Speaking at a school choice rally this morning, House Speaker John Boehner broke down in tears about his own educational upbringing at a Catholic school in Ohio.
“I’ve got 11 brothers and sisters, grew up working at my dad’s bar,” Boehner said before a group of students. “And my parents sent all 12 of us to Catholic schools—I don’t know how they managed it, but I owe everything to that opportunity.”
Boehner, a longtime champion of the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program, said students do their best when parents have the ability to pick their school. Despite attempts by the Obama administration to eliminate the program, it remains a popular alternative to the District of Columbia’s struggling schools.
“If you share your story, you can change hearts and minds,” Boehner told the students. “And if you can change hearts and minds, you can change the laws. And if you can change the laws, you can change the face of education in this country.”
