D.C. debates educational choice

Jeff Johnson - OneNewsNow - 6/20/2008 9:00:00 AMvar addthis_pub = 'onenewsnow';

School vouchers will be the focus of a heated debate in Washington, DC, as a five-year pilot program comes up for reauthorization in Congress. It has been reported that the Democrat who pioneered the program is at odds with members of his party over its exclusive support of public schools.

The House Financial Services Subcommittee voted Tuesday to continue funding for one year for the District of Columbia's Opportunity Scholarship program, which allows parents to remove their children – and the tax dollars dedicated to their education – from poorly performing public schools into private or parochial schools.
 
District of Columbia Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton led the charge to strip funding for the program. But that does not surprise Kevin Chavous, a former member of the DC City Council and chairman of Democrats for Education Reform.
 
"[Norton] believes it takes money away from the public school system," says Chavous. "... [T]he sad irony is that we have to question whose money is it, and who's being served, [and] whether we're trying to preserve a system or we're trying to educate children."
 
Though Chavous is a lifelong Democrat, he does not toe the party line on education. "... [T]he Democratic Party has been really hostile to anything that doesn't have 'public' in front of it," he continues. "... [L]et's have everyone compete. Let's have parents see what the offerings are because, at the end of the day, it's their children."
 
While many Democrats focus on getting more money for public schools, and restricting private and parochial education as much as possible, Chavous suggests a more libertarian approach.
 
Chavous believes the current debate over public schools versus private schools and parochial schools is an illusion. Instead he suggests that the debate shift its focus to what benefits children and what helps them learn -- and then move ahead with what is proven to work.