Guy Ciarrocchi: Listening, learning, and leading with Dave McCormick at St. Helena-Incarnation School

Senator Dave McCormick was a leading co-sponsor of the new federal law that encourages donations to scholarship organizations, so that they can offer financial aid and scholarships for K-12 students, providing thousands and thousands of working class and middle income families with “school choice.” This mission is why he visited North Fifth Street in Philadelphia.

Just as he had promised as a candidate when he visited Ligouri Academy in Kensington, Senator McCormick visited St. Helena-Incarnation School because of his commitment to school choice. To listen. To learn. So that he can lead in the Senate — and in the public arena. And, yes, to persuade would-be donors to give to scholarship organizations that support even more parents so that their children can attend schools like St. Helena’s and Ligouri.

McCormick is quick to remind his audiences that he attended public schools and that his parents taught in public schools. This isn’t about public versus non-public schools. His cause is about empowering all parents so that they can find a school that works for their children.

He is just as quick to acknowledge that he and his wife had school choice — they could pick the right school for each of their six daughters. And many Pennsylvanians — many Americans — have school choice: they can move to a “good” school district or pay tuition for a parochial, private, or other non-public school.

His focus is on the other families and their children, forced to attend a failing or unsafe school or one that doesn’t work for them. And it’s about America’s shared future.

This school in Olney is a melting pot of the very families he’s focused on supporting: the children of first and second-generation Hispanic and Asian Americans, along with a mix of African American and white students. 

St. Helena’s is a pre-K to grade eight school that serves students of many faiths — and some practicing no faith. Yet all the students are there because their parents or guardians chose the school. McCormick heard first-hand from parents and students why St. Helena’s works for them: the academics, its culture, the way students are valued — and, yes, some because of the faith, be it their practiced faith or in the school’s intrinsic values. 

It costs over $10,000 to educate each child at the school. No family pays that full amount. Yet every family contributes at least $500. Each family’s balance due is covered through donations, managed by the Independence Mission Schools organization. 

The fourteen IMS schools are overseen by this independent Catholic School organization singularly dedicated to a vital mission: keeping these schools open in communities where neither the families nor neighboring Catholic Church community can afford the costs of school operations. The students’ families are also supported by scholarship organizations in Pennsylvania like BLOCS, Foundation for Catholic Education (“FCE”), and the Children’s Scholarship Fund of Philadelphia, whose CEO, Keisha Jordan, participated in the McCormick roundtable, offering data and real-life stories of donors and recipients. 

All of these students could be helped by McCormick’s new legislation, allowing and encouraging taxpayers to donate and receive a federal tax credit up to $1,700/person ($3,400/couple) for contributing to organizations like BLOCS, FCE and CSF-Philadelphia. 

Moreover, the hope is that this new legislation will help the nearly 90,000 students on waiting lists whose families qualify and who want school choice, but for whom charitable donations have been capped by limits in current state law. CSF-Philadelphia is so oversubscribed that Ms. Jordan has to hold a lottery to select the winners.

McCormick genuinely believes in school choice — it’s why he co-sponsored the new law and continues to visit schools that will benefit. To learn from students and parents, teachers, administrators, and those who manage the scholarship organizations.

During a roundtable discussion with students, they posed questions to McCormick and state legislators in attendance who champion Pennsylvania’s tax credit program. These included Martina White and Amen Brown of Philadelphia, and also David Rowe from Union County. Rowe’s home is a tiny county in central Pennsylvania whose population is smaller than the Olney section of Philadelphia — he was there to see how his good works make a difference.

One student asked two very insightful questions: “Do you get to lead a normal life?” To which McCormick and the legislators each said: “No,” they’re always on the clock even at the Wawa or on vacation. She followed up: “So, why do you do this — serve in elected office?” (Author’s note: she has my vote when she runs for Senate.)

After the laughter from the wonderful observation, and a silent pause for the thoughtful question, McCormick responded with his “why:” it is because of her, the other students at the table, and the ability to make a positive difference for them. 

McCormick often talks about “paying it forward” and making sure that his generation can successfully pass along America to the next generation.

At a small Catholic school in Olney, the wisdom of the principal, teachers, parents and most of all the students gave McCormick affirmation of his mission — and the fuel to fight on.

Guy Ciarrocchi writes for Broad + Liberty and RealClear Pennsylvania. A Senior Fellow with the Commonwealth Foundation, you can follow Guy at @PaSuburbsGuy.