Voucher Vote a Double Negative for Democrats | Andrew J. Coulson | Cato Institute: Commentary

Voucher Vote a Double Negative for Democrats | Andrew J. Coulson | Cato Institute: Commentary: "He also asserted that public schools are not failing. 'Whose boot print is on the Moon?' he exclaimed.

That is cold comfort for D.C. public school students. Few of them will ever make it beyond the Earth's atmosphere—roughly half don't make it out of high school in four years."

"Far from reducing D.C. public school spending, the Opportunity Scholarships were originally packaged with an extra $13 million for D.C. public schools. Nor has the District's spending been slashed to the bone. The city spent $1.3 billion on fewer than 46,000 students last year—$28,000 per pupil.

By comparison, average tuition at voucher-accepting schools was $6,600. According to a Department of Education study, students attending those private schools are outperforming their public sector peers: better results at one quarter the cost. So how does killing the program enhance fiscal discipline?"