House Democrats’ Put DC Opportunity Scholarship Program on Course to End
Posted July 9th, 2009 at 9:41am in Education 
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Last night, the House Appropriations Committee marked-up the spending bill that included funding for the D.C. government. The package included $12 million in funding for the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship program to allow current scholarship recipients to continue in their private schools. But the appropriations bill included language preventing any new students from receiving scholarships. Republicans proposed two amendments: one stripping out the “no new student” language, another to at least allow the siblings of current recipients to receive scholarships. The majority on the Committee voted them down.
The Obama administration and Congress have avoided the terrible publicity that would have occurred if current scholarship students were pulled out of their private schools. But now they’re quietly putting the Opportunity Scholarship program—which has proven to improve students’ reading achievement—on a march to slow death over time.
Earlier this year, the families of approximately 200 students received letters from the U.S. Department of Education informing them that they were no longer eligible for Opportunity Scholarships. They had previously been told by the Washington Scholarship Fund that they had received a scholarship. Many of these children have older brothers or sisters in the program. Imagine how hard it will be for these parents to watch one child benefit from a life-changing opportunity while another languishes in a low-performing school.
Who is Congress looking out for in the education debate?
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4 Responses to “House Democrats’ Put DC Opportunity Scholarship Program on Course to End”
Blake Gabel, Euless, TX on July 9th, 2009 at 9:41am said:
Liberal Democrats never do anything that would actually help the poor lift themselves out of poverty. They would lose too much power and too many votes.
Larry- in the REPUBLIC of TEXAS on July 9th, 2009 at 9:41am said:
Who cares? Let the derelicts of D.C. “clean” their OWN house before WE start paying for the landscaping! Where is the $12 million for the Dallas County School District coffers? What about the POOR people of the Wilmer/Hutchins school district here in North Texas, whose doors have been shut because of no tax funding revenues? Why DO these folks of D.C. get a hand up on education when the rest of us get a hearty thumb in the nose? Let’s do the math real quick, ????? students divided by $12 million- anyone? Typical thinkin’ on the “HILL”, throw some MORE money at ‘em- maybe they’ll feel content and shut up for a while…! THIS, “IS”, what the rest of the WORLD calls “SOCIALISM”! Obviously CHARITY does begin at home!!! This has past. Next “Do good-feel right” legislation please! Print more money then pass the plate people.
Larry- in the REPUBLIC of TEXAS on July 9th, 2009 at 9:41am said:
Blake of Euless Texas, your are correct sir! Like the old saying about giving a man some fish to eat. Liberals do this so he depends upon the toil and strife of others to feed his family,instead of insisting that he learn to tie and mend HIS own nets to satify the hunger he languishes in!! Perfect point made and so clearly seen by so many. Yet Congress continues to fret over the the political correctness surrounding how to deal with the fact that SOME folks just don’t want to read if someone else will read(and INTERPRET)for them. Some folks just WILL NOT work, if some one else will work in their stead!! Really, I feel for ‘em, I just can’t reach ‘em!
Barb -mn on July 9th, 2009 at 9:41am said:
The “transparency” of this government from the president to municipal is simple. They do not work for the people! The innovation of government is in corruption.