On Jan. 9, President Bush urged the Senate to pass a bill allotting 14 million tax dollars a year to low-income D.C. parents who want to send their children to private schools. This school voucher bill, which was approved by the House of Representatives on Dec. 8, takes desperately needed funds away from already-struggling public schools. The Senate should reject this bill in the interest of the majority of D.C.’s schools and students.
Bush proposed this bill as a step toward fulfilling his “No Child Left Behind” act’s goals of removing children from failing schools and forcing accountability through increased parental choice. While problems plague D.C. public schools, the government should not reject these schools in favor of private institutions. The problems that many schools face-crumbling facilities, overworked staff and outdated technology systems, to name a few-are largely due to inadequate financial support. President Bush should expect public schools to perform at the standards of accountability he outlines in his “No Child Left Behind” act only if he seriously addresses their crippling financial needs. The 14 million taxpayer dollars in this voucher bill would be more wisely spent on the 81% of D.C. schoolchildren who attend public schools than on a handful of individual families.
President Bush’s proposed voucher plan for D.C. is tantamount to an acceptance of defeat in the public school system. Struggling schools must receive more, not less, attention and support; the government should work to solve schools’ problems rather than ignoring them. In the interest of the majority of D.C.’s students, the Senate should reject this voucher bill and focus on improving the public school system.
