School Vouchers coming for DC?????

[Kilmer17]

The momentum is building.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A2864-2003May1.html

Mayor Anthony A. Williams said for the first time yesterday that he supports private school vouchers as a way to both improve educational offerings for D.C. schoolchildren and to transform the lagging fortunes of the public school system.

He made his comments after weeks of discussion with Bush administration officials, who hope to turn Washington, an overwhelmingly Democratic city, into a laboratory for an initiative that has topped Republican agendas for many years.

Williams said he reconsidered his opposition to vouchers in recent weeks, concluding that the program favored by the White House could help 5,000 to 10,000 children get a better education in private or parochial schools. He also said such a program would help attract new residents.

"We're willing to try an experiment," Williams said in an interview. "We need to be putting together more good schools and shutting down bad schools, and to the extent we're doing this -- and I think this helps -- it's a good thing."

He also is seeking more federal funding for public and charter schools and has asked federal officials to take responsibility for $100 million of the city's burgeoning special education costs each year to ease the burden on the 67,500-student school system.

Williams said that the new funds, if approved, would not come in exchange for his support for vouchers, though in a statement issued by his office last night, he said, "Let me be very clear in saying that any federally funded program that provides scholarships for private schools must be balanced with direct assistance to DCPS and with additional funding for charter schools in the District."

Several critics, led by Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), said the mayor's change of mind smacked of a deal. She accused him of "selling out" home rule.

Early this year, when federal education officials announced their hopes to offer school choice to D.C. schoolchildren, the mayor's spokesman, Tony Bullock, said Williams "does not support public funds for vouchers in private schools."

The mayor revealed his new thinking on vouchers during a Northwest Washington appearance celebrating charter schools with U.S. Education Secretary Roderick R. Paige. His remarks caught many city officials, including members of his administration, off guard, leading to confusion that his communications office was still seeking to quell with a formal statement nine hours later.

Yesterday's shift by Williams pleased congressional Republicans and Bush administration officials, who confirmed that discussions were underway with the city but declined to confirm details.

"Secretary Paige is pleased that Mayor Williams today expressed such strong support for the Bush administration's proposal to expand choice in the District of Columbia," said Dan Langan, a Paige spokesman.

Talk of vouchers for D.C. schoolchildren began in February, when the Bush administration announced it would seek to fund a $75 million pilot program to offer vouchers in seven or eight cities. The amount that would be available for children in Washington is uncertain.

Even supporters acknowledge it is unlikely that vouchers would cover the five-figure annual tuition bills of private schools in Washington, though subsidies could help defray those costs. The biggest beneficiaries may be those who want to attend Catholic schools, which typically have lower tuition.

There are 7,924 students in Catholic schools in the city, and about 1,200 additional slots are available in those schools, said Susan Gibbs, a spokeswoman for the Archdiocese of Washington. The church favors voucher programs and expanded funding for the public schools.

"We're excited to improve all the schools across the board," Gibbs said. "Anything we can do to help education, that's great."

The mayor's comments prompted a furious reaction from Norton, who was incensed at what she called an affront to home rule and an effort to go behind her back by negotiating directly with federal officials. She said she called the mayor into her office and demanded an explanation last week when she heard rumors of a deal in the works trading voucher support for new funding.

"He has not been candid with me, and he hasn't been candid with other elected officials," Norton said. "I'm telling you as a member of Congress, we can get that [new funding] without selling out."

Her comments were echoed by activists, D.C. Council member Adrian M. Fenty (D-Ward 4) and three school board members who attended an anti-voucher news conference at Thurgood Marshall Academy Public Charter School in Southeast.

Iris Toyer, a former school board member and parent of a child in a D.C. public school, said the city already has enough choice because of a flourishing charter school movement. The charters, which operate independently of the school system but receive public funding, enroll more than 14,000 students.

"We have choice," Toyer said, "and it does not include vouchers."

At a rival rally in favor of vouchers, Tracey Tucker said she wanted to send her 7-year-old son, Nicholas, to a Catholic school but could not afford to without financial help.

"I'm really afraid that he would be one of the children who would be lost in the D.C. public school system," Tucker said. "I'm really afraid that Nicholas would fail."

Williams is the latest D.C. official to shift his position on vouchers.

Board of Education President Peggy Cooper Cafritz abandoned her previous opposition to vouchers in March. In an op-ed piece in The Washington Post, she stated that some kind of program was certain to pass Congress and that the city should accept the money and ask for more for public and charter schools -- a position similar to the one Williams took yesterday.

Council member Kevin P. Chavous (D-Ward 7), chairman of the education committee, said he also was rethinking his opposition to vouchers, though he said he would do so only if a federal aid package was offered for the public schools.

"If we're going to get new dollars from the federal government, it's important that it benefit all kids," Chavous said.

[codeorama]

I hate the Voucher Idea, put the money into public schools where it should be and improve the public school system...

Virgina was supposed to use most of the Lottery money to improve Public schools, but they haven't...

Policticans suck.

[luckydevil]

Yeah lets throw more money into a broken system. Lets give the private sector a chance.

[codeorama]

Here, on a sports board, you would think there would be more support for public schools. The MAIN reason I would never send my child to a private school is because of the level of competition in sports. I know there are some private schools out there that specialize in sports, but not many, the private schools in my area, their sports teams suck big time and football is not even an option.

Public schools need improvement, no doubt about it, but it needs improvement in one area, kicking out the bad kids rather than letting their deadbeat parents use public money for daycare.

[codeorama]

Here, on a sports board, you would think there would be more support for public schools. The MAIN reason I would never send my child to a private school is because of the level of competition in sports. I know there are some private schools out there that specialize in sports, but not many, the private schools in my area, their sports teams suck big time and football is not even an option.

Public schools need improvement, no doubt about it, but it needs improvement in one area, kicking out the bad kids rather than letting their deadbeat parents use public money for daycare.

Public Education should be a privledge that can be revoked rather than a right.

[Kilmer17]

Dont take this the wrong way Code, but my first concern will be my childs education. I can find avenues for sports instruction elsewhere.

[codeorama]

Originally posted by Kilmer17

Dont take this the wrong way Code, but my first concern will be my childs education. I can find avenues for sports instruction elsewhere.

I totally know what you mean (and I expected someone to bring that up).

But, yes, you can find other means of sports instruction, but not necessarily for competition.

I know however that down there in Florida, you have a different situation. Sports like baseball are available nearly all year. Here in Va, it's not like that at all. My family is extremely sports oriented, I played college baseball, my brother played pro, and now my nephew is coming up (and hopefully and 'Lil Tid for me soon) and he's playing T-ball and excelling.... Here where I'm from, if your kid goes to private school, sports are not an option.

[luckydevil]

The best highschool basketball programs in the country are private schools.

[codeorama]

Originally posted by luckydevi

The best highschool basketball programs in the country are private schools.

I agree with you, but I was talking baseball and football. Basketball is a totally different sport that has fewer players, weather is never a factor and organizing competition for scouting is never a problem.

[codeorama]

Look at this swing... Pretty damn good for a 4 year old...!!

( I used Photoshop to make a cut out and put it on a baseball card)

[Henry]

Well, I've stated my reasons for opposing school vouchers before, and I don't really want to go over that again. Experience has taught me to trust the standardized system over the private one. I would prefer to see our effort spent on improving public schools, where standards of education and acceptance are required, than to abandon that for a system that rewards any school that is allowed to weed out any kids they wish for any reason, and set any standards of education they wish.

For example, remember all that outrage towards the white promgoers? A private school could actually allow and even sponsor such a thing. Don't shrug it off. I've seen similar behavior first-hand from private schools. I would never send my kid to one.

[Sarge]

Private schools, especially christian private schools, have policies and teach things that you can' t get in public schools because liberals have driven them out. Things like discipline, corporal punishment,morals etc. Look what has happened to public schools since prayer was taken out. Is it a coincidence that discipline has sunk to such a low level after fear of punishment has been removed? Give the private sector a chance. They can't possibly screw it up worse than the unions have.