Cato @ Liberty » DC Residents Want Private School Choice

DC Residents Want Private School Choice

Posted By Andrew J. Coulson On July 28, 2009 @ 12:18 pm In Education and Child Policy | Comments Disabled

As Adam Schaeffer mentions below ^[1], a new poll commissioned by the Friedman Foundation and others reports that the vast majority of DC residents are in favor of the DC opportunity scholarships voucher program ^[2]and are critical of the decision of congressional Democrats, President Obama, and ed. sec. Arne Duncan to phase out the program.

Many on the city council have already voiced their support for the program as well.

This begs a question: Why doesn’t the DC government just create its own private school choice program ^[3]and save itself a boatload of money in the process?

DC spends about $28,000 ^[4]per pupil on k-12 education right now. The federal vouchers, at an average of $6,600 each, are rather more cost effective, in addition to producing much better academic achievement ^[5]after students have been in the program for a few years.

So most folks in DC want it. It would save the city massive amounts of money. And it would do great things for kids.

What are the mayor and the city council waiting for?

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[1] mentions below: http://www.cato-at-liberty.org/2009/07/28/its-dangerous-for-pols-to-be-on-the-wrong-side-of-overwhelming-support/

[2] the vast majority of DC residents are in favor of the DC opportunity scholarships voucher program : http://www.friedmanfoundation.org/Welcome.do

[3] Why doesn’t the DC government just create its own private school choice program : http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/columns/OpEd-Contributor/DC-should-create-its-own-school-voucher-program--46455587.html

[4] $28,000 : http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&ct=res&cd=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cato-at-liberty.org%2F2009%2F07%2F16%2Fslight-correction-to-my-dc-per-pupil-spending-figure%2F&ei=ER9vSsivHpDgtgPYn-D_Ag&rct=j&q=andrew+coulson+a+slight-correction+dc&usg=AFQjCNH6XBuqttCGCHsy6XUYNnal9_zLmw

[5] much better academic achievement : http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/pubs/20094050/pdf/20094050.pdf

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