69传媒

Rapper and entrepreneur Jay-Z has entered the debate over establishing a school choice voucher system in Pennsylvania, a proposal that has caused a months-long budget feud in the politically divided legislature. The push to create private school vouchers has drawn some unlikely allies, including the state鈥檚 Democratic governor鈥攁 move at odds with much of his party and public school advocates.

And now, Team Roc, the philanthropic arm of Jay-Z鈥檚 entertainment company Roc Nation, is putting its support behind the as the state legislature buckles down to pass a budget, due by the end of the month. Jay-Z鈥檚 philanthropy has launched a multi-faceted marketing and awareness campaign in Philadelphia to make sure families know about the efforts to provide taxpayer-funded private school options.

The shadow of a historic court decision from last year calling the funding system unconstitutional also looms large and is complicating the debate over vouchers.

The legislation would establish a program using public funds鈥攑otentially up to $300 million this budget cycle, depending on what the legislature ultimately approves鈥攆or Pennsylvania students in low-achieving schools based on state testing metrics. 69传媒 in the eligible low-performing schools would have access to state subsidies to attend other schools, like private and religious schools. The proposal has been denounced by the state鈥檚 largest teachers union.

Team Roc, which drew criticism after announcing its campaign to support vouchers, is hosting a series of 鈥渄ine and learn鈥� events in Philadelphia throughout the month, to build 鈥渓ocal and city-wide support in Philadelphia for educational opportunity and freedom of choice,鈥� according to its website.

Roc Nation is supporting outreach through dining events, billboards, digital trucks, and a website explaining the legislation, said Dania Diaz, the managing director of philanthropy at Roc Nation.

She rejected arguments that the funds would take away from Pennsylvania鈥檚 public schools, and noted that the organization supports public education, too, but 鈥渨e also know that not all public education systems are efficient.鈥�

鈥淵es, the public education system needs a lot more support in various ways but we do know it鈥檚 going to take some time to fix,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hy not offer the option for parents to choose a possible solution for their child where they鈥檙e not in a system where proficiency is so low, where they can potentially thrive in another system, in another educational setting that is more fitting for them today and right now?鈥�

School choice vouchers are growing in popularity, with at least 29 states and the District of Columbia having at least one private school choice program, including Pennsylvania, according to an Education Week analysis. Of those, 12 states have at least one private school choice program that鈥檚 universally accessible to K-12 students in the state.

The fight for vouchers in Pennsylvania

Critics of the proposed program argue that it diverts funding from public schools, particularly salient in Pennsylvania, where a court ruled in 2023 that how the state funds its public schools is unconstitutional. A , approved by the state鈥檚 Basic Education Funding Commission, indicated that the state was underfunding districts by $5 billion.

Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro has repeatedly argued that the state needs to fund its public schools adequately, but has simultaneously put his weight behind the voucher legislation.

He鈥檚 a political outlier. In the past two years, legislation expanding or rolling out school choice and voucher systems has been in red states, said Josh Cowen, a professor of education policy at Michigan State University, whose book on school vouchers is forthcoming in September.

Even with Shapiro鈥檚 backing, a protracted fight between the GOP-controlled Senate and the Democratic House ultimately led to Shapiro line-item vetoing the provision to get the budget to the finish line last year.

Still, Shapiro called the vouchers 鈥渦nfinished business鈥� in his budget speech earlier this year, and called on Democrats to consider alternatives like vouchers.

Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman, a Republican, said the caucus remained hopeful the legislation would pass.

鈥淭he PASS Scholarship Program is one of a kind and was passed by the Senate not once, not twice, but three times,鈥� he said in a statement. 鈥淭he governor said he supported it, and this year we remain optimistic that he will back his words up with actions, and we will achieve vouchers in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.鈥�

A spokesperson for the House Democrats did not respond to an email.

Chris Lilienthal, a spokesperson for the Pennsylvania State Education Association, said that the focus should be on fixing the state鈥檚 public funding system.

鈥淚f we really want to ensure every student in Pennsylvania has access to a high-quality education regardless of ZIP code or socioeconomic status, we must equitably fund the public schools that serve those students,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat is the solution we should be talking about.鈥�

Where does Jay-Z fit in

Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, isn鈥檛 the first big name to put muscle behind the voucher system in Pennsylvania. Last year, the budget scuffle drew in several supporters, including musician and Pennsylvania-native Meek Mill, alongside former U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos.

Diaz said that Roc Nation has had a 鈥渓ongstanding鈥� relationship with Philadelphia, through the two-day music festival Made in America and Carter鈥檚 involvement in Philadelphia-based REFORM Alliance, which seeks to reform probation and parole. Education is one focus for Team Roc.

How much Roc Nation is spending on the outreach effort is still being calculated, Diaz said.

Diaz said that it was 鈥渕ind-boggling鈥� how little the community knew about the legislation. As part of the effort, they are collecting signatures from attendees to press legislators on the bill.

鈥淚t鈥檚 interesting because everyone here cares about education but they鈥檙e centering different things,鈥� Diaz said. 鈥淲e want to center the children and their families which are getting lost in all these critiques.鈥�

Concerns over vouchers

Cowen, a critic of private school choice initiatives, said that vouchers have shown significant negative declines in student achievement when scaled up to statewide, universal programs.

Often, he said, students who benefit from voucher systems are students who were already enrolled in private schools, or were homeschooled prior to programs being expanded. Opponents of the legislation say taxpayer dollars go toward schools that lack transparency, or that schools can discriminate and ultimately pick who does enroll.

There鈥檚 no reason to believe Pennsylvania would be any different, he said. States that have attempted to restrict voucher programs to public school students haven鈥檛 succeeded, he said.

鈥淲hat鈥檚 insidious about how the Pennsylvania thing is being marketed is this idea that all you have to do is be eligible for a voucher and you can save your child鈥檚 life and leave failing Philadelphia schools,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 nothing in the legislation that requires them to take you.鈥�

Nationally, the efforts have drawn scrutiny, especially from public school educators.

Randi Weingarten, president for the American Federation of Teachers, also highlighted concerns about discrimination, student achievement, and who ultimately attends private school.

鈥淚nstead of spending billions on vouchers in Philly, we should be strengthening and investing in public schools so all kids can thrive,鈥� she said in a statement. 鈥淛ay-Z has released some killer albums, but when it comes to promoting a state funded voucher programs, we agree with our Pennsylvania affiliates in saying 鈥榯his ain鈥檛 it.鈥欌��

Advocates for the policy argue that it can improve education access across the board, even for the students who remain in public school.

Ed Tarnowski, policy and advocacy director for EdChoice, a nonprofit proponent of school choice, said he was excited that a celebrity like Jay-Z was joining the conversation.

鈥淲e hope that it does help raise awareness so parents know what is being considered to increase their educational options,鈥� he said.