National School Choice Week: SOAR Act Gives D.C. School Children Second Chance

Rachel Sheffield / January 26, 2011

On the heels of President Obama’s State of the Union address last night, which was fairly heavy on education policy, this morning Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH) and Senator Joe Lieberman (I-CT) announced that they will introduce a bill – the Scholarships for Opportunity and Results (SOAR) Act – to reinstate the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program: a voucher program for low-income students in the nation’s capital.

Speaker Boehner’s commitment to this issue is underscored by his inviting D.C. Opportunity Scholarship students and advocates of the program as his special guests to last night’s State of the Union address.

The D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program has helped thousands of children in the nation’s capital improve their chances at educational success through school choice. However, President Obama stood by as Congress worked to phase out the scholarships. (more…)