Jay-Z, the renowned entertainment mogul, has thrown his support behind a campaign to fund private school vouchers in Philadelphia.
Roc Nation, a company owned by Jay-Z, announced its involvement in promoting the Pennsylvania Award for Student Success, a legislative proposal aimed at providing taxpayer-funded private school scholarships to low-income families residing in neighborhoods with underperforming schools.
Speaking on the initiative, Roc Nation’s Managing Director of Philanthropy, Dania Diaz, expressed the company’s commitment to investing in the future success of Philadelphia’s community leaders.
Jay-Z’s ties to the city have been strengthened through Roc Nation’s annual Made In America festival and its involvement in the REFORM Alliance, which advocates for criminal justice reform.
While private school vouchers have sparked debates in many states, including Pennsylvania, where Republicans view them as a means of helping students in struggling schools, opposition from teachers unions, school boards, and Democrats centers around concerns of diverting taxpayer money to private and religious educational institutions.
Jay-Z’s endorsement of the voucher bill has faced criticism online, particularly from the AFT Pennsylvania teachers union, who expressed disapproval over a photo showing Jay-Z with Jeffrey Yass, a prominent Republican donor in Pennsylvania known for his support of school choice initiatives.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, previously supported a Republican-led proposal to allocate $100 million towards private school tuition and supplies. However, Shapiro later withdrew his support following opposition from House Democrats.
