Barack Obama & the DC School Voucher Program
“Barack Obama & the DC School Voucher Program: The president says he wants to do ‘what’s best for kids.’ So why won’t he save a proven program that helps low-income students?”
Mercedes Campbell is one of the 1,700 students in the Washington, D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program, a school-voucher program authorized by Congress in 2004. The program gives students up to $7,500 to attend whatever school their parents choose. For kids like Mercedes, who now attends Georgetown Visitation Prep, the DC voucher program is a way out of one of the worst school districts in the country.
“It’s different, now that I go to Visitation,” says Mercedes. “I approach things differently. It’s like a whole new world, basically.”
The program is wildly popular with parents and children—there are four applicants for every available slot—and a recent Department of Education study found that participants do significantly better than their public school peers. Indeed, after three years in private schools, students who entered the program at its inception were 19 months ahead in reading of applicants unlucky enough to still be trapped in D.C.’s public schools.
Yet working with congressional Democrats and despite his pledge to put politics and ideology aside in education, the Obama administration has effectively killed the program through a backdoor legislative move. “[Education] Secretary [Arne] Duncan will use only one test in what ideas to support with your precious tax dollars,” says the president. “It’s not whether it’s liberal or conservative, but whether it works.”
That sort of doublespeak has left many Obama supporters not just puzzled but outraged. Certainly, Mercedes is. “Out of everything else they can shut down or everything else they can advocate for, they want to take this one thing away?” Adds her mother, Ingrid, “We voted for you, we walked, we went to the parade, we stood freezing. Why?…Can you get this tape over to Obama and have him answer our questions? Why, sir, why?”
That’s the question that will be asked on Wednesday, May 6, from 1P.M. to 2P.M., at a D.C. rally to reauthorize the voucher program. For more details, go here.
“Barack Obama and the DC School Voucher Program” is approximately 5.30 minutes long and was produced by Dan Hayes and Nick Gillespie.
For iPod and HD versions, related links and materials, and more videos, go to http://reason.tv/video/show/777.html
Duration : 0:5:27
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Though the program …
Though the program is successful, its not fixing the real issues that remain among the DC school districts
But how will …
But how will vouchers save the public school systems the answer is simple it will not it allow helps a select few
Some Black …
Some Black Democrats may not like vouchers, but many more like charters, and even when they don’t, if you point out more Black politicians and teachers put their children in private school when compared to the general population, and that Black parents of children in school, when given a chance, choose charters and/or vouchers, there is no disagreement that options should exist.
Republicans believe …
Republicans believe that every American parent reguardless of race, black, white, latino & asian-should have the same option to pull their kids out of the same failing public schools that President Obama has deemed unfit for his own children. That’s the real public option! Vote Republican!
He picked the …
He picked the unions over America, plain & simple. If you look, everything he has done has been NOT for the people but his special interests.
The little girl at 4:25, she looks so precious but the promises given SHOW they were not made with her in mind. AND to think they have school children singing praises of Obama? Stand up & stand together for the future of our country people. It’s not the talk that matters, it’s the results.
I,m so sorry you …
I,m so sorry you wasted your vote on this imbecil .
0bama’s Health Care …
0bama’s Health Care Legislation… Can it help America’s populous. . . ? US view’s are important! Goto my utube profile page and learn how.
Cambell your family …
Cambell your family looks like a beautiful family GOD bless you, BUT lets get real GOD first no matter what. To depend on our GOVERNMENT is insane. OBAMA serves an unholy spirit. Sorry he is here to destroy AMERICA in these last days. Destroy Family, Children, take our jobs away, our Freedoms. Pls our lord should be first than everything else falls into place. Is everyone blind ObAmA mocks JESUS, and we are to think he cares for Americans??? not.
Funny how Obama …
Funny how Obama opposes School Vouchers but supports the new Healthcare reform bill, which is basically a Health Insurance Voucher program.
Do NOT associate …
Do NOT associate with those given to CHANGE! – Proverbs – The Holy Bible, New King James Ver.
Just had 3 all black Huey Heli’s shake my place from 200 feet up. Twitter has a locator on it. I think it gives up your coordinates. oops! – The NWO, Skull n Bones, is REAL! They will kill you or put you away if caught! Shake PAGANS in USA NOW! Deface thier altars of shame! The Lord will reward you – Burn the owl at Boheimian grove – Paint crucifix’s on masonic temples! DO NOT GET CAUGHT! NWO Solution
Do NOT associate …
Do NOT associate with those given to CHANGE! – Proverbs – The Holy Bible, New King James Ver.
Just had 3 all black Huey Heli’s shake my place from 200 feet up. Twitter has a locator on it. I think it gives up your coordinates. oops! – The NWO, Skull n Bones, is REAL! They will kill you or put you away if caught! Shake PAGANS in USA NOW! Deface thier altars of shame! The Lord will reward you – Burn the owl at Boheimian grove – Paint crucifix’s on masonic temples! DO NOT GET CAUGHT! NWO Solution
Wal-mart helps …
Wal-mart helps bring tens of millions people out of poverty in China and you claim they are keeping people poor? Now, these weren’t “poor” Americans, but rather desperate peasants who, prior to the recent surge in global trade, were making as much in a year as an “exploited” Wal-mart associate in the US makes in a few days.
“Poverty” in the West is a joke; try worrying about something more significant for a change.
I completely agree! …
I completely agree! It’s not until there are 20 administrators for every teacher, with full pensions at age 50, that I will be satisfied with education spending. I mean, who do you expect to do the administrating if not administrators? Teachers? Ha!
Why can’t we just …
Why can’t we just strengthen the schools in the first place. Seriously. Rather than have to deal with changing around irrelevant pieces, and doing irrelevant crap let’s just change the thing that ACTUALLY effects education.
Not where a child is educated… but HOW a child is educated. It’s not about jobs being lost or gained it’s about a school doubling in size but not having the resources, like books, desks, classroom size, teachers, etc… to deal with the new influx of children FFS!
Dude… it’s a …
Dude… it’s a easy solution.
If it’s broken FIX IT FOR SAKE.
If it’s not broken THEN WE WON”T FIX IT!
Really dude is it THAT hard to understand that we can fix the school districts. It’s not even a money problem. It’s a problem with how the schools are educating and that can EASILY be demonstrated with the fact that we spend more money per student than any other country and some of our lowest funded schools are high performing.
IT’S NOT A MONEY ISSUE DUDE SERIOUSLY!
The good schools …
The good schools grow, the poor ones fail over time like it should be. Resources should flow to those getting results, not those that continue to fail
Corruption- many …
Corruption- many teachers care more about their 180 days off and huge penions than educating kids. Their political clout and sense of entitlement is appaling. Voters need to reject the propaganda and stand against teachers unions.
Do some research on …
Do some research on homeschooling
The homeschooling reading levels and SAT scores DWARF those of public school students, it isnt even debateable. Not remotely close by any reasonable standard
hello, I find some …
hello, I find some good asos coupons at petacash [DOT] COM
Woman voted race, …
Woman voted race, and she lost her daughters school voucher. I don’t feel sorry for her. Blacks need the government to take care of them. They can’t stand on there own two feet. Oh!, and it’s always the white people’s fault.
FUCK OBAMA. TRICK …
OBAMA. TRICK LOVES THE KIDS.
This is one of the …
This is one of the biggest reasons to oppose the “public option” in health care reform legislation.
I simply disagree. …
I simply disagree. The reason the Private Schools do better is because they simply kick out the bulk of the Black male students. That’s not education that’s Racial Profiling. If those Schools are so special then use the money to pay them to teach the Public Schools how to do it. Sending a few Black kids to a half-baked religious academy is not the answer. Ending Black Self-hatred and White Supremacy is.
TKCAL
This is a slight …
This is a slight unmeritable man, meet to be sent on errands: and, though others lay these honors on this man, to ease themselves of divers slanderous loads, he shall but bear them as the bears gold, to groan and sweat under the business, either led or driven, as they point the way; and having brought their treasure where they will, then take they down his load and turn him off, like to the empty ass, to shake his ears and graze in commons.
The unions want to …
The unions want to keep kids in public school for the same reason ranchers want to keep cattle in corrals: that’s how they make their money.