Guy Ciarrocchi: Biden and the media went to Girard College and they all failed
The media failed to tell the real story or ask important questions when President Biden visited Philadelphia for the 587th time of his Presidency, desperately seeking votes. This time he held a staged rally at Girard College in North Philly, to try yet again to show black voters that “he cares.”
Let’s put aside the fact that most of the media failed to explain that — despite its name — Girard College is a school for children in grades one through twelve.
What they truly missed is that Girard College is the embodiment of school choice. It’s a private school, where every student is there because: (1) the students’ parents or guardians applied and chose to send their child there; (2) the family has limited income; and (3) at least one parent is deceased, incarcerated or not part of the child’s life. No child pays any tuition.
The school is funded through a combination of the Stephen Girard Trust and charitable contributions, and students are educated by the choice of their parents or guardians.
The students are there — at this safe space in North Philly — because the school is a lifeline for those who would otherwise have to go to a school that isn’t safe, is failing academically, or isn’t meeting a child’s academic needs.
Biden and Harris are adamant, fervent opponents of school choice — like PA Lifeline-style scholarships. They came to Girard College in North Philly to tell black voters all that “they’ve done for them” by holding a rally seeking their applause. They did this without appreciating the irony — or hypocrisy — of the school they were standing in.
Biden and Harris support policies that would have fewer Girard Colleges, and more children — especially children of minority backgrounds — forced to attend schools that are unsafe, failing academically or not offering them support.
Yet, they sought appreciation and applause.
And, the legacy media missed that entire part of the story. The facts. The irony. The hypocrisy.
The media was watching the show, and it appears as though no one interviewed the school President, David Hardy. He may be the most most — or at least one of the most — impactful educators in Philadelphia, in Pennsylvania, or even America. So no one asked him about education, about Girard College, or about the kids he’s impacted. That’s malpractice.
Mr. Hardy was recruited to become President, to stabilize, fix and renew this iconic school that needed leadership, vision and credibility, so that young people without hope would have hope. So that it would be a safe haven in North Philly.
But, before he was asked to be President of Girard College, he was known across greater Philadelphia, and the nation, as the founder of Boys Latin Charter School.
Mr. Hardy turned the soft bigotry, indifference, and neglect of young African American boys into a national academic success story. He founded a charter school built of vigorous academics, and a top-flight Latin curriculum, for students that many had forgotten about. Many of those doubters assumed that poor African American and minority students couldn’t study Latin, or that it was silly or misguided to teach Latin to “kids from the hood.”
Ask Dave Hardy why he did what he did. The successes that he had. The lives he changed. The message that he sent—academically, politically, and culturally.
Heck, Hardy had an op-ed about school choice in the Inquirer that same day! Did anyone tell Biden or Harris?
No one asked Dave Hardy about school choice, educational options, teaching poor students, or lifting up the horizons of poor kids.
Tragically, to the media, Hardy was merely the host who happened to be the CEO, or just a prop for the Biden/Harris show.
The media drove to Girard College. Maybe they saw the Philly Zoo. Maybe they saw my alma mater, St. Joe’s Prep. But, if they opened their eyes, they would’ve seen the people who think inflation is real. The parents who hope and pray that their children come home safely after school or a spring time baseball game at the park.
But, no mention of what life is like for too many in North Philly.
They could’ve asked the parents and guardians why they chose Girard College, or which school their child came from. Instead, many were ignored, or they asked them about voting for Biden…or, heaven forbid: Trump.
The traveling medicine show that is the Biden campaign — a Democrat Party President from the neighboring state — had to take to North Philly to tell them that he cares, because the reality of inflation, crime and bad public schools say otherwise.
They had to create a Black Americans for Biden/Harris because one hasn’t sprung up organically. Maybe because polling suggests that over 80 percent of African Americans support school choice and Biden and Harris don’t. They couldn’t even acknowledge it, when standing in a school choice school. Instead, the President sunk down and pulled out his racial division card, suggesting that the other guys don’t care about black voters.
Biden and Harris came to North Philly for a staged, shallow photo-op, and they got it.
That the legacy media went to Girard College, drove through North Philly and stood a few feet away from an education icon and reported on none of those ironies or those realities is journalistic malpractice.
The President and his policies are failing the very people he came to talk at.
The legacy press failed America by missing the story. And they failed the people of North Philly, too.
Guy Ciarrocchi is a Senior Fellow with the Commonwealth Foundation. He writes for Broad + Liberty and RealClear Pennsylvania. Follow Guy at @PaSuburbsGuy
I love reading Mr. Ciarrocchi when he writes his columns, one can almost see the spittle coming out of his mouth and hitting the screen of his computer as he mouths the words he writes. So lets try this on for size.
“The media failed to tell the real story or ask important questions when Mr. Trump visited the Bronx, desperately seeking votes. This time he held a staged rally at Cortona Park, a public green space in a neighborhood that is among the city’s most diverse and its most impoverished, a change from the majority-white areas where he holds most of his rallies. to try yet again to show “The Blacks” that “he cares.”
Then there are Mr. Ciarrocchi’s statements as to how much Girard College and Boys Latin Charter School help the community and I agree with him. There is one small detail he left out, both of these schools are non-for-profits. Whereas Charter Schools are for profit and like every other business they will cut corners to remain profitable, at the cost of the students.
Then there is one tiny and highly important detail as to why no elected official should sign the PA Lifeline-style scholarships act. “The Treasury or any other state agency could not regulate the educational programs of participating schools”. Allowing any school to create an educational plan with no oversight.
The traveling medicine show that is the Trump campaign — had to take to the Bronx to tell them that he cares. They had to create a Black Americans for Trump because one hasn’t sprung up organically. Instead, Mr. Trump sank down and pulled out his racial division card, suggesting that the other guys don’t care about black voters.
Trump went to the Bronx for a staged, shallow photo-op, and he got it. Trump and his policies failed the very people he came to talk at, which is why he voted out of office.
Charter schools are not all for profit. I think very few of them are. They are non profit and public.
I don’t know why you are flipping thus to Trump rather than addressing the very valid points the author makes.
The long and short, they missed the point. And so did you.
You are focused on how much Trump sucks– and he does — and overlooking valid arguments.
Ironically, as you obtusely miss his points, you have accurately illustrated the problems with our government, electorate and society at large.
We aren’t addressing problems. We are trying to prove we are right and on the winning team.
Were all losing.
Dung… I agree with you. So let me take this time to point out this article: https://www.themainewire.com/2024/05/maine-cops-warn-bmv-issuing-drivers-licenses-to-individuals-with-bogus-social-security-numbers/
Now let me remind you that Shapiro has implemented a new policy of automatically registering people to vote while getting their driver’s license or state I.D. (all lawfully present non-U.S. citizens are eligible to obtain state I.D. and have the choice to opt out of being registered to vote.)
Do you think Mastriano would have reversed his position on school vouchers like Shapiro did? All the “Republicans” that voted for Shapiro should remember that they let down all the poor children in PA. Shapiro is so nice, and well spoken, and Mastriano was so mean, right?
You forgot to say America is a Godless country and that China is out to get us.
The long and short, you missed my point and the author’s points are not valid. He claimed that Biden went to Philadelphia because he does not have organic support from the Black community, Care to explain what Trump was doing in the Bronx since he normally speaks to large crowds that are predominately white?
Dung, “We aren’t addressing problems. We are trying to prove we are right and on the winning team.” Solving problems is the way to prove you are right and the winning team. Trump and the Freedom Caucus have shown that all they can do is create and compound problems.
Solving problems in politics used to be the result of compromise and achieved consensus among different parties with different viewpoints. Now, “solving problems “ is simply getting your way for your side.
I must comment on your statement, “Whereas Charter Schools are for profit and like every other business they will cut corners to remain profitable, at the cost of the students.” Most charter schools are non-profit. Yes there are for profit ones as well and their finances (at least in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania) are required to be independently audited yearly, the audits are reviewed by the local education authority (in Philadelphia’s case, the Charter School Office of the School District of Philadelphia) and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Department of Public Education. Any profit deemed to be excessive may be “clawed back” in terms of the state’s contribution to the charter.
Frank
“(at least in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania) are required to be independently audited yearly, the audits are reviewed by the local education authority (in Philadelphia’s case, the Charter School Office of the School District of Philadelphia) and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Department of Public Education. Any profit deemed to be excessive may be “clawed back” in terms of the state’s contribution to the charter.” Where does it say that in PA law and how do you balance it out with this;
““The Treasury or any other state agency could not regulate the educational programs of participating schools”. A part of the Lifeline bill that would give schools carte blanche for what and how they teach.
Upper-case-Judah-with-the-teenage-girl-emphasis,
Have you noticed younger girls add an emphasis when others are not listening to them? It is a whinier or drawn-out sound that is used AH. “Let’s goowa” in a long whiny voice or “come on ah.” I’m glad we both agree this version of JudAH is appropriate for you to select.
Good point you raised when you could not refute the fact Shapiro is registering non-citizens to vote! Hey, does that make any sense? Well, it does if you ask yourself: How does this help the Chinese Communist Party?
Its called a typo, morON.
As for your claim about drivers licenses being issued to non-citizens. Your link is to an article in Maine with people using fake social security numbers. In Pennsylvania non-citizens can legally get a state ID, “If you are a lawfully present non-U.S. citizen, acceptable documents include: Unexpired Employment Authorization Card (EAD) issued by DHS; Forms I-766 or Form 1-688B. Valid, Unexpired Permanent Resident Card I-551 Permanent Resident Card (Green Card) Issued by DHS or INS.”
Next time read the law, instead of relaying on 4Chan.
Upper case Judah,
Correct, you make a lot of typos. Correct, I specifically wrote: “Now let me remind you that Shapiro has implemented a new policy of automatically registering people to vote while getting their driver’s license or state I.D. (all lawfully present non-U.S. citizens are eligible to obtain state I.D. and have the choice to opt out of being registered to vote.)”
And you ignored this following point because you, RINOs, and other high-brow elitists can’t refute it:
Do you think Mastriano would have reversed his position on school vouchers like Shapiro did? All the “Republicans” that voted for Shapiro should remember that they let down all the poor children in PA. Shapiro is so nice, and well spoken, and Mastriano was so mean, right?
“all lawfully present non-U.S. citizens are eligible to obtain state I.D. and have the choice to opt out of being registered to vote.)” Non-U.S. residents do not have the option to opt or opt inthey can’t legally vote.
Legal non-U.S. residents do not have the right to vote. SO when they are issued those id’s they can’t Opt in to vote because the goverment does not allow for that. Now lets talk about the article from Maine about how the 999-9999-999 was an internal thing done by employees so they could fill in a form on a computer for a part they could not opt out of. Which still does not allow the people who have these IDs to vote, because the 999 social security number is non-existent.
This is why I chose to ignore this the first time around. Its another one of your conspiracy theories devoid of facts and I did not want to spend the time showing you it can’t legally happen.
Further more, your source for the article in Maine is a rag similar to Broad and Liberty. The 999-9999-999 is not a number being used by the people getting the ID, it is being done by employees to create a placeholder to fill in an electronic form.
Judah,
No one is “opting in” in Pennsylvania because people have to actively “opt out.” And there is zero evidence that PA software differentiates between all lawfully present non-U.S. citizens vs U.S. citizens. Where is your evidence for that claim? It is a specious claim – just like your willfully specious claim that people are “opting in.” You do not know what you are writing about it seems.
Furthermore, a direct quote from the article addressing the problems in Maine:
“It’s unclear exactly how individuals without valid social security numbers are obtaining Maine driver’s licenses — or whether they are being registered to vote.”
It is plain, it is obvious, and your attempts to lie and hide the facts about it are exposed.
If Guy is so in touch with the topics and spot on with his analysis why can’t he win an election in Chester County? Like practically every politician we have in front of us we have today it’s pretty easy to see right thru them even when are not being transparent at all.