Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Ca.) cast the deciding vote and
broke the deadlock in the Senate Appropriations Committee over the
very modest voucher program proposed by President Bush for the
District of Columbia. The bill now heads for debate on the Senate
floor. While spending per student in the District is among the
highest in the nation, test scores are among the lowest in the
nation.
D.C. public schools have requested well over $1 billion for
2004. The paltry sum of $15 million is proposed for students of
failing public schools to choose alternative schools. The Roman
Catholic Archdiocese of Washington has a particularly strong school
system filled with non-Catholic students. It is likely, if the
voucher system survives, most of the students will end up in the
Catholic schools where real learning still takes place.
The survival of the program is by no means assured, however.
Lobbying by the teachers’ unions against it is fierce. That is why
the Heritage Foundation has done an excellent public service by
issuing a “Backgrounder” entitled “How Members of Congress Practice
School Choice.” Heritage got a remarkable response to its survey on
the school choice, undoubtedly because it pledged that it would not
disclose the names of those who responded.
The Heritage survey revealed that 42% of the Members of Congress
who are parents have sent at least one of their children to a
private school. That compares with the general population where
only about 10% of parents ever send at least one of their children
to a private school.
Heritage compared the list of those who admitted that they sent
at least one child to a private school with the roll call votes on
parental choice legislation. Heritage concluded, “In the past three
years, every piece of parental choice legislation would have passed
if those who exercised choice in their own families had voted with
supporters of school choice.”
If ever an example of an elitist attitude was needed, here it
is. Private schools are good for their children but not for the
children of others. And, of course, in recent times the parental
choice measures have almost exclusively centered on low income
families who are locked into failing inner city schools, where
discipline and order and learning have long ago ceased to exist.
Parents who care to improve the education of their children do not
have the resources to get their children into a school where it is
possible for them to learn.
Despite this, these hypocritical members of Congress would deny
help to the least fortunate among us. Many of these same members
are the ones who attempt to lecture the rest of us about our
insensitivity to the poor.
In listening to the debate about the D.C. school system, where
liberal Democrat Mayor Anthony Williams has come out in favor of
the voucher plan, I heard the head of the Washington Federation of
Teachers virtually scream that the $15 million proposed for the
voucher system was being robbed from the public schools. What
nonsense! Per student, spread over the entire system that $15
million would add only a few dollars to the second highest per
student spending school system in the nation. Robbed indeed. And
what would they do if this $15 million were given to them? Would
there be any more discipline in the inner city schools? Would
students learn to read sooner or at all? Could they write an essay?
Mind you, this $15 million is proposed over and above the D.C.
school budget. They don’t lose a dime if it is passed. Indeed, they
will end up with more money per capita because they will have fewer
students to deal with after some withdraw in favor of private,
mostly parochial, schools.
If money had any connection with learning, then D.C. children
should be at the top of their game. North Dakota per capita
spending is among the lowest in the nation, yet test scores from
its public schools have been among the highest.
As the Heritage Foundation report points out, the Supreme Court
has upheld vouchers as Constitutional. Thus far eleven states have
enacted either state-funded scholarship programs or tax credits for
education expenses, or contributions to scholarship funds. That is
in addition to the numerous privately sponsored voucher plans in
Milwaukee, Indianapolis, New York City and elsewhere which are
helping low income families escape failing public schools.
Those of you who know me know that I am a stickler for people
keeping their word. I must say, however, in this case I am sorely
tempted to plead with Heritage to break its word and disclose the
names of those Members of Congress who vote to deprive poor kids of
a way out of dreadful schools, while sending their own children to
something other than the public schools, especially those in D.C.
Maybe if their names were published they would be embarrassed
enough to vote for parental choice measures, including the one for
D.C. But what am I thinking? Members of Congress embarrassed by
hypocrisy? Don’t bother to break your word, Heritage.
