Vows and vouchers

February 22, 2010 12:36 am

IN HIS first State of the Union address in January, President Obama made much of the need to improve America's schools. "The idea here is simple," he proclaimed. "Instead of rewarding failure, we only reward success. Instead of funding the status quo, we only invest in reform--reform that raises student achievement, inspires students to excel in math and science, and turns around failing schools."

Mr. Obama need look no farther than just beyond his own front porch to find such "reform": the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program, a highly successful, enormously popular school-choice program, that, ironically, he is refusing to continue to fund.

Aimed at low-income kids who otherwise face attending underachieving and, in some cases, unsafe schools, the program gives grants of as much as $7,500 per year toward private-school tuition. Mr. Obama cut funding shortly after he took office for all but the children currently enrolled.

Now the president is increasing the Department of Education budget by $3.5 billion in fiscal year 2011, but he still can't find the $12 million needed for D.C. school vouchers. Though lauded by Washington's mayor, its public-school chancellor, most of the city council, and more than 70 percent of city residents, the highly successful program seems doomed.

So what about that education "reform" promise? Subject to union approval, perhaps?