Hispanics Lose School Choice
Although the Democratic Congress thought it appropriate to spend millions to save rats living near San Francisco it has decided that spending money to educate Hispanic children in the nation’s capital cost too much money. Last week legislation ending the only school voucher program with federal funding that benefited Hispanic students was ended at the same time the largest spending bill ever was passed.
According to the Pew Hispanic Research Center recent study 51% of Hispanics nationwide see education as an important issue. Only one issue, the economy at 57%, rated higher. Hispanics see education as an important path to allow their children to live a better life. As we reported previously however Latinos continue to suffer high drop out rates and being limited to poor schools through out the United States that have not changed in decades.
A Harvard University study done in 2007 showed that at least 60 percent of Hispanics favored the option of giving poor students the option of switching out of failing public schools to attend a private school. More than 80% felt that voucher programs were the only way that low-income families could have a chance to attend a better school then their parents could otherwise afford. A U.S. Department of Housing and Community Development study in 2003 showed that this would have significant effects on the populations of Hispanics in just about every city in America.
Up to now there had only been one federally funded voucher program in the United States which was located in Washington D.C. Each year awards scholarships of up to $ 7,500 were given to students to attend private schools. The program was initially supported enthusiastically by many Democrats including Congressman Jose Serrano (D-NY). D.C. City Councilman, Kevin Chavous summed up the recent change towards the voucher program as quoted in the Washington Post :”The party doesn’t want anything in place where public money is utilized to support children in private schools.” Another Democrat, Delegate Eleanor Norton (D-Washington D.C.) even has implied that closing the program would be hard to do without “harming” the students.
President Obama has argued that voucher-based initiatives fund mostly faith-based schools, violating separation of church and state. This is not however consistent with a recent Supreme Court ruling, of Zelman v. Simmons-Harris, in which the Supreme Court ruled that students may study at any private or public school as long as aid is awarded directly to the parent or guardian and not the school. Of course, this does not effect Mr. Obama because his daughters attend private school in the D.C. Area.
Hispanics voted for Obama by a 67% margin in part because they believed he would deliver for them a better future. That future unfortunately will not include a choice for their children to attend a better school.
Tony Magaña grew up in McAllen Texas, attended Texas A&M University, served as an officer in Army Reserve, and holds a doctorate from Harvard University. The co-founder of Contempo Magazine has participated in Valley business for over 20 years.He is a member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.
