One More Call: Why We Can't Wait for Harrisburg to Figure It Out
While lawmakers battle over budgets, parents must keep fighting for our kids' voices to be heard
Here's what I know from growing up in Western PA - when something needs fixing, you don't wait for someone else to grab the wrench. You roll up your sleeves and get to work.
Right now, while our lawmakers are locked in this budget battle, there's a temptation to sit back and wait. To let them hash it out behind closed doors. To hope they'll remember who they're supposed to be fighting for.
But here's the hard truth: We can't afford to wait.
The Real Battle Happening Right Now
This isn't just about budget numbers on a spreadsheet. This is a massive battle for the future of our kids' education, and we're not fighting on level ground.
Let me break this down in simple terms: There's a multi-million dollar lobby with full-time staff working against our children's best interests. Think about that for a second. People get paid - good money - to lie about our kids. They show up to work every single day with one job: to make sure your voice doesn't matter.
And for too long, we've laid back and let them.
Why One More Matters
When I was on the golf team at Franklin High, my coach taught us something that stuck: "The shot you don't take is the one you'll always miss." Every swing matters. Every putt counts. Even when you're behind on the back nine.
That's where we are right now. We're on the back nine, and every call, every email, every visit to a lawmaker's office is a shot we can't afford to miss.
The pressure has to be constant - 24/7, 365 days a year. Not just when there's a crisis. Not just when the budget deadline looms. Every single day, because that's exactly what the other side is doing.
Real Stories vs. Paid Lies
As a parent and advocate, I see this every day: Families struggling to get their kids the education they deserve while professional lobbyists spin stories that sound good in committee rooms but fall apart in real classrooms.
It's time our stories echo through the halls of Harrisburg. Real stories from real families. Not focus-grouped talking points or manufactured crisis narratives. Just the truth about what's happening in our schools, from the people who live it every day.
The Army We're Building
I'm working on something big for late August. Once Tabby gets done with rehab - hopefully heading in this next week, July 14th to 20th - I'm going to be looking for 100 badass parents to join me.
One hundred parents who are ready to make time - real time - to call, visit, and email lawmakers once a week. Parents who understand that showing up matters more than having the right degree or the perfect talking points.
Because here's what I learned as an Eagle Scout: When you're facing a challenge bigger than yourself, you don't go it alone. You build a team. You support each other. You keep showing up until the job gets done.
But Right Now - One More
Stay tuned for that mobilization. But right now, while the budget battle rages, we need one more.
One more call to your representative's office. One more email to your state senator. One more social media post sharing your family's story.
This isn't about left or right - it's about right and wrong. It's about making sure that when our lawmakers are making decisions about our kids' futures, they're hearing from us, not just from paid professionals whose job it is to drown out our voices.
The Choice Is Ours
We can wait for Harrisburg to figure it out, or we can make sure they hear from us while they're figuring it out.
We can let the million-dollar lobby control the conversation, or we can flood them with real stories from real families.
We can hope for the best, or we can fight for what our kids deserve.
The choice is ours. The time is now.
One more call. One more email. One more voice added to the chorus of parents who refuse to be silenced.
Because our kids are worth it. And frankly, we've been quiet long enough.