Sen. Anthony Williams: School Choice

If a child is attending a failing school should parents have the right to send their student to a different school?

State Senator Anthony Williams believes parents should have a choice. Williams explained on "Good Day," 20,000 students enter the Philadelphia Public School system every year. Only ten percent of students who enter Kindergarten in Philadelphia will graduate from high school and go to college. Williams calls the statistic "a dramatically small number." He said there are a variety of reason why students don't make it through the system. "Some relates to money, some relates to professionalism,  and some relates to parents' responsibility."

Williams believe parents should be allowed to switch their children to better performing schools even if it costs taxpayer's more money. "Pennsylvania is required to provide public education of a certain standard." Williams said "our responsibility is to the child, not to the system, not to the adults." He believes parents in Philadelphia need more options. "We've already left children behind for a long time."

Williams said he supports Superindent Arlene Ackerman's effort to improve city schools. But Williams wants parents to have more options and control over their student's education.