Vouchers have new champions on the Hill
Stars of the GOP â from George H.W. Bush to John Boehner â have long endorsed using federal dollars to send children to private schools, but now a gang of newcomers is rolling up their sleeves to try to make it a reality. GOP lawmakers including Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina and Rep. Luke Messer of Indiana are busy lobbying peers, proposing sweeping voucher bills and nudging school choice into conversations around the 2016 primaries. The issue is still considered a long shot for Republicans in Congress, but they hope to shorten the odds. Story Continued Below âFrankly, Iâm going to encourage it strongly as I have conversations with every candidate,â Scott said. President Barack Obama is a firm opponent of vouchers, but past Republican candidates have supported them, and an incoming Republican who embraces the measure could be a game-changer. Others are taking notice: In late January, Sen. Ted Cruz, Boehner and other Republican supporters gathered with Messer and Scott at a rally where the lawmakers extolled the virtues of the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship program before hundreds of cheering students in yellow National School Choice Week scarves. The school choice pack will gather again Monday for a forum with another potential presidential candidate, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, plus Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander and House Republican Conference Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers. The new guard was elected during the tea party waves of 2010 and 2012. Its members share a sense of optimism and compassion for education issues that reflects a softer (and sometimes liberal-sounding) side of the GOP. Scott likes to say that kids spell school choice âH-O-P-E.â And their policy ideas, like their messaging, sound fresh in contrast with other conservative lawmakersâ calls to eliminate the federal Education Department. As Congress works on rewriting the No Child Left Behind law, right-wing school choice advocates already have injected their opinions into that debate. When he speaks about education, Scott often tells the story of how he flunked high school after failing classes, including civics; was raised by a single mom; and attended four different elementary schools. Those experiences make school choice a deeply personal issue for him, he said, and as his career in politics has flourished, Scott has made a habit of visiting schools at least once a month â sometimes even dropping in via Skype from Washington â to tell his success story and take questions from students. His enthusiasm has gotten the respect of old hands on education policy. Alexander paused while talking about voucher programs for students with disabilities â one of Scottâs signature issues â at a recent event to add, âTim Scott is compelling when he talks about this.â Scottâs relationship with Alexander reflects his ability to simultaneously agitate and impress: While Alexander has decided to leave most school choice proposals out of his No Child Left Behind draft bill to make it more palatable to Democrats, Scott sees it as his role to get school choice options âbaked into the cakeâ of the bill and has invoked the issue often with the HELP Committee chairman. Scott joins Cruz, and fellow GOP Sens. Rand Paul, Mike Lee and Marco Rubio, all of whom have sponsored voucher proposals. Rubio was first drawn to the issue as speaker of the House in the Florida Legislature when the Sunshine State was experimenting with new programs, including virtual schools and one of the countryâs earliest voucher programs. Rubioâs federal voucher proposal is closely modeled after one in his home state: It would help create tax credits for donations that go toward private school tuition. âOnto somethingâ At Republicansâ recent retreat, Messer listened to GOP strategist Alex Castellanos promote school choice as one of a handful of issues that should make up a new agenda for the party. âI thought, oh gosh â maybe Iâm onto something here,â Messer said. School choice has always been a hard sell in Washington: GOP lawmakers from rural states and those with powerful unions donât stand to gain much from pushing the issue. In wealthier districts, too, parents may not feel they have much to gain if they are satisfied with their well-funded public schools. Other members of Congress donât see why itâs worth the time. âItâs an interesting challenge: Republicans believe this will be good for vulnerable kids and kids that need help,â said Frederick Hess, education policy director at the American Enterprise Institute. âBut itâs also a fact that their local superintendents, and school boards, and kids, and parents are saying, âWe donât think this is a good ideaâ in many cases.â Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch unsuccessfully pushed vouchers in the 1980s, and an early attempt to create a voucher program in D.C. was vetoed by President Bill Clinton. The D.C. Opportunity Scholarship program was later passed with the support of President George W. Bush and Boehner in 2004. It has provided vouchers for about 6,000 students since its creation. âThat was admirable work, but I think now, with a new generation of folks pushing, youâre seeing longtime advocates taking a second look to see if [something bigger] is achievable,â Messer said.