Rep. Mark Takano Slams Passage of DC Voucher Reauthorization Bill
Washington DC –Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA) released the following statement today after the House passed the SOAR Act, H.R. 4901, a bill that reauthorizes the DC voucher program.
“I am extremely disappointed that the House has once again voted to reauthorize the DC Voucher program. Public schools represent the duty we have to provide every student, in every community with an education that helps them realize their full potential. Voucher programs prevent us from fulfilling that duty.
“Taxpayer money should be invested in schools that open their doors to all students, regardless of family income, disabilities, language ability, and other factors that voucher schools use to discriminate. Instead, the voucher system diverts resources away from underfunded public schools in favor of private institutions that are not only exclusive, but have failed to improve student performance. Of the four reports studying the DC voucher program’s impact on students, not one found a significant improvement in reading or math scores among participants.
“As a public school teacher, I had the opportunity to witness the role of strong public schools in closing the achievement gap and strengthening our communities. Few, if any, Members of Congress live in this community or send their children to a DC school. It is plainly wrong for them to strip funding away from the local public school system to advance their ideology.”
Press Contact
Josh Weisz, josh.weisz@mail.house.gov, 202-225-2305