Why is this program being sacrificed?

July 10, 2009 by dave

I knew something bothered me about Congress ending the private school voucher program in Washington D.C., but I didn't give it much thought until today. This Washington Post editorial reminded me how much it bothered me.

Seven council members -- including those who represent the poorest sections of the city -- wrote to Mr. Duncan on June 22 challenging his decision not to admit new students to the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program. The federally funded program provides vouchers of up to $7,500 so that low-income students can attend schools of their choice. Because the program's future is uncertain, Mr. Duncan decided -- disappointingly to our mind -- to rescind scholarships awarded to 216 families for this upcoming school year. Thankfully, the administration did commit itself to funding the program so that children currently enrolled can continue their education uninterrupted until high school graduation. Moreover, there is still a chance that Congress could reauthorize the program.

But that doesn't help parents such as Latasha Bennett, who's in an understandable panic over where her daughter will go to kindergarten next month. She had planned on the private school where her son (already a scholarship recipient) excels, but, without the voucher she was promised, she can't afford the tuition. She looked into her neighborhood public school and discovered that less than a third of the students there are proficient in reading or math. Charters weren't an option because most had filled up by the time she learned of Mr. Duncan's decision. D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee's office recommended four other places, but two have no kindergarten openings and the others are more than an hour's commute (by bus) away.

A review by D.C. Children First showed that nine out of 10 students who were shut out of the scholarship program this year are assigned to attend failing public schools. We realize that helping these 216 families is no substitute for fixing the problems that afflict D.C. and other urban schools. But, as Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) and Ms. Rhee work to improve the city's schools, what is to be gained by denying educational opportunities to children such as Ms. Bennett's 4-year-old Nia?

The voucher program has been a success for the students involved. It allows poor and minority students to attend high-quality private schools instead of their failing local school and it does so at half the cost of sending the student to their local school. Even the D.C. Chancellor Michelle Rhee, who is working frantically to improve public schools in D.C. is in favor of the voucher program.

Michelle A. Rhee, the schools chancellor, said she did not share the negative view of vouchers held by many big-city superintendents.

“Part of my job is to make sure that all kids get a great education, and it doesn’t matter whether that’s in charter, parochial or public schools,” Ms. Rhee said. “I don’t think vouchers are going to solve all the ills of public education, but parents who are zoned to schools that are failing kids should have options to do better by their kids.”

I couldn't agree with the Chancellor more. Her comment shows that she is putting the needs of the students above the needs of the adults. In my mind, that's the mark of a great educational leader.

What bothers me about this program being cancelled is that with all of the pork being included in the $787 billion stimulus package and the record setting deficit budget, why was this program, which actually works, sacrificed? Couldn't they find $1.62M out of those billions that allows these students to attend schools that if not academically better, are at least safer than their public school alternatives. I noticed that the First Family chose to send their daughters to a private school rather than the D.C. public schools that they want the potential voucher students to attend.

There isn't one single answer to education reform. We need to support programs that work, particularly when they're less expensive, and drop programs that don't. Why not let these kids attend private schools? Give them and their parents some hope for the future. I think it is worth $1.62M, particularly when taxpayers are going to spend twice that to send them to failing public schools.

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