[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 25 (Wednesday, March 11, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H1027]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           D.C. SCHOOL CHOICE

  (Mrs. NORTHUP asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mrs. NORTHUP. Mr. Speaker, I know what it is like to worry every day 
about how your child is doing in school. It must be terrible if your 
child is trapped in a school that is unsafe and unworkable; your 
daughter's sleepless nights become your own sleepless nights.
  Most parents with children in the D.C. public schools live under 
these intolerable conditions. D.C. Schools have received national 
attention. In spite of funding per student that ranks among one of the 
highest districts in the Nation, education in this district has reached 
crisis proportions. Decrepid school buildings are literally falling 
part.
  Just this year, a high school student interned in my office because 
opening day was delayed 3 weeks. The local news here is filled with 
stories of fire code violations, violence in schools, and failing test 
scores.
  The problem with D.C. schools is that the entire system is broken. It 
is not just a bad teacher or disorganized principal or leaking roof or 
unrestrained bully in fourth grade; it is all of these and more. 
Parents cannot just change their child's class or even their child's 
school. They simply cannot escape. And so, their children are trapped.
  Hopefully, the District will begin the long process of improvement. 
But, in the meantime, we need to give children a choice.

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