D.C. School Choice Supporters Protest Education Secretary Duncan

This morning, Education Secretary Arne Duncan held a joint press conference at a school in Washington, DC marking the start of the new school year. Sec. Duncan was there to speak about the challenges schools face related to the flu and H1N1 virus.

But the Secretary was reminded about the administration’s decision to take away school choice scholarships from 216 children living in DC by a group of protestors led by school choice activist Virginia Walden Ford.

As children in D.C. head back to school this week, the Obama administration’s decision to phase-out the very-successful D.C. Opportunity Scholarship program is going to start having an impact on affected students. The bottom line is that 216 children have been denied the chance to go to a school of their parents’ choice. Many of these kids will have no choice but to attend low-performing and, tragically, often dangerous schools. Secretary Duncan and the Obama administration should continue to be reminded of this mistake and pushed to fix it.