School Choice-Goldwater Institute

Unions or Children First?
Democratic officials are increasingly embracing school choice
by Dan Lips
January 30, 2006
If the legislature passes corporate tuition tax credits for a third time, Governor Napolitano will have a choice to honor her promise or, once again, veto this popular program.

This isn't the easy calculation it might seem to be. Napolitano and Democratic officials across the nation face a similar dilemma—school choice legislation forces them to choose between core constituencies.

The families who benefit most from school choice are the most undeserved by the current public school system: low-income and often minority. But those most opposed to school choice are another core Democratic constituency: the teachers unions that provide campaign funding and grassroots manpower for Democratic campaigns.

Many democrats are beginning to part ways with the unions. Democratic Mayor Anthony Williams and Senators Robert Byrd, Dianne Feinstein, and Joe Lieberman all provided critical support for the new Washington, D.C., voucher program. Last year, Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell expanded the state's private school scholarship program. And Democratic state legislators in New Jersey are pushing a school voucher program to help inner-city children.
Governor Napolitano must strike a balance between the demands of the 30,000-member Arizona Education Association and the needs of Arizona's children. Wisconsin’s Democratic Governor Jim Doyle faces a similar quandary. Milwaukee’s voucher program has proven so popular that more families apply for scholarships than are available. But Gov. Doyle has vetoed several proposals to raise the cap on enrollment. Because of these vetoes, thousands of inner-city children may be sent back to public schools this fall.

What will it take to change these Democratic governors' political calculus? As more parents recognize that school choice can improve their children's lives, a growing number of Democratic leaders will be forced to choose whether to stand with the teachers unions or with underprivileged children.

Dan Lips is Education Analyst at the Heritage Foundation and a Senior Fellow at the Goldwater Institute.