Donald M. Payne: “the discussion here during this floor debate today may be focused on a proposal of private school vouchers in the…”

“the discussion here during this floor debate today may be focused on a proposal of private school vouchers in the District of Columbia, but it has larger ramifications throughout the country. For example, in my home State of New Jersey, Governor Whitman has proposed implementing a private school voucher program in our State. Of course, this proposal has drawn considerable criticism from both Republicans and Democrats in the New Jersey State Legislature. Therefore, it is not clear if Governor Whitman will go ahead with her plan. But what we do here sends a message to the rest of the country, and we hope that we do not send the wrong message. On a larger level, it disturbs me that proposals of vouchers have been used as an attempt to gain support in low-income communities. Basically, they have billed vouchers as a way to level the playing field for poor students who cannot afford private school, and they believe that they will win points in urban districts. However, they do not tell parents and students that the funds will be taken out of the public school system, therefore making a bad system even worse. They fail to inform them that students will not be protected by civil rights laws because they do not apply to private schools. While touting these vouchers as a saving grace for urban students, they do not provide the assurance that special education laws are adhered to in the schools.”