President George Bush called for the expansion of school voucher programs during his annual State of the Union address Jan. 28.
During the address, Bush praised the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship program, which provides vouchers in the amount of $7,500 to 2,600 low-income children in Washington, D.C. to attend faith-based or other private schools.
“Sadly, these schools are disappearing at an alarming rate in many of America’s inner cities,” Bush said. “So I will convene a White House summit aimed at strengthening these lifelines of learning.”
Bush said he supports a similar program, the $300 million Pell Grants for Kids program, which provides annual $500 scholarships to low- and middle-income students to attend the school of their choice.
The program is modeled after Pell Grants for low-income college students.
“We have seen how Pell Grants help low-income college students realize their full potential,” Bush said. “Together, we’ve expanded the size and reach of these grants. Now let us apply that same spirit to help liberate poor children trapped in failing public schools.”
The American Association of School Administrators said rather than focusing on a new voucher system or reauthorizing No Child Left Behind, the president and Congress should focus on building a new education system that will help every child succeed.
“Every year, President Bush pushes for voucher programs under a new name in a new disguise,” according to AASA. “While the president has repeatedly failed to fully fund NCLB, he has pushed for voucher schemes that would siphon resources away from public schools – and the 90 percent of children in the United States who attend public schools – to pay for children who are often already in private school.
“Vouchers are a failed idea that has repeatedly been rejected by voters. In 10 different states, ballot initiatives to implement voucher programs have been placed before the public and in every instance public aid for private schools has been rejected by a margin of two-to-one or greater.”
According to the National Association of Secondary School Principals, Bush focused exclusively on NCLB and vouchers but failed to make mention of key elements crucial to student success, including professional development, growth models and special education.
“While NASSP strives to improve education for all students, there is no conclusive evidence that alternative schools do a better job of educating students than traditional public schools,” according to NASSP. “In fact, a report released by the Department of Education in June 2007 found ‘no evidence of a statistically significant difference in test scores’ between students participating in the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program and students who did not participate in the voucher program.
“Choice for choice’s sake is no reason to divert much-needed funds away from America’s public schools – especially when the schools affected are often the ones in greatest need.”
The National Education Association said rather than focusing on proven school improvement strategies, Bush unveiled his new “grant” program, which is nothing more than a voucher program that takes money away from public schools.
“The president knows that ‘voucher’ is a politically tainted word for parents who want quality public schools, not more government bureaucracy,” said NEA President Reg Weaver. “This name game is a last-ditch effort to push a program that will leave public school students behind. Instead, we need the federal government to provide resources for school priorities, like reducing class sizes and investing in high-quality pre-K.
“We know through research and experience what works. It’s just a question of whether, in the final hours of his administration, the president will finally make quality public schools a priority.”
The National Parent Teacher Association said it is wholeheartedly opposed to Bush’s voucher proposal, and President Jan Harp Domene sent a letter of opposition to both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.
“Vouchers benefit few students while taking scarce resources away from those who need it the most,” Domene wrote. “Vouchers take money away from public schools, where 90 percent of all school-age children are enrolled, and give it to private schools. Public schools must meet federal state and local standards in a broad variety of areas including teacher qualifications, core curriculum and student achievement, and report their status to elected school boards and the taxpaying public. Private schools have no public accountability for the expenditure of public funds.”