Tom Harkin: “first, this program has never been authorized. It was only put into an appropriations bill in 2003. It was extended…”

“first, this program has never been authorized. It was only put into an appropriations bill in 2003. It was extended once. We had the Department of Education, not this one, the previous one, and this one, do studies of whether this was successful. After 3 years, no statistically significant achievement impacts were observed for students who came from the lowest performing schools--which was the target of the program--or for students who entered the program academically behind. No achievement impacts were found for male students, and there was no statistically significant impact on math scores. Already DC parents have a choice. We have over 60 charter schools here in the District of Columbia, and it is growing all the time. So there is a choice for them to go to charter schools which are public schools open to everyone and they do not discriminate. So, again, there is no reason for this authorization. The kids who are in those schools on those vouchers can continue. There is no problem with that. But why open it for vouchers when we have got the charter schools building up here? I might add the chairman of the Committee also, Senator Rockefeller, opposes the amendment.”