Home > Opinion > Peter Roff > Obama Wrong on D.C. School Vouchers and Hypocritical, Just Like Congress

Obama Wrong on D.C. School Vouchers and Hypocritical, Just Like Congress

Reader Comments
Back to blog

Will the Mayor get his sons’ uniforms from the new store that wants to cater to DC Schools?
DC’s First School Uniform Store to Open August 10, 2009
DC’s Mayor is making good on his promise to send his sons to public school this fall. And when classes begin, the boys, along with 45,000 other DCPS students, will need new uniforms. Earlier this year, guidelines were laid out for a more stringent uniform policy—which studies have shown to improve student discipline, attendance and retention—but in the past parents usually had to venture out to Maryland to purchase the mandatory attire.
Enter Octavia Taylor Jackson, a mother of three young boys who attend DC public schools. After a layoff in late March, she put into motion a plan she had begun working on months before. Jackson, a native Washingtonian, has held well-paying jobs in the government, corporate and nonprofit sectors, but found her calling in entrepreneurship. Her passion for education and seeing children succeed in school pushed her to create Y.E.S.S.S. (Your Educational Supplies, Systems and Services), a school uniform and educational supply store that also provides consulting for information technology systems and related services for schools.
In a period of only four months, Jackson—whose last job was Senior Vice President for Information Technology at an educational nonprofit—located a venue, hired contractors, ordered inventory, found employees and is hosting the grand opening of her new store at 108 Rhode Island Avenue, NW on Monday, August 10. Just in time for the back-to-school season.
Asked about the reason for her new venture, Jackson states, “I remember several PTA meetings where I would commiserate with other parents over our frustration in finding school uniforms and supplies right here in DC. The tax free weekend wasn't beneficial when I had to go out to Maryland to find uniforms for my children who attend DC public schools. I started the company because I enjoy working with children and saw the need in my community for a store that sells school uniforms and supplies. I believe that this company is my destined career for the rest of my work life.”
Y.E.S.S.S. (Your Educational Supplies, Systems and Services) is the preeminent provider of educational resources that students need to complete their education with the highest level of success. The company caters to the academic community by offering a full-scale product line of school supplies, from uniforms to books and backpacks; along with consulting for information technology systems and related services. For more information, visit www.theyesss.com or call (202) 525-4157.

Joshua of MD 6:29PM August 06, 2009

Y7YH59

Oibddpmz of MA 1:04PM July 14, 2009

arrives developed work particular email

keciawools of DE 12:29PM July 05, 2009

Yes I was readig this book about Learning While Blckby Ms. Hale and I learned I could get young black son into a ivate school thru the voucher program. i need more info I am in Lexington KY and he is going into the 4th grae
Thanks

Latasha Clifford of KY 9:05PM June 13, 2009

If you take a closer look at the statistic mentioned, "statistically higher levels in reading—equivalent to 3.1 months of additional learning." Now, is that comparing it to the average? Or is that comparing it to where the child started out (which might be months or years behind the average.) Either way, such an improvement JUST in reading makes me think that the program is working, but not very well.
Also, they're already taking the brightest students and placing them in favorable conditions, widening the gaps between those who are "smarter" and those who are "not." While I think that every parents wants to see their child go to a private school because they tend to be better than public, it's the gain a few kids who already have some sort of an advantage, and taking potential funding away from public school, which desperately need it. So is the gain to that select few really worth it if it deteriorates conditions for the rest? To me, public education is the equal opportunity for everyone to be educated at a decent level, because in the end I'd rather live in a place where everyone is pushed to be educated, not where a few are given the chance to shine and the rest are basically baby-sat for 12 years of their life. It's all about long term goals.

Anna M of OH 4:05PM May 06, 2009

Is there a protest tomorrow at the Capital in support of the voucher program?

Katie Holland of MD 1:26PM May 05, 2009

Obama made a visible and strenuous point about reducing the power of lobbyists and special interests in his administration. Does this decision mean that effort doesn't count if the name of the special interst includes the word "union"? If so, the poorly educated kids of DC won't be the only ones to get porked by the changes ahead.

Brad of TX 2:19PM April 23, 2009

"You guys can reasonably complain about big government on a number of things, but education is a fundamental part of government function (big or small)." That is simply not true, if you mean that the governement is responsible for deliveing educational services. Government does not have to deliver the service. It could help with funding, vouchers are one example, to ensure equitable access to education without delivering the actual service. Markets could and would evolve to serve the needs.
"That's because privatized education results in massive inequality, disadvantage, and manipulation." That's exactly the situation we have with public government controlled education. Teacher's Unions manipulate the system and depending on where you live, the inner core or the outer suburbs, the quality of your education varies tremendously. Market forces would force schools to improve or die. Now we just let them fester to the detriment of the kids, the community and the country. We have to do better. Some market discipline would help tremendously. Our K-12 system should more closely resemble the University system where private and public compete and vouchers, in the form of Pell grants, etc. can be used anywhere.

James Roane of MI 12:57PM April 23, 2009

is that they have become centers of government indoctrination - Espousing the Socialist/Green party line. No honor or morals, instead condoms and license. Revisionist history, Environmentalist dogma is place of science, and blind tolerance for all things other than traditional values.
Other than the unlikely event of returning to a standard of basic educational and cultural values - the only answer is vouchers for private schools and home schooled children.... so that some might escape the mind numbing dogma spewed out by public education.

R.L. Schaefer of CA 11:24AM April 23, 2009

I "think" everyone agrees that our educational system is in need of stubstaintial repair.
Vouchers can and should be part of the solution, although they only address the symptom and not the cause. Vouchers allow the politicians from the "right" to get on TV and chat about how much they care. They have been using that line for decades. When they ran congress education was the first budget item they would cut.
The implementation of "no child left behind" was/is
a farse. They implemented the the criteria and the penalties associated for not meeting the criteria, but left out the funding required to meet the criteria consistantly and broadly.
The outcome is that public schools across the nation are cutting back on essential programs because of lack of funding. Is that because of a poorly implemented policy or skillfully implemented policy?
It is hard for me to believe that the "right" does not know exactly what they are doing. Education is the first vehicle towards upward mobility in any civilized culture. Vouchers permit the chosening of who in the lower economic echelon gets the privelage of an education as opposed to improving education throughout the nation without politicians selecting who benefits and who does not.
These line item debates are a purposeful distraction, we need to invest in "all" of our youth and get back to the top rankings in the world regarding educated engineers and scientists.

Bill of CO 10:26AM April 23, 2009