Governor Corbett, Archbishop Chaput Tout New Education Initiative
By Paul Kurtz
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - At Bonner and Prendergast High School today, Governor Corbett joined Philadelphia Archbishop Charles Chaput and community leaders to celebrate a new law that provides scholarships to children in low performing schools to attend private and parochial schools.
The Governor and Archbishop led a rally that comes months after passage of the Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit.
Chaput says this is only the first step. "We stand strong and ready to make OSTC a landmark program in Pennsylvania and a model for other states."
The next step is the launch of E20K, a program to restore enrollment at secondary schools to 20,000. OSTC is a controversial program because it's funded by what's expected to be $50 million in business tax credits. Critics have accused Corbett of launching a war on public education, a charge that he vehemently denies.
"What there is is a fight to end failing schools and produce schools of all denominations that produce young men and women who will become the next generation of leaders."
