Success of D.C. OSP Subject of Wall Street Journal Editorial

Last week, numbers were released showing that the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program is helping even more students in our nation's capital graduate from high school and go on to pursue higher education. The success of the D.C. OSP program was the subject of a Wall Street Journal editorial this weekend, which called on President Obama to consider supporting the program:

Sec. Duncan Ignores Facts, Claims D.C. OSP Gains Similar to those Seen in Traditional D.C. Public Schools

As we reported last week, President Obama’s fiscal year 2014 budget includes no new funding for the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship program, preventing many low-income students from accessing the successful program.

At a House Labor, Health, and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee hearing on April 11th on the president’s budget, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan discussed the administration’s vision for educating America’s students. When asked about the administration’s decision to not add additional funding for the D.C. OSP - a program as Maryland Representative Dr. Andy Harris (R) points out has made graduating from high school a reality for many students zoned for schools in need of improvement - Secretary Duncan said, “I’d be very surprised if those improvements were very dissimilar to what’s going on at the rest of D.C. public schools.”

Umm… what?

According to last federal evaluation of the program in 2010, 91 percent of children who used their D.C. opportunity scholarships graduated from high school - 21 percent more than those who sought but did not receive a scholarship and 30 percent higher than D.C. public schools. Subsequent research by the program administrator for 2010 and 2011 showed that 94 percent of scholarship students graduated and 89 percent of those students enrolled in college.

The success rate of the D.C. OSP is a far cry from the reality for many D.C. public school students. According to data released by the U.S. Department of Education, Washington, D.C. ranked dead last in national graduation rates at 59 percent for the 2010-11 school year.

Additionally, D.C. is home to the largest disparity in the country between white and minority students who graduated during the 2010-2011 school year. Eighty-five percent of white students graduated, while only 55 percent of Latino and 58 percent of black students earned their diplomas.

While the D.C. OSP may not be the fix-all for every D.C. student, it is a viable option for many families looking for access to a high-quality education. The program has proven it can deliver real results. By funding the program at its full level, more D.C. families would be able to take advantage of the program, granting many more young people with access to an education that works best for their needs.

In The Root, Kevin P. Chavous Roots for Educational Choice

American Federation for Children Senior Advisor Kevin P. Chavous wrote today in The Root, the sister site to The Washington Post, about D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson’s initiative to close 20 poor-performing public schools why that means more educational choice is necessary in the nation's capital. In defending the decision and calling for more accountability, Kevin wrote:

For many young people, neighborhood public schools were the only gateway to economic empowerment. Today, however, the sad reality is that far too many of these historically significant public schools are not serving our kids well — and some need to be shut down. It’s tough, however, when people don’t know what they don’t know.

As a former member of the D.C. Council, Kevin has a lot to say on our K-12 education. Writing that “like it or not, accountability matters in K-12 education,” Kevin argues that we need more educational choice in the District, especially for those students attending poor-performing public schools:

But accountability in our schools is only one side of the large and expansive education-reform coin, one that must be coupled with educational choice to truly pay dividends for our children in the long run.

The educational choices in the District have been growing in recent years with charter schools and the reauthorization of the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program, which allows District children to access a high-quality education today.

What do you do when the blood, sweat and tears of your history clashes with the realities of today?

That’s what Kevin P. Chavous, our senior advisor, asked in piece published yesterday on  The Huffington Post.  Looking at how Brown v. Board of Education shaped our education system in the last 60 years, Kevin questions how the educational gap for students of different racial and economic backgrounds continue to plague our country.  In looking for a solution, Kevin writes:

We must ensure that integrated schools and integrated classrooms are available to all students no matter their race or their class, and we must also start embracing and learning from our differences. Folks, we can raise academic achievement across the board while celebrating, not demonizing, the rich diversity of cultures in this country. Integrated schools are a win-win for all students. But we are going to have to teach our kids, and adults for that matter, the importance of appreciating and learning from their peers from different backgrounds. For if we don't, it will be impossible for future generations to succeed in today's diverse society where collaboration is a necessity and separate but equal is no longer a viable alternative.

The Huffington Post isn’t the only place that Kevin has been writing this week.  In Sunday’s Washington Post, Kevin wrote an editorial on what President Obama’s second term will look like and the fate of the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program.

Kevin knows firsthand how the OSP has changed family’s lives. He was a supporter of the program as a member of the D.C. Council when the program was created in 2004. And he continues to support the program.

D.C. Mayor Supports Scholarship Program for College Students; When Will He Support D.C. Vouchers?

D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray, along with the D.C. Council, created a $1.59 million scholarship program to help low-income District residents attend colleges in Washington, D.C.  The program, called the Mayor’s Scholars Fund, provides $10,000 for students attending private universities, $7,000 for students attending the University of the District of Columbia, and $3,000 for students attending community colleges.

The 185 students who received news of their scholarships over the summer were surely elated to get significant financial assistance for attending the city’s universities—both public and private.  But others, including the Mark Lerner writing in The Washington Times, are remarking on the contradiction of the Mayor’s support for the Mayor’s Scholars Fund, but strong opposition to the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program.

Earlier this year, President Obama zeroed out funding forthe D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program in his 2013 budget and Gray also made clear that parental choice is no longer a priority of his administration.  In his proposal, he breached a promise made to the charter school community by failing to close the funding disparity between charter schools and traditional D.C. public schools, as required by law.

The Administration—and Mayor Gray both opposes the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program and follows the Administration’s lead on the program—argue that funding should only go to public schools, despite the fact that as many as 17,000 students are on waiting lists to attend charter schools and the voucher program continues to be oversubscribed.  The question is, why is it ok for college students to receive government money to attend private universities, but children in poor-performing K-12 schools can’t receive a scholarship to attend private schools?

As Mark Lerner writes, you’ll have to ask Mayor Gray.  To us, it doesn’t make any sense.

- American Federation for Children | Alliance for School Choice, MSG

Kevin P. Chavous sits down with Bruce DePuyt at Channel 8 News DC

Our very own Kevin P. Chavous sat down this morning with Bruce DePuyt of NewsTalk on Washington, D.C.'s Channel 8 to talk about the important of education reform, educational choice, and his new book, "Voices of Determination." Take a look at the full interview here: 

- American Federation for Children | Alliance for School Choice, MAG

Measuring Parent Power Because Parents Know Best

How do you measure the success of education policy?  Education policymakers have used high school graduation rates, college graduation rates, proficiency exams, per-pupil funding, and many many other measures.

Thanks to the Center for Education Reform, we can add a new one: the measure of parental options.  In its Parent Power Index, which measures states based on several elements of power” charter schools, private school choice, teacher quality, transparency, and online learning.

Measuring the education by access to educational options is a great way to measure how a state has reformed its education, since parents know best.

Not surprisingly, nine out of the top 10 states on the index are states with robust private school choice programs.  Ranking first is Indiana, which in 2011 enacted the Choice Scholarship Program.  In its second year, more than 8,500 students are going to a school of their parents’ choice thanks to the voucher program.

Also ranked in the top 10, Florida, Ohio, Louisiana, Wisconsin, and Washington, D.C.—all home to strong private school choice programs from the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program and to the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program, both of which boast high graduation rates.

Check out the Parent Power Index to see how your state ranks and how private school choice programs mean more parental power.

- American Federation for Children | Alliance for School Choice, MSG

Meet Lamar

 Lamar, who loves nature, science, and especially plants, now attends the Preparatory School of D.C. thanks to the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program.  Lamar’s mom, Tiarra, applied for Lamar to participate in the program in the 2011-12 school year, but Lamar was not yet five years old.  She applied again this year and was excited to learn that Lamar had received a scholarship.  In fact, she was so excited that not only did she attend the School Welcome and Placement Fair to visit some of the private schools participating in the program she volunteered to help set up the fair.  Lamar received his school supplies donated by the Alliance for School Choice and is all ready for his first day of kindergarten thanks to the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program.

The D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program was created in 2004 for children from low-income families living in Washington, D.C. to attend the private school of their parents’ choice.  The program, which was reauthorized in 2011, has a graduate rate of 92 percent—more than 21 percentage points higher than those who were interested in the program, but did not participate.  This year, 229 new students are participating in the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program.

A Lone Star Leap Towards School Choice

On Friday, the Texas State Senate Education Committee held a hearing on bringing a school voucher program to the Lone Star State.  Legislators have been considering enacting prischool choice legislation, with nearly successful campaigns in 2007 and just last year.  While advocates already testified on the merits of school choice, here’s another list on why Texas should enact a statewide, accountable private school voucher program.

Reasons Texas Should Enact Private School Choice

1. Only 29 percent of 4^th graders and 27 percent of Texas 8^th graders are proficient in reading.  In math, 39 percent of 4^th graders and 40 percent of 8^th graders are proficient.

2. Nearly half—48.8 percent—of Texas students qualify for the federal free and reduced-price lunch program.  That’s more than the national average.

3. According to the U.S. Department of Education, Texas only graduates three-fourths of its high-school students. 

4. Graduation rates of school choice programs are high.  The D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program boasts a graduation rate of 91 percent—more than 30 percentage points higher than students in D.C. Public Schools.  The Milwaukee Parental Choice Program demonstrated graduation rates at more than 7 percentage points higher than students attending the Milwaukee Public Schools.  And a recent study of a New York City voucher program found that African American recipients are 24 percent more likely to enroll in college as a result of participating in the voucher program.

5. Parents of students who participate in private school choice programs are overwhelmingly satisfied with their child’s academic program.  Consecutive surveys in Louisiana show parental satisfaction of the program above 93 percent.  Surveys in Washington, D.C., Milwaukee, Florida, and Ohio have all shown high parental satisfaction rates and feedback.

6. School choice fosters competition: A study of the Florida Scholarship Tax Credit found that the passage of the program led to standardized test score gains in the public schools most likely to lose students to private schools.

7. But most important of all, parents know best.  Families have the right to escape failing schools and send their children to a school that will provide a quality education.  No one is better suited to see that their children thrive than parents.

We’ll be keeping an eye on the happenings in Texas as legislators work to expand charter schools and bring private school choice to Texas families. And for more research into the benefits of school choice, visit our research page here.

- American Federation for Children | Alliance for School Choice, MSG

Kevin P. Chavous on Why Democrats Must Support School Choice

Last month on the Washington Post’s “The Answer Sheet” Blog, guest blogger Jeff Bryant argued why Democrats should not support any form of educational options.  Check out the response from AFC Senior Advisor Kevin P. Chavous, a former D.C. Councilman and a lifelong Democrat, on why Democrats must put partisan politics aside and support school choice:

Jeff Bryant’s July 18 piece on Valerie Strauss’ “The Answer Sheet” blog lets blind partisanship get in the way of an accurate characterization of school choice programs across the country.  As a Democrat, I full-heartedly support school choice in every form—from strong traditional public schools to charter schools to voucher programs—because these options shift our focus from an antiquated, overly-bureaucratized one-size-fits-all system that is sadly failing millions of disadvantaged children to those who know their children best—parents. Your failure to think critically is apparent in your change-averse ideology that prizes the status quo over proven measures that will help kids.

In a political climate where bipartisanship is growing increasingly rare, school choice breaks the mold, having earned the backing of Republicans and Democrats in places like Louisiana, Florida, Wisconsin, Georgia, Ohio, and right here in the nation’s capital. The reason, which Mr. Bryant fails to acknowledge, is simple: for many lawmakers, the future of our country’s next generation is far more important that scoring political points.

The assumption that poor families are misinformed is simply untrue, and it is that notion—one emphasizing system-wide decision-making over the best judgment of parents—that accounts for a great deal of the achievement gap that plagues our country’s educational performance.  It’s why when we put power pack into the hands of parents, as was done here in D.C., voucher students graduate at a rate of 91 percent—more than 30 percentage points higher than students in D.C. Public Schools.  And an evaluation of the Milwaukee voucher program also found a higher graduation rates and a trend that participating students were more likely to enroll and continue in four-year universities than their public school counterparts.

It’s why when the opportunity for choice arises, parents respond in droves. More than 17,000 students are on waiting lists for public charter schools here in D.C. and more than 10,000 low-income families have applied for the voucher program since it was created in 2004.

So yes, Mr. Bryant, I am a Democrat who proudly favors school choice, and there is nothing meek about my support. After all, I’m on the side of the parents, and it’s they—not you—who really know what’s best for their kids.

—Kevin

- American Federation for Children | Alliance for School Choice, MSG

In D.C., It's Still Students and Parents Who Matter Most

While U.S. News and World Report might be famous for its rankings of the nation’s higher education institutions, the news magazine also follows K-12 education policy news.  Check out this great opinion piece focusing on the value of students and parents in education reform.

The piece specifically recounts the success of the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program, using some of the program’s strongest selling points, including:

• 91 percent of students who used their scholarships graduated high school, more than 21 percentage points higher than those who did sought out but did not receive a scholarship
• More than 10,000 D.C. families have applied for the program since it began in 2004
• More than 92 percent of participating students would otherwise attend a school deemed in need of improvement

Take a look at the full piece below:

In Washington there are two competing visions of what constitutes good education policy. One, held by some in the Obama administration and the entrenched education establishment, is system-based, with its emphasis placed on adults and support for the status quo, rather than the students. The other, which has been embraced by education reformers in both parties, focuses on students and parents in the quest to provide a quality learning experience that will prepare people to compete for jobs in the global marketplace.

Nowhere is this clearer than in the ongoing battle over the successful D.C. Opportunity Scholarships Program, a federal program that provides funding to allow a small number of Washington, D.C. parents—participating families have an average income of less than $24,000 per year—to send their children to many high-caliber schools—public, private, or parochial.

In the eight years since the program began, more than 10,000 D.C. families have tried to get their children a scholarship—with demand far exceeding supply. More than 92 percent of participating students, say those who have looked at the data, would otherwise be in a school in need of improvement.  And no wonder: The D.C. public schools are considered by many to be among the worst in the nation, not to mention more expensive than most on a per pupil basis.

The program has been a great success. The Institute of Education Sciences says that 91 percent of students who used their opportunity scholarships graduated high school—21 percent higher than those who applied but were not awarded a scholarship.  In fact, said the institute, the D.C. program had the second highest achievement impact of any it studied so far.

For Famed Washington Post Columnist, Choice Words on School Choice

Former Washington Post columnist William Raspberry died today of prostatecancer at the age of 76.  A Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who wrote for The Washington Post for more than 40 years on social issues including race, education, and poverty, Raspberry was the second-ever nationally-syndicated black columnist upon his ascension to the position in 1996.

Raspberry’s most famous columns recounted his views of black families, black communities, and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.  Less known, but still significant for the readers of the more than 200 papers around the nation that published his columns, were Raspberry’s view on school choice.

Having written dozens of columns and editorials on school choice, here are some of his most memorable statements on vouchers for children from low-income families:

“And the question that won’t go away is: If choice is good for middle-class children, why is it bad for poor children, who without some sort of subsidy, may find themselves stuck in underperforming schools.”

—September 2003

“As a middle-class parent whose children attend public and private schools, I can’t see anything particularly noble about denying that same choice to children who are poor.”

—September 2003

“For some years, I’ve been having my own private wrestling match over school vouchers—supporting the expansion of choices to parents who had two few, and worrying over the prospect of draining even more support from our troubled public schools.

Today, I want you to listen to the mental wrestlings of man who has arrived solidly on the pro-voucher side of the issue.”

—August 2001

"My point in the present case, though, is the dead certainty on the part of teachers unions and other liberal groups that vouchers cannot possibly improve education for poor children. It's almost as though they'd rather be certain than try it - even in just three or four cities."

—April 2000

"If I find myself slowly morphing into a supporter of charter schools and vouchers, it isn't because I harbor any illusions that there's something magical about these alternatives. It is because I am increasingly doubtful that the public schools can do (or at any rate will do) what is necessary to educate poor minority children."

—June 1998

"Look at it from the viewpoint of those parents who grab so avidly for the chance to get their children into better schools: Should they be required to keep their children in dreadful schools in order to keep those schools from growing even worse? Should they be made to wait until we get around to improving all the public schools? . . . Surely voucher opponents cannot believe the logic of their counterargument: that if you can't save everybody -- whether from a burning apartment house, a sinking ship or a dreadful school system -- it's better not to save anybody at all."

—March 1998

“When Ted Forstmann and John Walton put up $6 million of their own money to provide scholarships for low-income parents who wanted their children out of the District of Columbia public schools, there were 7,573 applications—about a tenth of the total public school enrollment.

These parents...constitute 7,573 rebuttals to whatever anti-voucher case you care to make.”

—March 1998

“I recently declared myself a reluctant convert to school “choice,” a declaration that has dismayed some supporters of public education and cheered some opponents of what they are pleased to call ‘government schools.’

At the risk of dismaying both these camps—and perhaps some others as well—let me try to express more clearly the sad conclusion I’ve reached: It’s time for some serious experimentation.”

—June 1997

“For most of us who buy public education, there is no elsewhere.  It’s like it or lump it, and millions of our children are taking their lumps everyday”

—August 1975

Looking at Raspberry's views in the past, and the solidly pro-voucher stance he took in recent years, is simply the latest example that for many folks, this is an issue for which there is room for growth. As we mourn Raspberry's loss and reflect on his remarkable career, we ask that you keep that in mind -- the fight to bring educational options to low-income families exists everywhere.


- American Federation for Children | Alliance for School Choice, MSG

With More than 17,000 Children on Waiting Lists for D.C. Charter Schools, It’s Time to Expand the Educational Options in the District

Former D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee is a supporter of vouchers, including the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program.  At the American Federation for Children’s 2011 National Policy Summit, Rhee explained why she became a supporter of private school choice.

Rhee had been a longtime supporter of education reform and charter schools.  When she became chancellor, she heard from parents who did what engaged parents do for their children: looked at the assigned public school, if unsatisfied, applied for a high-performing public charter, magnet, or other opportunity.  But when rejected from the alternative—which is represents a sad reality in which a quality option is based on a lottery system—parents had nowhere to turn.

Said Rhee last year:

These mothers would often come to me and say ‘Now what do I do?’  And when looking these women in the eye, if I did not have a spot at a traditional D.C. Public School that I would feel comfortable sending my own two daughters to—because I did send my children to the system—then I thought ‘Who am I to stop this parent from taking a $7,500 voucher?’

Her explanation for supporting the D.C. voucher program is especially relevant today.  The Washington Examiner reported on Monday that more than 17,000 children are on waiting lists to attend a charter school.  As the D.C. Public Charter School Board notes, that is 51 percent of the total students attending a charter school in the city. That's right—there are more than half as many students on charter school waiting lists as there are kids in charter schools in the nation's capital. Enrollment at charter schools grows every year, while enrollment in D.C. Public Schools decreased almost every year since 1969.  Yet, an astounding number of children are still waiting for access to a high-quality education.

The Washington Post Gets it—Why Not the Administration?

The Washington Post’s editorial board has continued to stronglysupport the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program—a voucher program that allows children from low-income families to attend the private school of their parents’ choice.  The editorial board called the scholarship program “worthwhile,” but referred to the deal struck between the Congressional leaders and the Obama Administration “modest” and “disappointing.” An appropriate characterization, we think, since this deal was made after the Administration failed to comply with the deal it made with Congress last year.

In sum, the Administration agreed to the very agreement to which they agreed over a year ago.

The Administration’s opposition to the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program is puzzling on many fronts.  Never mind that the President himself attended a high-achieving private school thanks to a scholarship that helped his family with the tuition, and that sends his daughters to one of the city's most elite schools, which also participates in the voucher program. And again, never mind that Secretary Arne Duncan chose to live in Arlington, Virginia, which has some of the best-performing public schools in the nation.  The issue at hand is that the Administration continues to try to not fund a small federal program that is “enormously popular with D.C. residents, with demand far outstripping the number of vouchers [available].”

An Administration that claims to support both low-income families and expanded educational options certainly puts in a lot of effort to make sure families right here in the District don’t have access to strong educational options.  This a policy contradiction in its most clear form. After all, the Administration supports Pell Grants— effectively vouchers for post-secondary education—and public charter schools, not to mention a wide variety of policies that are targeted to low-income families, including housing vouchers. It's beyond unfair for District families to be locked out of the program because of arbitrary funding limits.

Those families want this program: nearly 10,000 families have applied to the program since it was created in 2004.  And the program works: participating students had a 91 percent graduation rate—more than 21 percentage points higher than those interested in the program who did not receive a scholarship—and 92 percent of parents report being satisfied with the program.

But what's perhaps most striking is the defense tactic taken by Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, who attempted to "clarify" the Administration’s position on the scholarship program to ensure that no one is confused. Take a look below, noting that, again, the president signed into law the five-year reauthorization of the program last April.

Legislative Update: From the Bayou State to the Granite State

The school choice world was abuzz yesterday with exciting news from our nation’s capital, but D.C. isn’t the only place where school choice news is brewing.  Here’s a legislative and news update on bills all across the nation:

Louisiana

The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) approved measures on the framework for the Student Scholarships for Educational Excellence Program, which was expanded statewide earlier this year.  BESE included a new provision, creating a cap on how much private schools can raise tuition as they accept voucher students. The state Department of Education is continuing to develop accountability requirements for the program.

The expanded program is set to begin in the 2012-13 school year with more than 5,000 scholarships spots available in schools statewide.

New Hampshire

Governor John Lynch yesterday vetoed legislation that would create a scholarship tax credit program in the Granite State.  Senate Bill 372 would allow businesses to donate to scholarship organizations that would provide scholarships to children from low- and middle-income families.  The veto comes despite broad support for the legislation in both chambers of the legislature, which passed the bill with a veto-proof majority.  In his veto message, Lynch falsely cited that the bill had no income restrictions, despite the legislation requiring that students come from families with a household income of 300 percent or less.

The legislature is set to convene on June 27, where it can take up the bill and override Governor Lynch’s veto.

North Carolina

The Equal Opportunity School Tax Credit, proposed legislation that would provide scholarships for students from low-income families to attend the public or private school of their parents’ choice, has been integrated into a larger education overhaul bill.  The House Education Committee rolled HB 1104 into the Excellent Public Schools Act, which also includes measures to grow public school reading programs, end teacher tenure, and implement merit pay.

Champions of D.C. Voucher Program Strike Deal with Administration

House Speaker John Boehner and Senator Joe Lieberman — two longtime champions of school choice in the nation's capital — today announced an agreement with the Obama Administration to fully fund and implement the highly-successful D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program.

Last year, Speaker Boehner secured the reauthorization and expansion of the program through the Scholarships for Opportunity and Results (SOAR) Act during budget negotiations.  Despite overwhelming support from the D.C. Council and District Residents—74 percent of D.C. residents supported reauthorization of the program, according to a February 2011 poll—theAdministration zeroed out funding forthe OSP.

Just last month, Speaker Boehner and Senator Lieberman sent a series of letters to President Obama and Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan that called out the Administration for not effectively implementing the program as designated by law, and thus putting the educational futures of thousands of D.C. students in limbo.

But today, the families participating in the OSP can breathe a sigh of relief.  Under the agreement, the program will not limit the number of students that can participate in the program.  Further, parents seeking to renew their children’s scholarships can continue to submit their applications and parents who want to participate in the program may apply for a new scholarship.

The D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program was created in 2004 as part of a three-sector approach that equally funded the OSP, public charter schools, and traditional public schools. 

The Story the Media Fails to Report: School Choice is a Republican Issue—and a Democratic One, Too

We’ve all heard the misconceptions in media reports about school choice, which we've chronicled in recent weeks.  But the media has it wrong, as Ron Matus points out in yesterday’s The Herald Tribune.

School choice is an issue that is growing more bipartisan everyday—something that fails to penetrate in many of the popular conversations about the issue.  Matus writes that all-too-often, the media writes of school choice support from fringe groups and only the support of lawmakers from a single political party.

The media does not report, however, that the Florida Scholarship Tax Credit has the support of nearly half of Democrats.  Also often not reported, Senator Lieberman stands with Speaker Boehner to protect the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program (which also has the support of Senator Dianne Feinstein, Representative Daniel Lipinksi, and former Mayors Anthony Williams and Adrian Fenty).  Or, Newark Mayor Cory Booker and a host of Democratic Legislators support New Jersey implementing a scholarship tax credit.  Or that in Louisiana, Governor Jindal signed legislation expanding the Student Scholarships for Educational Excellence Program into law after 45 Democrats in the House and nearly half in the Senate voted for the legislation.

Matus notes that support of school choice is broad.  Many come to support school choice for different reasons from social justice to the free market.  Diversity is good.  And in the end, everyone in support of school choice is really in support of educating children.

Debunking the “Purely Symbolic” and “Fundamentally Rhetorical” Argument against the D.C. Voucher Program

Rep. Daniel Lipinski (D-IL) stands with AFC senior advisor
Kevin P. Chavous, parent activist Virginia Walden Ford,
and OSP students at a press conference in March of 2011.

When Kevin Carey of Education Sector called the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program (OSP) “purely symbolic” and “fundamentally rhetorical” in a piece published recently in The New Republic, he was continuing a false, sad, yet unfortunately oft-used argument against education initiatives that benefit children from low-income families.

Carey's description of the D.C. voucher program as merely symbolic is an insulting description to the more than 1,600 students from some of the city's lowest-income families who, thanks to the program, attend the school of their parents’ choice.  He suggests that the program was created merely to give the "impression" that lawmakers are serious about reforming education.  But this program is about far more than impressions and appearances.  

The OSP helps more than 1,600 students, 92 percent of whom would otherwise be attending a school in need of improvement if not for their scholarship.Since the program was created in 2004, more than 11,000 students have applied to participate. Parents of students who are in the program are satisfied with their child's new school at a rate of 92 percent. By those and many other measures, it's clear that the program works.

As Carey points out, the program has a high graduation rate; but what he fails to acknowledge is that the graduation rate is actually 91 percent—more than 21 percentage points higher than students who applied for and did not receive a scholarship, and more than 30 points higher than the general D.C. public school population. Carey also fails to know the improvement in reading scores exhibited by the students in the program, as discovered by a 2010 study by the U.S. Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences. And according to the program’s administrator, 89 percent of OSP graduates went on to enroll in a two- or four-year college.  The sheer number of parents students interested in the program—despite special interests working to limit its size and scope—coupled with increased academic attainment and achievement levels demonstrate that the OSP is far more than a literary tool.

Parental Involvement and School Choice

AFC Senior Advisor today testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education to speak about how school choice increases parent and student involvement.

During his testimony, Chavous mentioned the highly successful Florida Tax Credit Scholarship and D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program, and the recently expanded Students Scholarships for Educational Excellence Program in Louisiana.  But, he noted that the numbers don’t tell the story of why school choice is the best form of parental engagement; it’s really about the families and faces that are benefiting from school choice around the country.

Answering questions from Chairman of the House Education and Workforce Committee, Chavous testified that not only do school choice programs save money, but offer a host of options for families.

“In my experience, when you have more options, you have more parental engagement,” he said. “And we see that in Milwaukee, Florida, Louisiana, and D.C.”

Following Chavous’ testimony, Gwendolyn Eaddy-Samuel, President of the Connecticut Parents Union, spoke about parent trigger legislation in Connecticut.  But Eaddy-Samual also testified as a parent, calling for all educational options tools for parents because they are the ones responsible to ensure that all children receive a quality education.  Eaddy-Samual doesn’t want to be rescued, she said, but instead wants to have access to options so she can make the best educational decisions for her children.

Todd Ziebarth from the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools noted that charter schools also offer a high level of parental engagement.  Ziebarth also noted that more states are working to increase access to charter schools.  Operating in 41 states with 5,600 schools educating more than 2 million children, charter schools represent a growing option for families.  In fact, states are working to lift artificial caps, equalize funding, and be implemented in the remaining nine states.

And it wasn’t just the witnesses that were touting school choice and parental engagement.  Rep John Kline, the committee chairman, noted the importance of the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program and the incredibly touching stories that he heard from parents and grandparents who are thankful to have options beyond the failing public schools.

In the end, Chavous called for lawmakers to depoliticize the issue of education reform.  Calling out both Democrats and Republicans, Chavous told lawmakers to put party ideology aside and put the needs of children first.  

- American Federation for Children | Alliance for School Choice, MSG

School Choice Parent, Activist Calls for Saving D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program

The following post is from Virginia Walden Ford, the former executive director of D.C. Parents for School Choice. Last summer, Virginia returned to her hometown of Arkansas following the successful reauthorization of the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program.

For two years, I fought alongside parents, friends, and advocates to save the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program.  Supporters from all across the country stood with us to support the children of the District of Columbia.  When I left Washington, D.C. last year, I felt that the program—thanks to heroes like Speaker John Boehner and Senator Joe Lieberman—would serve the District’s children for years to come. 

I was heartbroken to learn that President Obama had—once again—targeted to end this wonderful program.  This is so very wrong. 

The children benefiting from the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program live in neighborhoods just a few miles from the White House.   And once again, they are at risk of losing the opportunity to continue their journey of receiving a quality education in the schools their parents have chosen.

We have witnessed, through their participation in the scholarship program, children thriving academically in the school of their parents’ choice; and we have seen their parents becoming engaged and involved in their education. We have seen children, who had never thought about going to college, enrolling and excelling in some of the finest schools in the nation.