On the recordOctober 21, 2015
I thank the chairman for his leadership in bringing this excellent bill to the floor. This bill--of which, in full disclosure, I am an original cosponsor of--will continue to promote school choice and provide Opportunity scholarships to D.C. students that are most in need, while also expanding D.C. Public Charter Schools, therefore providing more opportunities for Washington students to excel and set themselves up for productive and successful lives. Now, to date, the Opportunity Scholarship Program has been an educational lifeline for more than 6,000 children from very low-income D.C. families, and more than 16,000 have applied to participate since the 2004-05 school year. Quite simply put, this program works. It is no secret I am a big proponent of school choice. As chairman of the Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Subcommittee, I have heard about the challenges many students in schools are facing, and I firmly believe that when parents have a choice, kids have a chance. This program, which has helped pave the way for others like it across the country, gives that chance, and it creates a healthy competition that causes all schools to improve, therefore helping all students, even those who aren't in the program.…
