HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) -
Nicki Krall lives near Harrisburg's Benjamin Franklin school, but she's not sure it's right for her daughter Kayana.
"I would want her to go to a private school if it's a good school. I don't know, you just don't know with public schools these days with all stuff hear going on these days," Krall said.
Nearly every Harrisburg school is classified as poor performing by the state Department of Education. Central Dauphin East's high school and middle school are also on the list.
But a new program could lift underprivileged children out of poor performing schools by giving them scholarships to attend the private or public school of their choice. School participation is voluntary, meaning schools can't be forced to accept the students or the scholarships.
State Education Secretary Ron Tomalis said this signifies a shift in the department's emphasis.
"This is moving our emphasis not on a system of public education but on the parents and children that are in the system of public education, so at the end the children are getting the educational opportunity they deserve," Tomalis said.
But Tomalis concedes that no government program can make parents be parents.
"You'll have [bad parents] and that's a shame. I see much more growing number of parents who are involved sometimes you'll have parents who are not involved because they don't have a reason to be involved. We can do a lot to entice them and bring them into the schools," he said.
