Let's Democratize Education

America is losing the education game to other industrial countries. Our current education model dates to the agrarian 19th century. Other countries do a far better job of turning out well educated graduates with the background necessary to compete in the 21st century. It's a matter of time until we start sending our kids abroad to be educated, as most less developed countries do today.


I thought of this a few days ago when Michelle and Barack Obama announced that they would send their two children to Sidwell Friends School in Washington, DC. Sidwell, with its tuition price tag of $30,000 a year has educated the children of many of DC's rich and powerful. In doing so the Obamas avoid having to consign their kids to a failing DC school system where for $13,000 per student per year taxpayers get one of the worst school systems in the country.


I have no problem with parents like the Obamas selecting a better school for their kids. I just wish that parents who lack their means had the same ability to select a better school than what the public system offers. In DC there is a program called the Washington Opportunity Scholarship Program that can provide vouchers up to $7,500 for students in failing schools to attend better schools. It's a good start.


The problem is that the Democrats in Congress want to kill the voucher program and deny DC parents the same ability to select a better school that the 44th President will have. The reason is that the teachers unions in this country oppose voucher programs. Since the unions are heavy supporters of the Democrat party, it seems unlikely that the Opportunity Scholarship program will survive.


President Obama and the Democrats could make a huge statement in January that we have indeed entered a post-partisan era by saying no the National Education Association and continuing the program. Let's give other kids in DC the same chance for a better future as the Obama kids will have.

Just thought you might like to know.