is a new crime in Pennsylvania. It is corrupting otherwise law-abiding people, and turning them into common criminals. Like many crimes it begins in our cities and spreads quickly to the suburbs. The perpetrators spin an ever-expanding web of lies to cover the tracks of their crime. A black market for this product has grown ever larger, while authorities struggle with how to contain the wanton lawlessness it spawns. What is this insidious new illegal activity sweeping through the Keystone state? It is called district jumping. District jumping? District jumping occurs when parents or guardians of school-aged children in sub-standard school districts send their children to school in neighboring districts where they can receive a better education. Sometimes, parents send their children to live with friends, grand-parents, or other relatives, making them accomplices in their crime. Such criminal activity is especially prevalent in school districts just outside of cities. The Harrisburg Patriot-News reports that the Susquehanna School District, a superb district adjacent to the Harrisburg School District (which has been operating under a board of control because it was so bad), had 140 students enrolled this year who lived with someone other than their parents. District officials claim half were district jumpers. Most parents, of course, will do anything necessary to help their children. Most parents, of course, understand that education is the key to a successful, happy life. Therefore, they are willing to go to great lengths to help their children get the best education possible. Sadly, sometimes that means sending them to live with someone else during the school year so they can attend better government-run or public schools. Rather than turn these parents into criminals, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania could become a partner in helping them to place their children in the best possible educational environment by legalizing school choice. Governor Tom Ridge was a champion of school choice, and it was one of the great failings of his administration that his attempts at passing school choice legislation consistently fell short. Governor Ed Rendell, captive of the teacher unions that he is, would never allow such legislation to see the light of day. He’d rather parents be turned into criminals, engaging in the crime of district jumping, rather than change state law to help their children succeed. Interestingly, school choice has its strongest support in the City of Philadelphia, Rendell’s political base, and home of a struggling school district. You might also think the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA) would be for anything that would provide more kids with a better education. That would be true if the PSEA were about education. The truth is the PSEA is about preserving its own power, and finding ways to fleece taxpayers for more money. So it uses its considerable political clout to keep such positive reforms as school choice from happening in Pennsylvania. For the time being, school choice is a distant goal in Pennsylvania .
That means district jumping will continue as parents work every angle
to help their children get a better education. And, school district officials
will waste valuable time and money trying to identify the district jumpers
and bring them to justice. It would be far better to let parents decide
what school is best for their children. After all, they are the ones
paying the bill.
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