Dianne Feinstein: “Any parent applying for this scholarship must agree that their child will take the Stanford 9 test for all 5 years…”

“Any parent applying for this scholarship must agree that their child will take the Stanford 9 test for all 5 years regardless of whether they receive a scholarship or not. Let me tell you what this is all about. I recognize the Senator doesn't like it. That is fine. He doesn't have to vote for it. But what this is all about is that 76 percent of DC fourth graders performed below basic in math, and only 10 percent read proficiently. Only 12 percent of eighth graders read proficiently. That is what this is all about--to see if, by learning some of the basics, these children have a better start in education in a different model, in a different setting, with a different structure than currently exists in public education. It may work. It may not work. But these are all poor children. They are all in failing schools. Why not give them a chance? I suppose you could fault it by saying, well, everyone who instructs one of these children in these schools should have more than a college degree. Sure. I would like to do it. I don't know that we can condition the requirement in every private secular school or every private parochial school that may accept one of these children. I took high school classes from nuns who didn't have college degrees. And guess what. I got into Stanford based on what I learned in high school.”