House Committee on Education and Labor
U.S. House of Representatives

The Washington Post published an editorial today highlighting the popularity and strength of the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program, which provides scholarships that allow low-income children to gain access to a private education.  Enacted in 2003, the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program has been a resounding success, with demand continually outpacing the supply of scholarships and parents expressing satisfaction with their new educational options.  As the article notes:

"Political ideology and partisan gamesmanship should not be allowed to blow apart the educational hopes of hundreds of D.C. children.  Congress must respect the judgment of District leaders in giving parents a choice in one of the most crucial aspects of their children's lives."

Congress has an opportunity to maintain support for this groundbreaking program by funding President Bush's FY 2009 funding request for education in the district, which includes $18 million for the Opportunity Scholarship Program as part of an overall $74 million request to support schools in the nation's capital.  It will be an important test for educational freedom ... stay tuned.

Posted in School Choice | 0 Comments | Permalink

The New York Times published an economic 'view' today that examined the oft-discussed "wealth-gap."  While much of this ground has been covered before, the piece ends with an interesting analysis about the role of education in driving upward economic mobility.

Because growth in the supply of skilled workers has slowed, their wages have grown relative to those of the unskilled . . . In 1980, each year of college raised a person’s wage by 7.6 percent. In 2005, each year of college yielded an additional 12.9 percent. The rate of return from each year of graduate school has risen even more — from 7.3 to 14.2 percent.

WHILE education is the key to understanding broad inequality trends, it is less obvious whether it can explain the incomes of the superrich. . .A top education is no guarantee of great riches, but it often helps.

Maybe educational levels are like Willie Wonka’s chocolate bars. A few of them come with golden tickets that give you opportunities almost beyond imagination. But even if you aren’t lucky enough to get a golden ticket, you can still enjoy the chocolate, which by itself is well worth the price.

As Congress prepares to mark the 25th anniversary of the landmark report, "A Nation at Risk," which warned that American students' declining performance as compared to their international peers posed a long-term national security threat, it seems to be a good time to note the value of education to individuals and society.

Posted in Education | 1 Comments | Permalink

This morning, the Department of Labor reported that the U.S. economy shed 80,000 jobs in the month of March, while the unemployment rate ticked up to 5.1 percent (from 4.8 percent last month).  It's clear that the economy is slowing and American families and small businesses are feeling the pinch.  Although an important step was taken with the economic stimulus package passed earlier this year, Republicans believe Congress must remain vigilant in fostering pro-growth policies that will spur job creation.  This means rejecting burdensome red tape and bureaucratic regulations that stifle economic innovation, maintaining fiscal responsibility in Washington, and avoiding tax increases on families and small businesses.  In a time of economic uncertainty, the last thing the country needs is the threat of the largest tax hike in American history.  Yet that's exactly what the Democrats have proposed with their FY 2009 budget.  Today's jobs report should serve as a stark reminder that America's economy needs pro-growth policies, not more of the Democrats' tired tax-and-spend agenda.

Posted in Jobs and Job Training | 0 Comments | Permalink