[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Page 15417]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            AMERICA'S OPPORTUNITY SCHOLARSHIPS FOR KIDS ACT

  Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. President, earlier this week, I introduced the 
America's Opportunity Scholarships for Kids Act, S. 3682, on behalf of 
President Bush. I was joined in introducing this legislation by 
Senators Ensign, Gregg, and Santorum. This bill provides meaning to the 
promise of the No Child Left Behind Act by giving low-income families 
whose children are stuck in low-performing schools the same 
opportunities other families already enjoy.
  President Bush proposed the America's Opportunity Scholarships 
Program as part of his fiscal year 2007 budget. The bill authorizes 
$100 million in competitive grants to State and local educational 
agencies or private nonprofit groups to provide low-income students in 
low-performing schools with scholarships to attend the school of their 
choice or receive tutoring. Thousands of eligible students would 
receive up to $4,000 in scholarship funds to apply to tuition and costs 
at the school of their choice or up to $3,000 worth of intensive 
tutoring to help them improve their academic achievement.
  Eligible low-income students are those who attend schools in 
``restructuring,'' which means they have missed their student 
achievement goals under No Child Left Behind for 6 years in a row. The 
U.S. Department of Education reports that in the 2004-2005 school year, 
1,065 schools were identified for restructuring. Preliminary estimates 
suggest that an additional 1,000 schools will be identified for 
restructuring in the 2005-2006 school year.
  Parents want the best possible schools for their children. A recent 
survey by the Educational Testing Service showed that 62 percent of 
public school parents either transferred a child out of one school into 
a better school or have decided where to live based on the schools in 
that district. This bill offers a way out for students whose families 
don't have the money for tuition or the luxury of moving.
  For those who think school choice is not important, I ask you to 
consider what you would do if the government or circumstances said you 
had no choice in the matter. Imagine what would happen if we passed a 
law that said that no American parent could choose a school for their 
child, and instead the government assigned each child to a specific 
public or private school. There would be a revolution in this country 
by middle- and upper-income parents who want to preserve their right to 
choose what is best for their child's education.
  Low-income parents are increasingly voicing a demand for the same 
quality educational options that wealthier families have. In Milwaukee, 
WI, low-income families' demand for better choices led to the creation 
of a citywide private school choice program in 1990. Today, Milwaukee 
is one of the most vibrant education marketplaces in the Nation, and 
parents can choose from traditional public schools, charter schools, 
and private schools. Here in Washington, DC, frustrated low-income 
parents led an active campaign to establish the DC School Choice 
Incentive Program, which increases educational options for low-income 
students, including scholarships to attend private schools. Over 2,600 
applications were received for 1,200 available scholarships in 2004, 
the first year of that program. This school year, 1,713 students are 
enrolled at the private school of their choice. Their parents report 
significant improvements in their children's academic performance, 
behavior, and prospects for the future.
  Our Nation gives families choices in educational institutions nearly 
everywhere but in grade school and high school. After World War II, the 
GI bill enabled veterans to attend the educational institutions of 
their choice--public or private, secular or nonsecular. Today, Federal 
dollars for higher education still follow students to the school of 
their choice. It is this choice--along with autonomy and competition--
that has made our system of higher education the best in the world. We 
also allow Federal funding to follow preschoolers to the childcare 
program of their choice.
  Unfortunately, we have gotten in a rut with K-12 schools. We have 
created local monopolies where dollars flow directly to schools with 
little or no say from parents. The ones paying the highest price are 
the poor children of America.
  America's opportunity scholarships are a way out for families who 
have waited too long. I hope my colleagues will support this important 
legislation so we can help our neediest children achieve a brighter 
future.

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