This week, Congress began work on a plan to renew private school vouchers in Washington D.C.
The Washington Post reports this has rekindled a debate about the program’s effectiveness.
Point:
Supporters of the program say it is successful because 90 percent of voucher students graduate from high school, and 88 percent of the Class of 2015 enrolled in some kind of higher education. In surveys, parents report great satisfaction.
Counterpoint:
[T]here is no evidence that the D.C. voucher program has resulted in academic gains for students, [city council members opposed to the program] wrote.
And District residents are tired of members of Congress treating the city as “their own personal petri dish” to experiment with public policy, the letter said.
Beneath the rhetoric lies a deeper question about how, and by whom, school choice programs should be judged and regulated (see more here). The D.C. voucher program may not be causing a major jump in test scores, but it’s helping more students graduate high school and reach college. And the low-income parents say they’re benefiting.
More context:
- Both the House and Senate bills to renew the program have bipartisan cosponsors.
- The real story of how D.C. vouchers came to be is a bit more complicated than opponents portray.
- Public schools in the city keep doing better.
Meanwhile…
Thousands rally for charter schools in New York. Complaints about facilities access linger. Eva Moskowitz seems unlikely to launch a 2017 mayoral bid.
Democratic presidential contenders snub an education forum, drawing criticism from school choice advocates. Is this a sign of a deeper divide?
Ohio passes charter school legislation, which accountability advocates say will help clean up the sector. Federal lawmakers raise questions about a big federal charter school grant.
Don’t forget the supply side of the school choice equation.
A federal judge agrees to hear a case on DC charters’ allegations of unfair funding.
California Gov. Jerry Brown has rejected legislation barring for-profit charter schools.
Researchers will look at the effectiveness of Indiana vouchers.
Tweet of the week
Why is it that my party–the so called party of inclusion & open dialogue, won’t talk abt #SchoolChoice ?
— Kevin P. Chavous (@kevinpchavous) October 8, 2015
Quote of the Week
I was one of those moms in my neighborhood who said ‘private school, oh there’s no way my son can have that, I’m low-income and just can’t afford it.
— Georgina Avina, an Arizona parent who now uses one of her state’s Empowerment Scholarship Accounts.
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