PHILADELPHIA — Swing-state stumping this week, Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) sounded the alarm for children stuck in America’s failing public schools, calling on more leaders to wholeheartedly support school-choice measures.
“The house is on fire, and there are kids trapped at the top of the stairs,” Scott said on Thursday. “Someone has to be willing to go into fire to rescue children, to get as many kids out as possible.”
“We may not get them all out, but I think we have the responsibility in our nation to save as many kids in a burning house as possible,” the senator continued, describing “anything less” as “abject failure.”
Scott made the comments while campaigning with Pennsylvania GOP Senate hopeful Dave McCormick at a public forum at Philadelphia’s Liguori Academy, a private high school in the city’s Olde Richmond neighborhood.
“Having someone who understands that education should be about kids, not adults, that’s Dave McCormick,” Scott said of his potential future Senate colleague.
McCormick told dozens of people attending Thursday’s roundtable that newfound enthusiasm for school choice was a silver lining of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“In this one area, COVID was a blessing,” McCormick said. “Because our parents looked over the shoulders of our children on these Zoom calls. They got more engaged in what’s happening in education.”
Scott — who recalled his own experience of attending multiple public schools growing up in South Carolina — said the issue of school choice could be one the whole country can get behind.
“This should not be a partisan issue, but it is,” Scott said, noting strong majorities of Americans across all demographic groups support measures aimed at allowing parents to get their kids out of failing public schools.
Public-sector teachers’ unions present the greatest obstacle to progress, Scott argued.
Amanda Greenberg, who teaches at a private school in suburban Delaware County, came out to see Scott and McCormick Thursday. She told The Post a lack of support from her union influenced her move from public to private education — even though she had to take a pay cut.
“I didn’t feel that the teachers’ unions were representing me, my interests and my students,” Greenberg said.
“I knew I wanted to keep teaching, and I knew I wanted to keep working with kids,” she added. “But I also knew that it needed to work for us as a family.”
Greenberg, who is Jewish, also said she pulled her children out of Philadelphia public schools following the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attack on Israel — a culture of antisemitism had permeated the district.
Scott also lit into President Biden for calling supporters of Donald Trump “garbage” in an interview with The Post after Thursday’s event.
“Call me garbage for supporting low unemployment, low inflation, high enthusiasm, respect on the world stage,” Scott said. “I hope there’s a lot of garbage showing up at the polls between now and Tuesday!”
