Get Off the Sidelines: Your Voice, Your Vote, Your Time is NOW
The clock is ticking, Pennsylvania.
While we've been talking, debating, and hoping someone else would step up, our kids have been waiting. Waiting for us to stop making excuses and start making calls. Waiting for us to quit complaining at the dinner table and start showing up where it matters.
Your child's education isn't a spectator sport. It's time to get in the game.
The Moment is Here
Right now - not next month, not after the holidays, not when things slow down - lawmakers are making decisions about school choice, charter school funding, and cyber education options. They're in meetings, taking votes, and setting budgets that will impact your child's future.
And most of them haven't heard from you.
They've heard from the unions. They've heard from the lobbyists. They've heard from the bureaucrats who get paid to protect the status quo.
But they haven't heard from the parent working double shifts to make ends meet. They haven't heard from the grandparent raising grandkids who need different options. They haven't heard from YOU.
Five Minutes Can Change Everything
"I don't have time for politics."
I get it. You've got work, bills, soccer practice, and homework to supervise. But here's the thing - this ISN'T politics. This is parenting.
Five minutes. That's all it takes to make a phone call that reminds your representative that real families are counting on them.
Five minutes to send an email that puts a face on the statistics they're debating.
Five minutes to be the voice your child needs when they can't speak for themselves.
Your Homework Assignment (Yes, You Have Homework Too)
This Week - Pick ONE:
Make the Call: Find your state representative and senator. Their numbers are public. Call and say: "Hi, I'm [your name], I live in [your town], I vote in every election, and I need you to support school choice options for Pennsylvania families." That's it. Hang up. Done.
Send the Email: Same lawmakers, same message. One paragraph. "I'm a Pennsylvania parent and voter. My child attends [traditional public/charter/cyber school] and it's working because we had choices. Other families deserve the same options. Please support educational freedom."
Show Up: District offices aren't fortresses. They're usually in strip malls and office buildings right in your neighborhood. Walk in during lunch break. Introduce yourself. Remind them you exist and you vote.
Stop Waiting for Permission
"But I'm not an expert on education policy."
Neither were the parents who fought to get seat belts in cars, or the moms who demanded safer playgrounds, or the dads who pushed for youth sports reforms after injuries.
You don't need a PhD in policy. You need a child who deserves better options.
You don't need talking points. You need your story.
You don't need permission from anyone. You need to remember that in America, THEY work for US.
The Hard Truth About Time
Every day we wait is another day a kid sits in a classroom that's not working for them. Another day a family feels trapped by their zip code. Another day the opposition gets stronger while we get comfortable on the sidelines.
Time doesn't care about our busy schedules. Your child's education window doesn't pause because you're overwhelmed.
The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.
The best time to fight for school choice was when the first family needed it. The second best time is RIGHT NOW.
What Your Lawmakers Need to Hear
Keep it simple. Keep it personal. Keep it real.
"I'm not asking for anything fancy. I'm asking for the freedom to choose what's best for MY child, just like families with money already have."
"Charter schools saved my kid. Cyber school gave my family flexibility we never had. Traditional public school works great for my neighbor's kids. We should all have options."
"I vote. My spouse votes. My parents vote. We remember who stands with families and who stands with bureaucrats."
The Ripple Effect
Here's what happens when you make that call, send that email, or show up at that office:
Your representative realizes parents are paying attention. That story gets shared in meetings. Other lawmakers hear that families are engaged. Staff members start talking about "all these calls we're getting."
Before you know it, you're not just one voice. You're part of a movement.
But it starts with YOU picking up the phone.
No More Excuses
"I don't know what to say." - Say what's in your heart as a parent.
"I'm not good at this stuff." - Neither was anyone else when they started.
"What if they don't listen?" - What if they do?
"I'm just one person." - So was Rosa Parks. So was every parent who ever changed something for their child.
Your Kids Are Watching
They're watching to see if you'll fight for them or just complain about the system. They're learning whether adults keep their promises or just make excuses.
They're discovering if their education matters enough for you to spend five minutes making a phone call.
What lesson do you want to teach them?
The Bottom Line
This is it. This is your moment. Not next week when things calm down. Not next month when you have more time. Not next year when someone else might step up.
NOW.
Your phone is in your hand. Your computer is open. Your district office is ten minutes away.
Your child's future is waiting for you to stop watching from the sidelines and start fighting on the field.
The standard is the standard, Pennsylvania. And right now, our standard is that every family deserves educational freedom.
Make the call. Send the email. Show up.
Your voice matters. Your vote matters. Your time is NOW.
Get off the sidelines. Your kids are counting on you.
In Harrisburg
Upcoming House Committee Meetings
06/02/2025 10:00 AM Education Room 60, East Wing
School District Reorganization Study
Representative Greg Scott has circulated a memo highlighting the need for a study on the reorganization and potential consolidation of Pennsylvania’s 500 school districts. Despite past efforts by the General Assembly and Governor Ed Rendell to reduce the number of districts for greater efficiency and cost savings, little success has been achieved. Rising costs and property taxes necessitate exploring this further, with a proposal to study consolidations aimed at reducing districts to 100, to improve educational quality and resource equity across communities.
Senator Lisa Boscola is introducing the Seizure-Safe Schools Act to ensure Pennsylvania school personnel are prepared to respond to student seizures. The legislation is prompted by the prevalence of epilepsy, with the Epilepsy Foundation Eastern Pennsylvania estimating 110,000 people in its region live with the condition and the CDC reporting that 1 in 10 people nationally will experience a seizure in their lifetime. Currently, Pennsylvania law only permits school staff to take seizure response training, which is deemed insufficient.
In The Headlines
Swatara Middle School lockdown lifted after 'student disturbance' in hallway
Swatara Middle School in Dauphin County was placed on lockdown for approximately 25 minutes due to a disturbance involving students in a hallway. The Central Dauphin School District confirmed that the lockdown was a precautionary measure taken by school administrators in response to the incident, with local police notified "out of an abundance of caution." The lockdown was lifted shortly after and normal class activities resumed. At this time, no charges or citations have been reported related to the disturbance.
Pa. school board turns to state Supreme Court in bid to shield officials' emails
The Penncrest School District is appealing to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in a long-running legal battle to keep certain emails between school board members and a religious liberties firm private. The dispute centers on whether emails sent from personal accounts discussing official school business must be disclosed under public records laws. Lower courts ruled that such emails are subject to public disclosure, but the district argues the communication was private and not official business.
Centennial School Board approves controversial superintendent in 5-4 vote
The Centennial School Board approved Dr. Abram Lucabaugh as the new superintendent in a narrow 5-4 vote, despite significant community opposition and concerns about his past tenure at Central Bucks School District, including allegations of discrimination and financial issues. The decision has sparked emotional reactions, with some community members feeling disappointed and worried about politics entering the schools, while others expressed support for the board's choice.