Why Underperforming Schools Are Not the American Way

Welcome to Old School, New School, Next School with Dom Giordano, a podcast devoted to shedding light on issues pertaining to making America smart again. These include, among many topics, school choice and parental rights. This podcast is dedicated to reversing the deeply disturbing trend known as the dumbing down of America. Now, here's your host, Educator.

and noted talk media commentator, Dom Giordano.

Hey, everyone. Welcome in to this week's edition of Old School, New School, Next School with Dom Giordano.

And boy, I got some nuggets here on School Choice that maybe will lay out what's happening nationwide in your backyard and how all this operates.

We know this show each week gives you stuff coming deep from the inside of the people actually moving and shaking on this.

We've never talked about this before.

One of the hardest things with school choice is that a political battle is won,

say in a state like Arizona or Texas or Arkansas.

Let's center on those three, meaning somehow or another,

they got some form of school choice through.

And then what happens?

Well, the other side, usually Democrats, almost always Democrats or progressives,

during a period of time where there's a lull.

I'll explain the lull. They reorganize and they in Arizona start insisting on let's have a referendum on this now. In other words, it ain't over till the fat lady sings and the fat lady's got to sing several times. So what has to be done? The bottom line is this. Even when stuff like this is passed, it doesn't matter if a critical mass of people are unaware of it. And in Arkansas and Arizona, that seems to be the case.

I'm going to tell you about a story in Philadelphia that I began last week with this Jeff Yass scholarship program for kids who are going to be dislocated from 17 Philadelphia public schools that are being shut down because they don't have the attendance. They don't have the numbers they used to have. And Philadelphia has a lot of budget issues. I'll talk about that in a moment. So in Arkansas and Arizona, there's a threat to all the good that was done.

the things that were passed for school choice. In Texas, it's sailing forward. In fact, they may have to add more money because about 240,000 have already applied or making their way to applying in Texas. Why? Because the proponents of school choice, the good guys, if you will, in my view on this, they led a big advertising campaign through the right sources. They got the word out. And when people hear,

They can send their kid to a better school versus the deficient schools that we often talk about. They are glad to sign up and take a shot at this. So that's why in Texas you're seeing these outstanding numbers. In the other states, not enough has been done to get the word out. And in my view, being a media member, talk radio host, I can tell you I'm suspect of the media. Case in point, this past week in Philadelphia, Jeff Yass,

who's big champion of school choice and his wife. They laid out this program for these kids who are going to have to go to another school. Philadelphia's going to close these 17 schools. I think it's justified to close them, but they may have been in a decent school, somewhat decent, now going to a worse school. All that's happening. His scholarship program, the ASIS, that was put out last week, would allow these kids to get a scholarship.

to go to private schools, many of them Catholic, in the same general neighborhood. They wouldn't have to move heaven and earth and go miles. Okay? Got the plot? All good, right? They're going to be dislocated. Let's make it easier. Let's get into it. And it's not an enormous number, 500 scholarships. The Philadelphia Inquirer, which is no fan of school choice, to put it mildly, they want to crush it every chance they get. They run a story, and at least they give a list.

Like Father Judge was one in some of these Catholic schools where these Philadelphia kids could go free of charge. And these are nationally vetted schools, meaning these are schools that work and even better, they work and they're going to be there. The evidence points to the fact they're going to be there for the long haul. You're not going to dislocate a kid again. Who wouldn't be for that? Well, they find some of these experts. One, her last name is Haver.

She is somebody who says, you know, it's a public schools or bus, no choice. This is all a plot. She actually uses the word of the week. When you listen to this, imagine now, this is the scenario. 500 kids are going to be rescued. They don't have to up and go to these schools. A lot of them are bad, be dislocated, go nuts. They're going to be able to go to a good school. All they have to do is apply that they're involved with these schools.

I've heard 2000 or more inquiries or at least views have been made of the website to set this up because the word's getting out a little bit. Well, Ms. Haver, she tells the Inquirer this is, quote, dastardly on the part of the yeses. That's the word of the day. That's the word of the week, dastardly. And she says all this is is a plot to exploit these poor people to further erode the public schools.

Now, I'm thinking about getting her on. I'm thinking about we have this shootout on this whole thing. Dastardly. And this idea of waving money in front of people. Now, originally, when I met and talked with Jeff Yass, I had him on my radio show in Philadelphia. It was because Abbott Elementary, big time show, right? Everybody knows that show. Emmy award winning, yada, yada, yada. They're very political.

They did a show around things like school choice, and he was, if not by name, everybody knew who they were talking about, seen as this evil villain because he is a proponent and trying to make school choice happen for as many kids as possible. Trust me, that's the agenda. That's what he believes in. So he came on, and we talked about plans for schools last week. We told you he won an award in New York, this big organization, Alexander Hamilton Award.

And that's how this started, seeing this whole thing from the inside, how this battle goes on. How is it dastardly? How is it trying to erode the public schools? The public schools are a monopoly with many people that only care about the adults, the teachers' unions and things. Not all, but there's a large number of them, rather than the benefit of these kids. And with this dislocation, how is anybody a villain?

and dastardly and trying to exploit and waive money in front of people.

No, Ms. Haver, these are people trying to give opportunity that you know and I know will never happen in the same way in the public schools.

Now, I'm a product of Catholic schools.

I know these Catholic schools in Philadelphia, and I know and I would bet that they are superior to 95 percent, 90 percent at least of the Philadelphia public schools.

that a kid going there is going to be stable, high academics. Here's a case in point. This week, even though they have Chromebooks for kids and all this stuff, the Philadelphia Public Schools, we had a bit of heat here in Philadelphia that was in the 95. It was hot a few days in a row. Immediately, we're going to go virtual. They can get away with this because they count it as a day. They send the kids home with the Chromebooks. How much learning actually goes on on these virtual days in a place like Philadelphia?

We saw it during COVID. If you're a parent, you saw it. Parents saw this on Zoom, and they saw what the heck was going on, and they said, what the heck is this stuff? That's where the revolt started, or a large part of it. So 57 schools did that. Upper Darby, which is in the Philadelphia suburbs, another suspect school district, they did it. Catholic schools are not doing this. Either they have a degree, they have a secret weapon. Either some of them have a degree of cooling, air conditioning,

Or the real secret weapon, they have the nuns. They have some nuns in charge. And they are going to educate kids, and they did it during COVID also. That's where these kids would be able to go. What in the world is wrong with that choice? Well, many Democrats, progressives, Ms. Haver, they don't like that choice because that choice undermines their buddies, the teachers union, which are the biggest player for the Democrat Party.

pushing all kinds of millions of dollars every year, indoctrinating kids, writing books on fascism constantly. That's what it's about. Remember that word this week, dastardly. That's where we are. That's what it's about. No, this is not dastardly. This is something giving hope and another opportunity. And it's not just here in Philadelphia. As I said, this is just a microcosm. By the way, this week in Pennsylvania, we celebrated.

Something that happened 25 years ago under then-governor, PA Governor Tom Ridge. He signed into law the groundbreaking New Education Improvement Tax Credit. 600,000-plus scholarships and a deep wait list later. We know investments in school choice make better opportunities possible for more students. In other words, these students are among the poorer students in the state as far as income.

And this has been a godsend. Commonwealth Foundation says even now, 25 years later, the program's popularity continues to grow, said Rachel Langan, senior policy analyst for the Commonwealth Foundation. Despite doubling the amount of scholarships awarded over the last 10 years, nearly 70,000, 70,000 students remain stuck on waiting lists. Think about that. You know, Eagles tickets are your favorite NFL team. You're on a waiting list.

Even the Eagles, I think, only have one of 40,000 waiting lists. Or you're on the restaurant, we'll get to you. You're on the waiting list, Dom. If 50 other people don't show up, maybe we'll call you. 70,000 are currently on the waiting list. The programs work through donations, tax credits, and refunds. Individuals and businesses give money to scholarship organizations, which then share those funds in private schools statewide. In return, the donors receive refunds or credits on their state tax returns. Aha!

That leads us to what is the big, beautiful bill. That's where you'll get up to $1,700 that you can contribute. This is nationwide, kicks in in 2027. About 32 states have said yes, two of them Democrats. It kicks in and private organizations get the money and dispense it to families to get to better schools. It is exhausting continuing to fight these battles. The only thing I can tell you is we're winning.

The other side gets more desperate all the time. This show next edition will celebrate one year. And I'm putting together for that the 10 biggest lies against school choice. And some of them are so silly, you would think we'd be able to dismiss them easily. But remember, it's not about that. It's about agendas. It's about the teachers union. It's about sometimes the media. It's about people that just think keeping kids captive.

in these underperforming, we'll call it public schools and school districts, that's the American way. As we see and we think of the sacrifices people made vis-a-vis Memorial Day, laying down their lives for that, I would argue, yes, the public schools have been a big driver, but the public schools of X number of years ago were not the public schools of today. And we need choice. And choice is the American way.

Not to be held captive by a bunch of politicians and teachers unions and calling everybody names because they're trying to free people from that. And particularly the word of the week, calling them dastardly, Ms. Haver. Nice work by you. You got to be kidding me. That's all that program is about. And there are hundreds of programs like this across the country. Some of them even bigger. So next week, as we celebrate the first anniversary of old school, new school,

next school. We'll take a look. There's at least 20 lies that are told, but I have the 10 biggest. Even Forbes magazine tells us, Forbes of all places, about why school choice won't work. Hey, buddy, guess what? School choice is working. It's not that it's not going to work. Across the country, we're seeing people free. Take a look in Texas. Why are 240,000 families then applying for that? They're doing it because they know about it. It gives them hope. It gives them a sense.

as a parent of really taking care of their kids because they're making a choice. And who knows better, the best choice for their child than the parents. So all that is in front of us. And again, happy 25th anniversary to this scholarship. It's just a bit sad to download still 70,000 kids on the waiting list. This is a battle that will go on for a good bit of time. The hopeful note, though, remember this. 32 have signed off. Two of them.

Kathy Hochul, big time governor of New York, and Polis, the governor of Colorado, are Democrats. In addition to that, three other Democrats, one of them, he's running for President J.B. Pritzker of Illinois, they've said they're going to take another look at this, the governor of New Mexico. In other words, they said no, and now they're taking another look. I think by the time the summer's over, or by the time we certainly head back to school, you're going to see close to 40 states that have signed off on this.

What's the matter with the others? Well, they're calculating the teachers union, their own political agenda. So who's right? This growing number of governors and legislators signing off in this or those that are still studying this and calling people named like dastardly. If you want to send me anything happening where you are, any thoughts, any comments at all, it's easy. It's domshow, D-O-M-S-H-O-W at AOL.com.

We will see you next week right here on Old School, New School, Next School. Old School, New School with Dom Giordano is a presentation of Giordano Productions LLC. Copyright 2026. All rights reserved.