Episode 144 of the Catholic School Matters Radio Hour spotlights School Choice. I begin the podcast with a short conversation with John Schoenig, the Senior Director of School Policy and Teacher Formation for ACE at Notre Dame. He shares information about the Reform Leaders Summit (and there is still time to get in your application).
Then I move to panel discussion with four great guests: Myles Mendoza of Empower Illinois, the new scholarship organization in Illinois. It is remarkable that a blue state like Illinois was able to pass such impactful legislation and we discuss why and how it works. Jonathan Priest of Our Lady of Charity School in Cicero describes how the new program has impacted his school.
Next, John Schoenig weighs in on why ACE was involved in this effort and why school choice is such an important issue for him. Schoenig frames the discussion as one of social justice to give all students a choice of excellent schools—especially the poor. Courtney Collins-Shapiro of the Drexel Fund then speaks about their efforts to impact school innovation in the private sector. The conversation takes place in Tampa and there is discussion about what is working in Florida and its implications for the national movement, too.
It’s a great discussion about how School Choice works and the intersection between Catholic schools and School Choice. Here’s another link to listen to the podcast.
