As school starts this week for students across the country, my heart goes out to the 216 students who had their offers of participating in the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program revoked last spring by Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. 1,700 students have benefited from the program over the years. These 216 students were accepted into the program earlier this year only to find later that their scholarships were being rescinded.
The D.C. voucher program makes economic sense both for the students involved and the school district at large. Students in the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program receive $7,500 per year to go to the school of their choice. Some may argue this will take away money that should go into bettering public schools, right? Actually, D.C. public schools spend over $14,400 per student each year.
This means that each student that gets a voucher actually brings almost $7,000 in savings to the District which can then be spent on other students. So, by revoking the scholarships of this year’s recipients, D.C. schools will have to spend $1.5 million more to maintain the status quo—and remember, 80% of D.C. schools haven’t met “adequate yearly progress” standards under No Child Left Behind.
As parents and children protested last Thursday in front of the Department of Education, Secretary Duncan told the Washington Post that “the long-term goal is to find ways to help every child” in D.C. public schools. In the long term, removing the program completely, as teachers unions such as the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association wished, will ultimately cost D.C. schools $13.8 million annually and will cost children subjected to the DC public school system even more.
The students who currently participate in the program have shown overall increases in reading scores. They are from families who truly can’t afford private schools: the average annual income of families with students in the program is $23,000 for a family of four. And each student who participates in the program directly helps the programs at their old public schools receive more funding.
Low income families can’t afford to move to cities such as Arlington, Virginia, or Silver Spring, Bethesda or Potomac, Maryland. They can’t send their kids to private schools like National Cathedral School or St. Albans. They are forced into schools that offer low standards and even lower expectations of success. Less than 50% of students graduate on time in D.C. public schools, and more than 30% don’t graduate at all. Compare that with an extremely low drop-out rate of students in the Opportunity Scholarship Program—as a mom, I can’t imagine how the U.S. Department of Education can refuse these kids a better chance in the world.
President Obama said last spring that “our schools don’t just need more resources; they need more reform”. But reform should be predicated on choice. We should be expanding programs like the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program, which provides parents with the opportunity to send their children to schools with a proven ability to educate all children.
But, as Erick has suggested, if the Democrats can’t see the importance of school choice, perhaps Republicans in Congress should consider demonstrating that they are truly the party of Frederick Douglass and the raise the necessary funds privately.
So, do you think that we don't know how to use the interwebs around here?
Susannah Monday, August 31st at 8:34PM EDT (link)…Because anyone with a mouse or a TV could figure out that you are one great big Obama shill–even worse than Chris-”thrill up my leg”-Matthews. (See exhibit A, B, and C below).
Oh, and at 5:20 in this video, we can all watch you trash Cindy McCain and imply that her “claws are coming out”.
By the way, I think that it’s great that you are for school choice, but then if that is so, you were certainly shilling for the wrong candidate. I don’t care what conservative women’s forum that you claim to be the head of, even The Daily Howler mocked your supposed “conservatism” and noticed how much you gushed over Obama. (See link and excerpt below).–
http://www.dailyhowler.com/dh032108.shtml
“Who is Michelle Bernard?
On the surface, the question is easily answered. At present, Bernard is CEO of the Independent Women’s Forum, a conservative women’s group founded in 1992. (According to Wikipedia, the IWF grew out of an ad hoc group created to support Clarence Thomas.) The groups directors emeritae include such conservative stars as Lynn Cheney, Wendy Gramm, Midge Decter and Kate O’Beirne. To peruse the group’s web site, just click here.
The IWF, like many such groups, is founded as a non-partisan 501(c)(3) group. As such, the group does not endorse candidates. But it does promote a range of conservative causes.
All that is well and good—and Michelle Bernard is the group’s CEO. Which leads us to a puzzling question: As a major conservative, why is Bernard appearing on Hardball so often—to gush about Obama?
Bernard’s remarkable Hardball run began on Thursday, January 24. Since then, she has become a frequent guest on the propagandistic program. Here is the list of dates on which she has appeared:
Thursday, January 24
Friday, January 25
Monday, January 28
Tuesday, January 29
Wednesday, January 30 (regular program)
Wednesday, January 30 (special post-debate program)
Tuesday, February 5
Tuesday, February 12
Wednesday, February 13
Thursday, February 14
Tuesday, February 19
Tuesday, February 26
Tuesday, March 4
Wednesday, March 5
Tuesday, March 11 (regular program)
Tuesday, March 11 (special post-primary program)
Wednesday, March 12
Friday, March 14
Tuesday, March 18
According to Nexis, Bernard has appeared nineteen times since January 24, an eight-week period. During that time:
* She has almost never been identified as a conservative.
* She has repeatedly and effusively praised Obama.
* She has never been asked why she, as a leading conservative, is promoting the Democratic Party’s most likely presidential nominee.”
FYI–All of your buddies at MSNBC and NBC post on the Daily Kos and Huffington Post. I think that you took a wrong turn and turned right when you should have turned left.
PS–Please tell Lawrence O’Donnell that we all think he’s a nutter. Thankies.
http://www.redstate.com/susannah/2009/08/15/lawrence-odonnell-is-a-few-fries-short-of-a-happy-meal/
Susannah that was fantastic SMACK across the face of Michelle...
JadedByPolitics Monday, August 31st at 10:03PM EDT (link)WOW I had never heard of her but if I had there would be NOTHING nice to say about her. She is a leftist and why she is posting here I will never know. She is definitely DKos material! Thanks again Susannah you are the bomb!
Whoever has his enemy at his mercy &
does not destroy him is his own enemy
You're welcome Jaded...
Susannah Monday, August 31st at 10:16PM EDT (link)I’m glad that I did you proud.
Ouch.
TNJim Tuesday, September 1st at 12:54AM EDT (link)That’s gonna leave a mark.
Great job, Susannah!
“No. You can’t” -Moe Lane
Good job Susannah
Cheryl Tuesday, September 1st at 1:05AM EDT (link)whoa! This was better than watching a troll get zapped by Neil.
While I support school choice...
discerningconservative Tuesday, September 1st at 1:08AM EDT (link)This was the best reading on this page. Great job Susannah.
Thanks guys....
Susannah Tuesday, September 1st at 1:43AM EDT (link)I appreciate the support.
And I will listen to the Cold Warrior, Civil Truth and SoFiMil and try to find the time to turn this into a diary tomorrow.
Superlative take-down of this diary author, Susannah
civil_truth Monday, August 31st at 8:52PM EDT (link)If this comment were a diary I would recommend it in a heartbeat.
Do others think this should be a diary to gain it wider exposure? Would a director promote this to front page if it were a diary?
And Rightly So!
Thanks CT....
Susannah Monday, August 31st at 8:57PM EDT (link)I appreciate the support.
Ditto!
SoFiMil Monday, August 31st at 8:58PM EDT (link)I hadn’t read civil truth’s comment and was thinking the same thing: This could be a (great) diary! A definite 5 for Susannah.
http://www.suvstrategery.blogspot.com
Thanks....
Susannah Monday, August 31st at 9:22PM EDT (link)I’ll think about putting it in a diary.
Dittos! Thanks, Susannah!
ColdWarrior Monday, August 31st at 11:48PM EDT (link)Promote to Diary!
Thank you.
ColdWarrior
American first, conservative second and Republican precinct committeeman by necessity.
http://www.theprecinctproject.wordpress.com, so you can say, “I became a precinct committeeman before it was cool.”
“Elections have consequences, my friends.” — John McCain
So Michelle, welcome to Redstate. Gonna respond to Susannah?
mbecker908 Monday, August 31st at 11:39PM EDT (link)Since Sus is just a small time blogger and you are a big time TV commentator I’m sure Sus got her info all screwed up. So, let me be the first to invite you to drop by your own diary and put Sus away.
I gotta tell ya
Erick Brockway Tuesday, September 1st at 12:44AM EDT (link)Whatever show you’ve been on recently, Hardboiled or whatever, I think it was a total crock when they shut down that DC voucher program and I’m glad you brought it up.
I think we can all attest to the fact, yourself included Michelle, when Obama says “Reform” what he means is “Takeover”.
Vouchers would necessitate bowing to choice, hence would negate the takeover. That won’t fly. Trusting him to do the right thing hasn’t exactly flown any better than the proverbial lead zeppelin either. What he says isn’t what he means; ask the CIA.
As to raising the funds privately via the GOP, it’d send a message that would be timed well with the recent Town Halls “uprisings”, and could give a bit of a surge of popular support. Plus it would piss off the teacher’s unions, which I am always all for.
The idea Erick posted was this;
Sounds good to me, and timing would be right also, I believe,
Now, about this Matthews character…you do know that even a remote link is sitting too close to him, right?
No telling what’s really behind the leg tingle.
Note to lefties;
“Don’t be afraid to see what you see.”
Ronald Reagan
Join the RedState Strike Force
Chip in to get rid of “Babs” (Yes ma’am) Boxer.
Even if you're an Obama shill.... you're right on this issue.
Brian Hibbert Tuesday, September 1st at 7:01AM EDT (link)The DC voucher program is a worthy program that the Democrat party and Barack Obama both oppose.
The killing of this program is a consequence of YOUR SUPPORT of the Democrats in the past election.
Perhaps you should rethink your support of the people who are actively trying to suppress the people they claim to support so they can maintain more government control over your life.
Socialism doesn’t work. It looks nice on paper, but it’s been tried and it’s failed miserably every time (usually accompanied by widespread death and suffering).
Proud member of the V.R.W.C.
Join the RedState Strike Force