Hopefully President Obama read the Washington Post today and saw the editorial, “Beach Reading for Mr. Obama.” He may be on vacation but since he still is our President, he should be keeping up with what’s going on in the U.S. and the Post offered some wonderful suggestions for his summer reading. The editorial suggested President Obama read up on the debate about school choice. The first suggestion is an article by Patrick J. Wolf, a professor of education reform at the University of Arkansas who states that,
“The D.C. voucher program has proven to be the most effective education policy evaluated by the federal government’s official education research arm so far.” Equally adamant was his opinion that vouchers paid off for the students lucky enough to win them: “On average, participating low-income students are performing better in reading because the federal government decided to launch an experimental school choice program in our nation’s capital.”
Wolf is showing the American reader in his article that school choice works. Their learning skills are improving and it is a program that should continue to be funded.
The other reading suggestion given to President Obama is a report released by the Heritage Foundation regarding violence and criminal activity in D.C. Schools. The editorial points out some interesting points that hopefully will trigger President Obama to change his mind and support school choice.
“The report pays particular attention to the plight of the 216 students who had planned to attend private school before the administration rescinded their scholarship offers while Congress debates the future of the program. The study looks at the 70 public schools to which these students have now been assigned and finds there were 2,379 crime-related incidents, including 666 violent incidents (one of which was a homicide), for the 2007-08 school year. No wonder many parents cite school safety when explaining why they want choice in where their child goes to school.”
Hopefully Obama will take time out of his schedule to learn more about the benefits of school choice, the consequences by revoking the scholarships and the impediment of expanding education options for low-income families.