Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, who campaigned as an education reform supporter in 2022, is now pushing budget cuts to school choice programs despite overwhelming public backing, according to a June 19, 2026 analysis by the John Locke Foundation. The report highlights what it calls a "betrayal" by the Democratic governor, who has aligned with teachers' unions opposing charter schools and scholarship programs that enjoy strong support from voters across the state.
The data reveals striking public enthusiasm for school choice options. Nationally, 53% of all adults support charter schools while only 14% oppose them, but support jumps to 72% among school parents, with just 11% opposed. In Pennsylvania specifically, both general residents and school parents show even stronger backing at 74% support for charter schools. The report also notes that Pennsylvania House Majority Leader Matt Bradford has received more than $200,000 in teachers' union political contributions while working for a law firm whose clients include public school districts.
According to the analysis, Shapiro's proposed fiscal year 2026-27 budget "seeks to reduce funding available through education tax credits for scholarship organizations, while taking on another reform effort by recommending cuts to public cyber-schools." The report characterizes Pennsylvania House Democrats' approach as "war-waging against education reform," with efforts to "block, and even roll back, reform efforts and scholarship funding" taking priority. Jack Fowler, writing for National Review Online and cited in the John Locke Foundation report, states that in Pennsylvania's Democratic caucus, the teachers' union "calls shots in the legislature."
The report frames the conflict as part of a broader pattern where Democratic politicians in swing states prioritize union interests over constituent preferences on education policy. Pennsylvania has been described as "a persistent hotspot for legislative and political battles on education reform these past few years," marked by what the analysis calls Shapiro's cave to union pressure despite his campaign promises. The report emphasizes that this disconnect matters particularly in Pennsylvania, where it notes there are "plentiful failing schools" alongside "significant demand" for more reform options. The governor's shift represents a political calculation that union backing outweighs the risks of opposing programs that three-quarters of voters support.
The analysis concludes with a warning that voters nationwide need to understand the gap between Democratic politicians' campaign rhetoric and their governing choices on education. The report argues that despite "dramatic, popular support for choice and reform," Pennsylvania's Democratic leadership "remain hell-bent" on protecting the existing system. For families seeking alternatives to struggling public schools, the message is clear: campaign promises on education reform may not survive contact with teachers' union influence once officials take office.