Barack Obama & the DC School Voucher Program

"Barack Obama & the DC School Voucher Program: The president says he wants to do 'what's best for kids.' So why won't he save a proven program that helps low-income students?"

Mercedes Campbell is one of the 1,700 students in the Washington, D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program, a school-voucher program authorized by Congress in 2004. The program gives students up to $7,500 to attend whatever school their parents choose. For kids like Mercedes, who now attends Georgetown Visitation Prep, the DC voucher program is a way out of one of the worst school districts in the country.

"It's different, now that I go to Visitation," says Mercedes. "I approach things differently. It's like a whole new world, basically."

The program is wildly popular with parents and children—there are four applicants for every available slot—and a recent Department of Education study found that participants do significantly better than their public school peers. Indeed, after three years in private schools, students who entered the program at its inception were 19 months ahead in reading of applicants unlucky enough to still be trapped in D.C.'s public schools.

Yet working with congressional Democrats and despite his pledge to put politics and ideology aside in education, the Obama administration has effectively killed the program through a backdoor legislative move. "[Education] Secretary [Arne] Duncan will use only one test in what ideas to support with your precious tax dollars," says the president. "It's not whether it's liberal or conservative, but whether it works."

That sort of doublespeak has left many Obama supporters not just puzzled but outraged. Certainly, Mercedes is. "Out of everything else they can shut down or everything else they can advocate for, they want to take this one thing away?" Adds her mother, Ingrid, "We voted for you, we walked, we went to the parade, we stood freezing. Why?...Can you get this tape over to Obama and have him answer our questions? Why, sir, why?"

That's the question that will be asked on Wednesday, May 6, from 1P.M. to 2P.M., at a D.C. rally to reauthorize the voucher program. For more details, go here.

"Barack Obama and the DC School Voucher Program" is approximately 5.30 minutes long and was produced by Dan Hayes and Nick Gillespie.

For iPod and HD versions, related links and materials, and more videos, go to http://reason.tv/video/show/777.html

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• obama
• dc voucher program
• voucher
• school choice
• nick gillespie
• reason.tv
• education

[Willajfhy]

hey guys just got free amazon voucher from thegiftvouchers . info great site, you should try

[StoogeWatcher]

Fascist Democrats want to keep kids stupid. How ironic that the same Democrats who take money from teachers unions and brag about how great public schools are sending THEIR kids to private schools.

[utoobia]

Obama is like a politician, only worse. When he is not completely ignorant about an issue, he nefariously obfuscates and lies.

[CaraGia13]

He can't possibly let his liberal union friends down, now can he?

[Gandalf54231]

Can I get a voucher to go to Hogwarts?

[lucasboden]

unfortunately a liberal democrat who supports school vouchers is a death sentence if running for office.

[takerdust]

now that the Republicans brought back the voucher program, they can go back to voting for Obama!

[vllmer]

I don't know, I'm reading of case after case of taj mahal schools being built, $200-300 million for ONE SCHOOL in CA. Here in UT one for $77 million. They cover dozens of acres, multiple fields, fleets of buses, then seem to forget to pay their teachers. But when we complain about ballooning costs and administration, lack of funds for the true mission of public EDUCATION, its "you want to starve teachers". The kids just seem like a means to an end for public unions, sports biz's and developers.

[SelfAccountable]

Pretty safe to assume Mr. Obama has lost at least 1 black woman's vote in the DC area - and one more future vote from the young lady.

[mikeboosh]

Obama is owned by the unions, he is corrupt. Sorry if you don't feel like he is. You should think with your brain, not your heart.

[Darkrunner1975]

I'd rather have tax money given to kids like these, than throw it year after year at the teachers unions, who have made American students the laughing stock of the world.

In all honesty, why would anyone oppose this?