Tomorrow in front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C. the ‘Save School Choice Rally‘ will bring together a coalition of advocates in support of the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program. The Black Alliance for Educational Options (BAEO) is sponsoring the bi-partisan rally that will include members of Congress such as Representative John Boehner and Senator Joe Lieberman as well as former Education Secretary Margaret Spellings. They will join, Executive Director of School Choice, Virginia Walden Ford and former D.C. Councilman Kevin P. Chavous, as well as other advocates, parents and children in leading the rally.
The thousands expected will join together for one cause, quality education for children. The D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program, which has made quality education possible to over 1,700 students in the District, is being threaten because Congress and the Obama Administration plan to not re-authorize the program. Today Virginia Walden Ford while at a bloggers briefing at Heritage Foundation said,
“Killing the DC Scholarship Opportunity program is really the worst kind of politics. We should not be talking about politics. We should be talking about educating the future of this country…Sometimes you gotta stand up and do what’s right…and this is right.”
Labor union leaders, the Obama Administration, Secretary Arne Duncan, members of Congress and teachers who no not support school choice need to put their own ego aside for once and realize that this issue is not about them, not about politics but about our children.
The children who participate in this program are not only benefiting from a better education, they are also surrounded by a safe environment. Most children who attend underperforming public schools are located in typically dangerous neighborhoods. Parents are worried everyday not if their children learned anything new in school but if they come home from school at all. The recent story out of Chicago about the student beaten to death while two rival gangs were fighting a few blocks from school is a perfect example. Parents are afraid to send their children to school everyday. School choice gives parents an option and an opportunity. It should not be taken away.
If the public school system is failing, there should be an immediate alternative for students. Over and over again the teacher labor unions poke blame elsewhere, while constantly defending all their teachers, even ones failing at their job. I’m sorry, but if these labor unions truly cared about the success and future of children they would do whatever necessary to make it a reality. School choice and school vouchers should remain in existence in D.C. and should expand nationwide. Children should not be the ones to suffer for failing public schools.
If you want to keep up to date with the latest information on school choice, sign our Women For School Choice petition and if you are in the D.C area tomorrow, stop by and show your support for the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program