School Vouchers in D.C. and the Classmates of the Obama Girls

Rick Garnett has posted a link to a powerful video by school-children in Washington, D.C. who have benefitted from the school choice program and who ask President Obama to oppose the efforts of the Democratic leadership in Congress to kill the program.

A column in the Wall Street Journal yesterday makes the point even more poignantly, by telling the story of Sarah and James Parker, who also are beneficiaries of the D.C. school choice program.  Because of the opportunities afforded by the D.C. voucher program, the two Parker children are able to attend Sidwell Friends School -- the very same private school that President Obama chose for his daughters, Sasha and Malia.

(Sarah and James Parker)

The question is fairly and squarely presented to President Obama:  Will he take a stand and support the same educational opportunity that he with his considerable wealth has chosen for his own children?  Or will he capitulate to the Democratic leadership in Congress and the teachers' union and thereby deny that opportunity to his daughters' class-mates at Sidwell Friends School?

How President Obama responds to this matter may tell us much about whether the Obama Administration will be a friend to educational reform -- and there have been some positive signs, such as President Obama's past (and hopefully continuing) support of the reform-minded superintendent of public schools in D.C.  If President Obama allows the D.C. voucher program to be killed by Democratic congressional leaders and the teachers' unions, we'll know that change in education apparently will have to wait for another president.

Greg Sisk