SOTU FACT: Saving Successful D.C. School Choice Initiative Would Be Real Bipartisan Education Reform

Posted by Speaker Boehner Press Office on January 25, 2011

CLAIM: The Obama Administration is committed to bipartisan education reform.   

• “We know what’s possible for our children when reform isn’t just a top-down mandate, but the work of local teachers and principals; school boards and communities.”  (President Obama, State of the Union, January 25, 2011)

FACT: If President Obama is serious about bipartisan education reform, he should work with both parties to save the successful, bipartisan D.C. school choice initiative that his administration has declined to renew.  The D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program (DC OSP) provides low-income students an opportunity to receive a scholarship to attend a DC private school of their parent’s choice. 

• The Obama Administration’s attempt to terminate the DC OSP in 2009 was partially thwarted by a sustained outcry from D.C. parents and residents, which led to a reprieve that allowed
• students already receiving scholarships to use them until they graduated from high school.  Nevertheless, the Administration revoked scholarships from 216 students who had been slated to receive scholarships for the 2009-10 school year.  New students are barred from enrolling in the program. 
• A study by the Department of Education’s Institute for Education Sciences (IES) determined that the program has been a success for children and parents alike. Students who used their opportunity scholarships had a91% graduation rate,  21% higher than students who were not offered scholarships.  Compared to DC public schools’ overall graduation rate, the graduation rate for students who used opportunity scholarships was 42% higher. 
• Four consecutive studies of OSP by Georgetown University and the University of Arkansas found that parents and students alike are satisfied with the program.  Most importantly, “children have an improved attitude toward learning, increased self-esteem and enthusiasm toward school.”

Tomorrow, House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) and Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) will hold a press conference to announce they have introduced legislation to reauthorize the DC OSP.  Tonight, Speaker Boehner is hosting parents, students, and teachers who have benefited from the OSP as his guests for the State of the Union.   

• Speaker Boehner said this week: “If the president is sincere about working together on education reform, we should start by saving this successful, bipartisan program that has helped so many underprivileged children get a quality education.”

Posted at 7:12 PM ET, 02/ 5/2011

What school vouchers have bought for my family

By Vivian Butler, Washington

[The D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program was created in 2004 to allow students from low-income families to attend private schools. The program stopped enrolling new students after 2008, but Congress is considering legislation that would reopen it. This is one participant's story.]

I worried constantly about my daughter Jerlisa when she attended our neighborhood elementary school. I knew that I wanted a better education for her, but I didn’t know how to make that happen. In 2005, I took a chance and applied to the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program. Little did I know how much more than $7,500 I would be gaining.

I grew up in the District and attended D.C. public schools. Jerlisa started off the same way. We enrolled her at Gibbs Elementary School for kindergarten, and as the years went by she started to fall behind. There was so much going on around the school and in the classroom. Every morning, I walked with her to school, and every afternoon I waited outside the school gates to walk her home again. She got teased for that, but I was worried about the drug dealers, addicts and bullies in the neighborhood. I didn’t have any other choice. I had to make sure she was safe.

When Jerlisa was in fifth grade, she became anxious and didn’t want to return to school. It was clear to me she wasn’t getting the help that she needed. That’s when I received fliers about the Opportunity Scholarship Program. Although I didn’t know everything about the OSP, I knew I had to do something different, even if it meant getting out of my comfort zone. When you’re a single mother on a fixed income, sometimes simple things like filling out your name, address or income on a form can be a scary thing to do.

I applied, and the OSP staff guided me through the process. When I received the voucher award letter, I was overwhelmed by the decisions I faced. For the first time, I had the option of choosing a school for Jerlisa. Where should I send her? What were the most important things to consider? In the end, I chose St. Benedict the Moor School because it had an environment that motivated students to learn. I wouldn’t have to worry about her falling behind, and I knew she would be safe there.

It was a huge change for Jerlisa, and sometimes she struggled. Then, four years into the program, Jerlisa was accepted at Archbishop Carroll High School. We were so excited, but now I had a new worry — how would I pay for it all? The scholarship didn’t cover the full tuition, and there also were books, uniforms and even her lunch to consider. On top of everything, I was taking care of my father, who was dying of cancer.

It took all the determination we could muster to keep Jerlisa in the program. The OSP and Archbishop Carroll staff stuck by my side, and I learned about other resources. To stretch my dollars, I rented used books, bought only two sets of uniforms and set up a payment plan to cover whatever costs I could.

I’m so glad I didn’t give up, because slowly but surely Jerlisa’s grades and education advanced. That made everything worthwhile. As ninth grade ended, I just couldn’t believe how much she had learned and grown. I said to myself: “By George, I think she’s got it now!”

Jerlisa isn’t the only one who has benefited from this experience. I, too, started to feel more confident. Now I ask about resources and fill out scholarship applications with ease. I found a way to buy new uniforms for my daughter. Instead of washing uniforms every afternoon, I use the time to help my daughter with her homework.

And seeing Jerlisa’s growth over the past six years has inspired me to take some hard steps in my own life. I’m now applying to programs to become a home health-care nurse. Meanwhile, Jerlisa is deciding where to apply for college.

These are things we never dreamed were possible before. I am extremely proud of my daughter, and she is proud of me. Jerlisa’s scholarship has been worth so much more than $7,500.