Scholarships for Opportunity and Results Reauthorization Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. COLE. Mr. Chair, I support the Scholarships for Opportunity and Results Act which has been a remarkable success with overwhelming support among parents whose children participate.

Every American child deserves the opportunity to receive a great education. Education is the key to success no matter your background, race or religion. As a former educator, I know the importance of making sure our children learn the skills they need to succeed in life. And while education is, and should remain, primarily a state and local issue, Congress has constitutional authority for the District of Columbia. I am committed to making sure the parents and teachers in Washington, D.C., and throughout the country, have the tools necessary to provide a world class education to all children.

No child should have to attend a low performing public school when alternatives are available and those alternatives provide positive and long-lasting benefits for a lifetime. I believe strongly in the authority of parents to direct the education and upbringing of their children with minimal interference from government at any level. Consequently, I am an advocate of charter schools, vouchers, and opportunity scholarships--all of which are supported through this legislation. Choice and the possibility to have an opportunity to attend the highest performing schools is what all parents want for their children.

I am hopeful that with the passage of this legislation many more families will have the opportunity to take advantage of public, charter, and private schools. Research has found voucher recipients are more likely to graduate from high school than their public school counterparts--82 percent of students who took advantage of a scholarship program graduated high school, while only 70 percent of students who applied but did not receive a scholarship graduated high school.

Education is essential to not only individual success, but the success of this great nation. H.R. 10 continues the emphasis on educational quality across D.C. and brings opportunity to those most in need by providing them with the option and means to attend a private school. By providing the opportunity to choose, children in D.C. will have an opportunity for a brighter future. For these reasons, I support this legislation, and thank Speaker Boehner for bringing this legislation to the floor.

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