Education

Federal File

April 09, 2003 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

V-ouch!

The president of the District of Columbia school board, in what some local leaders painted as heresy, has endorsed the idea of bringing a pilot voucher program to the nation’s capital.

Peggy Cooper Cafritz offered her support for federally financed vouchers in a Washington Post commentary published March 29. About a month earlier, the newspaper had quoted the elected board leader as saying, “This board is solidly against vouchers.”

Ms. Cafritz was unavailable for comment last week.

In the op-ed piece, she said that “some version of this legislation is certain to pass” Congress.

She said, however, the voucher money should be spent only in the city of Washington. Voucher bills introduced in Congress would let students use federal cash for public or private schools in the city’s Maryland and Virginia suburbs. Ms. Cafritz also said participating private schools should have to comply with the “No Child Left Behind” Act of 2001 and make test scores available to the public.

“We should join the U.S. Department of Education in forging a system that includes vouchers, charter schools, and public schools—one that would afford children in the District the best possible education,” she wrote.

In his fiscal 2004 budget request, President Bush called for $75 million for public and private school choice. He said a portion of this money should be set aside for vouchers in Washington. Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., introduced a bill that would authorize $7 million for vouchers for the city’s students next year, with the aid targeted to low- income families.

Ms. Cafritz’s view didn’t go over too well with some local leaders.

“I was shocked, and everybody I’ve talked to is shocked,” Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, the Democrat who is the District of Columbia’s nonvoting representative in Congress, told TheWashington Post. “What Peggy has proposed is unprincipled and operationally impossible, and it won’t happen.”

The newspaper itself came to Ms. Cafritz’s defense in an April 1 editorial.

“The shock of some politicians and public school activists is understandable,” it said. “It’s not every day that the school board president in a major urban school district endorses vouchers.” But the editorial said calling the proposal “unprincipled” was going too far.

“Ms. Cafritz has taken a bold stance,” it said. “She does not deserve the cheap shots.”

—Erik W. Robelen

Events

Student Well-Being Webinar After-School Learning Top Priority: Academics or Fun?
Join our expert panel to discuss how after-school programs and schools can work together to help students recover from pandemic-related learning loss.
Budget & Finance Webinar Leverage New Funding Sources with Data-Informed Practices
Address the whole child using data-informed practices, gain valuable insights, and learn strategies that can benefit your district.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Classroom Technology Webinar
ChatGPT & Education: 8 Ways AI Improves Student Outcomes
Revolutionize student success! Don't miss our expert-led webinar demonstrating practical ways AI tools will elevate learning experiences.
Content provided by Inzata

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Briefly Stated: May 17, 2023
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Briefly Stated: May 3, 2023
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Briefly Stated: April 26, 2023
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Briefly Stated: March 29, 2023
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read