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Washington DC Kids Are Offered Choice, are Given Opportunity Scholarships
by Rod Paige and Anthony Williams ![]()
Soon we will mark the beginning of a historic change that will touch several thousand children in the District of Columbia.
For many, it will be like a dream come true: Regardless of their parents' income, accent or zip code, these children will be awarded an opportunity scholarship so they can attend a private school they otherwise could not afford. This investment by the federal government in D.C. children is rightly deserved, given the symbiotic relationship between the two. For the first time, economically disadvantaged families in the District will have the same choices about where to send their children to school as do wealthy families. They will be given a chance to explore options beyond public schools, which, while slowly improving, are currently not serving them well. We have diagnosed the problem and we are treating it, but the pace of change must accelerate, because we cannot afford for any more children to lose their formative school years. As Thurgood Marshall reminded the court in the historic Brown vs. Board of Education decision that desegregated schools 50 years ago, "There is no way you can repay lost school years." We agree - there is no rewind button. Opportunity scholarships can work here, as they have elsewhere. Providing opportunity scholarships for thousands of the District's children is the right thing to do. We look forward to seeing the results of this program in the coming years. Rod Paige is U.S. secretary of education. Anthony Williams is the mayor of the District of Columbia. |