Free Republic

Let D.C. Rise Bethany Stotts, April 20, 2010 D.C. school choice activists and families fighting for the restoration of the Washington Opportunity Scholarship Program (OSP) met together at the Heritage Foundation on April 13 to screen their short documentary, Let Me Rise, which states that it documents “the story of hundreds of families in our nation’s capital fighting for their children’s future…” “…and of millions of others who hope to one day follow in their footsteps,” it continues. A significant portion of the film footage is devoted to showing the faces of parents and families currently involved in the program....

On Capitol Hill, all eyes have been focused on the House, as efforts to pass healthcare reform have grown increasingly dramatic. But a less-watched debate began in the Senate Tuesday, which offered a second chance for the Washington, D.C. private school voucher program that Congress phased out last year. The effort, however, was quickly squashed by a vote Tuesday night, with most Democrats voting against it along with Republican Olympia Snowe of Maine. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid promised in January that he would allow debate about the program on the Senate floor. And on Tuesday, the Senate began considering...

DC Vouchers Rhee-Visited by: Bethany Stotts, May 15, 2009 On May 5, D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee told a symposium on innovation in education that she doesn’t care whether education providers earn a profit if they are effective. “Textbook companies, food service companies, they all don’t do a whole lot of great stuff but they all make a ton of money off of kids,” she argued. Rhee later added that for her the “bottom line” for her is a) “what is this organization going to deliver,” b) “what guarantees are they going to make,” and c) “how are they going...

Teachable Moments by: Malcolm A. Kline, May 07, 2009 Here’s a couple of history lessons you are not likely to get in school. The Depression That Wasn’tThe stentorian orator who as president saved America from the Great Depression in the first half of the last century was none other than—Warren G. Harding. “During and after World War I, the Federal Reserve inflated the money supply substantially,” historian Thomas E. Woods, Jr., writes in the May 4, 2009 issue of The American Conservative magazine. “Once the Fed finally began to raise the discount rate—the rate at which it lends to banks—the...

DC Vouchers at Crossroads by: Bethany Stotts, March 09, 2009 Funding for the Washington Scholarship Fund (WSF), more commonly referred to as the DC voucher program, is likely to run out at the end of next academic year due to a sunset provision designed by Illinois Senator Dick Durbin (D). DC Vouchers were established by Congress in 2003 and serve around 2,000 local low-income students. Speaking at this year’s Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) the Executive Director of DC Parents for School Choice expressed her intention to fight for continued funding of the scholarship program. “I got a call last...