July 2, 2003, 1:13AMBush renews voucher push, backs bill for tuition grants
By SCOTT LINDLAWAssociated PressWASHINGTON -- President Bush opened a new drive for school vouchers Tuesday, reviving an old battle as he endorsed legislation that would give District of Columbia children private-school tuition grants. Bush has rarely spoken out for vouchers since Congress rejected his proposal two years ago to strip federal funds from the worst-performing schools and make the money available to parents for private education vouchers. On Tuesday, he gave an impassioned new call for such programs, which are beloved by conservatives and popular among many people in inner cities as an escape route from failing schools. Bush cast voucher programs as a matter of fairness. "We cannot have a two-tiered education system in America -- one tier for those who can afford a certain type of school and one tier for those who can't," Bush said. "So this plan is an attempt to say the two-tiered deal is over with." Critics, including teachers unions, say vouchers drain money from public schools and too often end up supporting religious schools. Early in his presidency, Bush formed an unlikely alliance on education initiatives with Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass. But Kennedy criticized Bush's fresh campaign for vouchers on Tuesday. "Once again, ideology is trumping sound public policy," Kennedy said. "I continue to be amazed that in the midst of unprecedented school budget cuts and teacher layoffs, this president is proposing $75 million for private schools in Washington, D.C., under the guise of giving students `school choice.' " Bush backed a bill that would allocate $75 million of his 2004 budget for a "choice" incentive plan, open to several cities. Of that, $15 million would go to District of Columbia schools. The legislation sponsored by Rep. Thomas Davis, R-Va., would provide $7,500 a year to lower-income D.C. children enrolled in targeted public schools. Davis and Bush say the program could reach at least 2,000 of the city's 67,000 public school students. "It is the beginning of an experiment that will show whether or not private-school choice makes a difference in quality education in public schools. I happen to believe it will," Bush said at a charter school known as KIPP DC: Key Academy, in a low-income neighborhood in southeast Washington. Polls taken last summer showed people were split on the question of giving vouchers to parents. Opposition to vouchers increased sharply when there was any mention that might mean public schools would get less money. Return to top Click for Details Click for Details Click for Details Click for Great Cosmetic Ideas from JC Penney |
