Yesterday I met children with smiles that did not end at their lips. I saw children with smiles in their eyes. I saw hope – hope for an education, hope for a future beyond the streets, hope for an opportunity to lead through their intellect, hope for a chance to succeed. These children were grinning because they were given the prospect of an education despite their family’s financial shortcomings. Such children represent our nation’s future. Yet they are being shut down, one story at a time.
Within the last two months Congress has stood at a standstill regarding federal funding for school voucher programs, which allow disadvantaged D.C. school children to attend private schools. The D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program has generated considerable debate from members of Congress to parents and children directly affected by the program. Critics of the program argue that it depletes public schools of necessary funds, yet that is simply false.
According to Joe Lieberman’s article in the Washington Post, “the three-pronged strategy to tackle the District’s education problems called for putting more money into the public schools, the charter schools and the voucher program.” Because the initiative does not, in fact, exhaust public school funds, there is no argument for refusing the reauthorization of this program.
One could argue that President Obama would not be leading our country today were it not for programs such as the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program, for he attended one of Hawaii’s premier private schools. Why not give circumstantially disadvantaged children that same benefit to rise towards success?
At The Heritage Foundation’s premier of the film “Let Me Rise,” a handful of school children sat in the audience with teary-eyed parents, watching themselves on a projector screen. For months these children and their families dedicated their time toward producing this film with the hope of raising awareness of the necessity of this voucher program. This comes in response to the 216 students whose scholarships were revoked within the past year. Many students received scholarship awards only to be notified days later of their repeal.
These children, ranging in ages from 6 to 18 cannot fight for themselves unless they are given a chance. We must stand with those children in the fight for their future. They do not have any political affiliation or political agenda. They simply have a dream, and Congress is standing in their way. Education is their way up, and without assistance from our government, they will risk being another statistic. This is no longer about legislation. It is about shaping children’s lives and letting them rise.
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Kathleen Someah previously attended Kenyon College where she studied English and Political Science. She is currently an intern with a political think tank where she focuses primarily on issues relating to homeland security.
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Kathleen, you have a way with words and what you wrote is all too true. The future of our children and grandchildren depend on it.
Kathleen, This program is a victim of economic tactics. The claim that it depletes public school funding seems baseless. I would imagine that allocations could be traded to ensure continued funding. Congress needs to authenticate and prioritize initiatives that truly have the promise to produce American leaders. In a time when good investments are critical for future results, one would think that this program would take about five minutes to discuss where to put the stamp of approval vs. an elongated debate process.