Coalition Statement

Committee on Education and the Workforce
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

July 22, 2002

Dear Representative:

The undersigned members of the National Coalition for Public Education (NCPE) urge you to oppose HR 5033, the District of Columbia Student Opportunity Scholarship Act of 2002, and any other measure that seeks to impose a private school voucher program on the District of Columbia. NCPE opposes the funneling of public money to private and religious schools through such mechanisms as tuition tax credits and vouchers. HR 5033 would divert as much as $45 million in public funds to private and religious schools, while doing nothing to improve public education in the District of Columbia.

Vouchers are neither needed nor wanted in the District of Columbia. Programs to improve student achievement in the District have already been implemented and are working. Citywide tests given in April show that District schools showed gains in reading in almost all grades, while more than half the District's schools reduced the number of students scoring below basic on the Stanford 9 Achievement tests, and one-third of District schools reduced the number of children scoring below basic in reading by more than 10 percent. A number of schools raised scores by more than 10 percent. Schools that fail to improve are closed, and reopened under new leadership, as happened to nine schools this year. Furthermore, public school choice is available to every child in the District, and the District offers more charter schools per capita than any other school district in the nation.

The citizens of the District and their elected representatives have also expressed their opposition to publicly funded voucher programs. It would contradict the principle of local control of education to impose on these citizens, who do not have a vote in Congress, a program towards which they have expressed strong opposition.

This proposal does not expand parents' educational "options." HR 5033 would provide, at best, only 1600 vouchers of $5000 each year. Over 77,000 students are currently enrolled in District public schools. The Armey proposal would leave almost all of them behind.

Furthermore, fewer than a dozen private schools located within the District charge tuition of $5000 or less, and space in those schools is limited, further reducing the usefulness of the voucher. Space at affordable private schools in Maryland and Virginia is similarly limited, which also impose the additional cost and time burden associated with transportation. Finally, there is no guarantee that students awarded a voucher would be accepted to any private school. That decision lies with admissions officers, who may deny admission to any applicant.

HR 5033 lacks accountability. Accountability is the cornerstone of education reforms authorized under the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB, PL 107-110). To send public funds to schools over which the public may exercise no oversight is inconsistent, and violates the principles of NCLB. Although HR 5033 requires participating schools to describe their proposed instructional program and the qualifications of school personnel, it does not require participating schools to adopt academic standards such as those required of public schools under NCLB, engage only highly qualified teachers as that term is defined in NCLB, or administer assessments identical to those required of students attending public schools in the District of Columbia.

HR 5033 authorizes federally funded discrimination. Participating private schools would be permitted to discriminate in admissions and in employment on the basis of religion. Furthermore, the bill explicitly allows that voucher funds may be used for sectarian educational purposes, thus requiring taxpayers to support instruction in religions that may be contrary to their own. HR 5033 also does not prohibit participating private schools from discriminating against students based on disabilities. If accepted at all, these children could be denied needed services or accommodations under HR 5033.

HR 5033 seeks to overcome these flaws by also authorizing $800 vouchers for supplemental educational services, presumably for students who either choose to remain in public school or are unable to obtain admission to a private school. Supplemental educational services, however, are already authorized under the bipartisan NCLB, which unlike HR 5033 targets priority for supplemental services to low-achieving students.Education reform must focus on improving the public schools where the vast majority of students will continue to be educated. We urge you to oppose HR 5033, and any other initiative that seeks to impose a voucher program on the District of Columbia.

Sincerely,
American Association of School Administrators
American Association of University Women
American Civil Liberties Union
American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME)
American Federation of Teachers
American Humanist Association
American Jewish Committee
American Jewish Congress
Americans for Democratic Action
Americans for Religious Liberty
Americans United for Separation of Church and State
Anti-Defamation League
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
Council of Chief State School Officers
Hadassah, the Women's Zionist Organization of America
International Reading Association
International Union , United Auto Workers (UAW)
Jewish Council for Public Affairs
Leadership Conference on Civil Rights
National Association of School Psychologists
National Black Child Development Institute
National Council of Jewish Women
National Education Association
National PTA
National School Boards Association
National Urban League
People For the American Way
School Social Work Association of America
Service Employees International Union (SEIU), AFL-CIO
United Church of Christ, Justice and Witness Ministries
Women of Reform Judaism

Coalition Statements