On Saturday, the Washington Post advised Barack and Michelle Obama that as they think about the pros and cons of various schools here in D.C., they might also want to keep in mind the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program, which gives District parents the same power of choice for their own kids. The Post won't weigh in on the whole public vs. private debate, of course. But the piece muses:
Let's hope the experience of moving his girls and finding the place where they will flourish resonates with Mr. Obama so that he reexamines his stance on the District's voucher program. How is it right to take away what little choice there is for needy D.C. children?
Interesting thoughts--in fact, very similar to thoughts offered up by our own Mike Petrilli not too long ago! Mike unabashedly admitted he is pulling for Georgetown Day, specifically because it participates in the D.C. voucher program.
It's one thing for Candidate Obama to oppose publicly funded vouchers on principle. It's quite another thing for a President Obama to eliminate an existing program and kick his daughters' classmates out of their beloved school.
The Post piece today echoes that sentiment. It notes that both Georgetown Day as well as Sidwell Friends --two schools Michelle Obama visited recently --participate in the voucher program.
That means classmates of Malia and Sasha might lose the ability to attend their chosen school if the vouchers were eliminated. That wouldn't seem fair.