A coalition of public education advocacy organizations has voiced their concerns and formally urged Vice President Kamala Harris not to select Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro as her running mate due to his support for private school vouchers. The coalition, comprised of more than two dozen organizations from across the country, including Pennsylvania's 412 Justice, published a letter calling for a running mate who fully supports public education.

The letter highlighted Shapiro's alleged lack of commitment to public education, citing his support for voucher schemes. Private school vouchers use state funding to provide subsidized tuition for children attending private and religious schools. While Republicans argue that vouchers offer better opportunities, Democrats and many educators contend that they divert funds from public education.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro has previously expressed support for vouchers, including initial backing for a $100 million school voucher program with the state's Republican Senate legislature. However, he later vetoed the proposal, emphasizing the importance of increased public education funding. In July, Shapiro signed a state budget that allocated a $1.1 billion increase for K-12 education.

Shapiro's spokesperson, Manuel Bonder, defended the governor's record, emphasizing his efforts in delivering historic increases in public education funding. Bonder also highlighted Shapiro's work in securing $300 million for various education-related initiatives, including student mental health resources, increased special education funding, and sustainable funding for environmental repair and school facilities.

The coalition's letter compared Shapiro's education policies to the conservative agenda outlined in Project 2025, a document produced by the right-wing think tank The Heritage Foundation. Project 2025 aims to provide a guidebook for future conservative administrations and includes proposals to abolish the Department of Education and implement other cuts to public education initiatives.

Despite the opposition from the coalition, some education policy advocates expressed support for Governor Shapiro and acknowledged his legislative accomplishments in securing significant funding for public schools. Democratic chair of the Pennsylvania House Education Committee, Peter Schweyer, commended Shapiro's ability to secure over $1.5 billion for public schools in a divided legislature.

In their letter, the coalition emphasized the importance of selecting leaders who are committed to the nation's public education system and opposed to school privatization in any form. They endorsed Governors Roy Cooper of North Carolina, Andy Beshear of Kentucky, and Tim Walz of Minnesota as vocal champions for public education.

Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to announce her running mate at the upcoming Democratic National Convention, where she is likely to accept the party's nomination. The decision about her running mate will carry significant weight for education advocates who are hoping for a strong supporter of public education policies to be chosen.