Rep. McKeon Stands Up for DC Kids' School Choice Program
Washington, D.C. has public schools that are among the nation's worst, yet the DC Opportunity Scholarship Program allows many kids the opportunity to get a quality education at alternative schools, such as private, charter or parochial. The program is funded by Congress, and unfortunately some liberals just can't wait to do away with it, lest it provide a positive example for expanding school choice elsewhere -- an idea highly offensive to teachers union officials.
Our own Congressman Howard "Buck" McKeon stands up for these kids, and does so yet again today with an op-ed in The Hill newspaper where he writes:
For years, Republicans have worked hard to ensure that parents can choose a higher-performing public or private school if their children’s school falls short of providing a quality education. Children should not be trapped in underperforming schools, forced to wait for a good education while the system tries to fix itself.
One such program that allows children to escape chronically underperforming schools is the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program. Created five years ago, the D.C. OSP is part of an innovative three-sector approach to education reform right here in the nation’s capital. The District receives funding to improve the public school system; funding to expand and enhance the city’s successful charter school movement; and funding to provide scholarships to low-income families who wish to send their children to private schools. The three-sector approach is rooted in the belief that different families will choose different educational paths, but that all children deserve a quality education.
The program has worked wonders when it comes to parental involvement and satisfaction. Parents who never before felt they had a voice in how their children were being educated have been empowered by this program. They see their children blossoming in schools where they are safer, happier and more academically challenged.
Read the complete op-ed
Our own Congressman Howard "Buck" McKeon stands up for these kids, and does so yet again today with an op-ed in The Hill newspaper where he writes:
For years, Republicans have worked hard to ensure that parents can choose a higher-performing public or private school if their children’s school falls short of providing a quality education. Children should not be trapped in underperforming schools, forced to wait for a good education while the system tries to fix itself.
One such program that allows children to escape chronically underperforming schools is the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program. Created five years ago, the D.C. OSP is part of an innovative three-sector approach to education reform right here in the nation’s capital. The District receives funding to improve the public school system; funding to expand and enhance the city’s successful charter school movement; and funding to provide scholarships to low-income families who wish to send their children to private schools. The three-sector approach is rooted in the belief that different families will choose different educational paths, but that all children deserve a quality education.
The program has worked wonders when it comes to parental involvement and satisfaction. Parents who never before felt they had a voice in how their children were being educated have been empowered by this program. They see their children blossoming in schools where they are safer, happier and more academically challenged.
Read the complete op-ed
posted by Ron Nehring at
6:50 AM
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