The Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice released a new poll finding:
More than seven out of ten registered voters in the District of Columbia support the federally funded DC Opportunity Scholarship program, which provides tuition scholarships for low-income students to attend private schools… Seventy-four percent say they either “strongly favor” or “somewhat favor” the scholarship program and a majority (56 percent) support expanding the program to provide scholarships to all children who have applied.
The results also indicate that 68 percent oppose ending the program. Congress earlier this year cut funding to the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship program and the U.S. Department of Education has closed the program to new applicants, and rescinded scholarships awarded to 216 families for the upcoming school year.
Support for school choice in the District of Columbia should come as no surprise. Studies clearly show the students participating in the voucher program have made “statistically significant” improvement in reading compared to peers who applied but didn’t get scholarships. And earlier this month, the DC City Council sent a letter to the Obama administration calling on them to reverse their decision to take scholarships away from the 216 children who were recently admitted to the program.
Make no mistake: the Obama administration and Secretary Duncan are intimately familiar with the benefits of school choice. Growing up in Hawaii, President Obama attended a private school. Growing up first in Chicago, and now in Washington, Obama’s two daughters attended and still attend a private school. Growing up in Chicago, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan attended a private school. And when he moved to D.C. Secretary Duncan chose to live in Arlington, where good schools for his children are assumed.
When it comes to their own educations and their own children, it is very clear that the Obama administration knows what works. Let’s hope they change their policies and give the same opportunity to D.C. families.
http://houstonbusinessdaily.com/advisor/Stella_Lo…
Obama-Gates deflects from healthcare mutiny and Sotomayor vote with coverage of a White House Happy Hour! The pressing issue of what beer Obama will drink overshadows dipping polls and disapproval ratings…hmm. Don't let a good crisis of words go to waste less we read between the lines.
Why doesn't a Republican senator or congressman lead the protest against the hypocritical policies of a black president denying opportunity to poor, inner city kids. Make it loud, highly visible with the kids and parents participating and make it an all day event. To a large extent, the Republicans in Washington are gutless and ignorant. They always seem to engage in some philosophical discussions no one cares. Get ahead on this issue.
The District of Columbia, once you remove all of the Washington Congress and their appendages and parasites, has the lowest income, highest poverty rate, highest murder rte, no citizen allowed handguns, and yet even being at the very bottom of America's ladder can see the sense in allowing "School Choice", as their only hope out of the situation they were born into! Now explain what is wrong with the rest of our Nation?
I would support additional spending on education in Washington D.C. on the condition that our Congressmen and Senators be sent back to school to learn to read. Apparently, it's not just the kids that aren't doing their reading assignments there.
What was the old complaint from the NEA, "Johnny can't read"? I guess that's ok, as long as he gets elected to Congress, where it's an unnecessary skill.
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