Letter to the U.S. House of Representatives: June 27, 2007
June 27, 2007
Member
United States House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Re: Oppose Davis Amendment (#7) to H.R. 2829 to increase funding for D.C. school vouchers
Dear Representative:
On behalf of the 95,000 school board members who serve the nation’s 48 million students in our local public school districts, the National School Boards Association (NSBA) urges you to oppose an amendment (#7) to be offered by Rep. Tom Davis (R-VA) to H.R. 2829, the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act because the amendment would increase funding for the Washington, D.C. private school voucher program.
This attempt to increase funding for school vouchers inexplicably comes just days after the U.S. Department of Education released a Congressionally mandated evaluation that revealed the voucher program had no significant academic benefits for its voucher recipients when compared to Washington, D.C. public schools. That study parallels the findings of credible research conducted in other cities with voucher programs, including Cleveland and Milwaukee, and is similar to a U.S. Department of Education report from last summer in which public school students performed as well as or better than private school students when controlling for socioeconomic differences.
NSBA has long opposed public funding of private schools via vouchers and urges you to oppose the Davis amendment that would increase the funding for the Washington, D.C. school voucher program. Congress should devote tax dollars to the nation’s public schools that are publicly accountable and open to all students. We appreciate your attention to our concerns. If you have any questions or wish to discuss this issue further please feel free to contact Marcus Egan, Director of Federal Affairs, at (703) 838-6707 or megan@nsba.org.
Sincerely,
Michael A. Resnick
Associated Executive Director