DC City Council Supports the Opportunity Scholarship Program

Dan Lips / July 10, 2009

Soon, critics of the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program won’t have any arguments left. For years, opponents have argued that the scholarship program wasn’t working. But a recent federal evaluation found that scholarship students have made “statistically significant” improvement in reading compared to their peers who didn’t get scholarships. The report confirmed what parents have been saying for years: the program is improving students’ educational opportunities.

Another common criticism is that Congress and the Bush administration somehow imposed this program on an unwilling District government. Of course, this ignores that former D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams strongly supported the program when it was created. Now, a new letter signed by a majority of the D.C. City Council should erase any doubt about whether local leaders support the Opportunity Scholarship program. (more…)