Dear Pennsylvania: Our Children Are Not Bargaining Chips
A Father’s Plea to Lawmakers, Parents, and Advocates to Protect Public Cyber Charter Schools
To the lawmakers, parents, and people of Pennsylvania,
I write this not from a desk in comfort, but from the edge of a hospital bed. My wife Tabby has spent the last 49 days in four different hospitals. Our family is navigating a storm we never saw coming. And yet, amid this chaos, I feel compelled to speak—not just as an advocate, but as a father.
Our daughter Bella has grown in ways we never imagined, thanks to her public cyber charter school. It’s given her structure, support, and the freedom to thrive. Our son Skyler just graduated this spring, and we’ve seen firsthand how these schools meet students where they are—academically, emotionally, and personally.
Public cyber charters are not political pawns. They are lifelines for families like mine. They serve children who need flexibility, safety, and individualized support. To use them as leverage in budget negotiations is not just misguided—it’s cruel.
I urge lawmakers to remember the faces behind the funding. Think of Bella. Think of the thousands of children who rely on these schools not for convenience, but for survival.
And to parents and advocates: Speak up. Share your stories.
Let’s remind Harrisburg that our children are worth more than a line item.
We need stability.
We need compassion.
We need leadership that sees our kids not as numbers, but as futures worth investing in.
Jim Malliard