BUSH TRANSFIGURED

Andrew Sullivan.com ^ | Tuesday, January 29, 2002 | Andrew Sullivan

[lodwick]

bttt

[Southern Federalist]

I won't pretend to have read the bill. It is described on the White House website as having these provisions:

Expanded Options and Choice for Parents

Empowers parents by providing unprecedented federal support for children from disadvantaged backgrounds who are trapped in low-performing schools

Students in failing schools may transfer to higher-performing public schools or get help such as tutoring

Students in persistently dangerous schools may transfer to safer public schools

If this is accurate, it does establish a significant principle. This is only choice within the public school system, but it acknowledges that parents have a right to get their kids out of unsafe schools or schools that are not teaching them anything.

[Torie]

I think the transfer is within the school district, which already largely obtains. It is smoke and mirrors. There is a principle, mouthed from most quarters, but it has no teeth. The bottom line, is that we will lose valuable time. A couple of million more disadvantaged kids will be denied a shot at the American dream. They will be denied equal opportunity. And that is a disgrace. The fact that it is largely not Bush's fault is cold comfort.

[Southern Federalist]

Actually, in my state you have to pay tuition if you send your kid to a school within the district other than the one you're geographically assigned. If this changes that, or help poor parents with the tuition, it would make a difference. What is now an expensive privilege at least in some places would be acknowledged as a parental prerogative.

But I don't disagree with you on the big picture. As I said, however, I suspect Dubya is not through with this issue. Better this than make a big push for school choice that's bound to fail and make choice look like yesterday's exploded idea - as in some of the less well-considered state referendums recently.