Education Report Card

Floor Speech

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Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I would say the Senator from Tennessee, as always, has been fair and balanced. I wish to ask him a question. Is he aware of the Department of Education's analysis of the DC voucher program and the results in terms of student achievement?

Mr. ALEXANDER. I am aware there are--the answer is yes.

Mr. DURBIN. If I could ask a further question: Is the Senator from Tennessee aware that when they surveyed the 1,700 students after 3 years in that DC voucher program, they found there was no measurable improvement among male students?

Mr. ALEXANDER. Well, I am not going to get into a detailed analysis with the Senator. I would say this: My view of American education is that we should give parents and students the opportunity to choose among the schools they go to. If there are four times as many children and parents who apply for this program than can be accepted, that would indicate to me that these parents and these families and these children think this is an opportunity they would like to have to improve their lives and improve their future.

Mr. DURBIN. I wish to ask the Senator from Tennessee if he feels we should hold those voucher schools accountable in terms of whether they are improving the education of the students who are sent to them with Federal support?

Mr. ALEXANDER. Oh, of course we should.

Mr. DURBIN. I would ask the Senator from Tennessee if he is aware of the fact that there was no improvement of math scores of the students in the DC voucher schools over a 3-year period of time?

Mr. ALEXANDER. I thank the Senator for his questions. I know he is the most ardent supporter of the idea of not using Federal dollars to give poor children the same choices that middle- and higher income children have. I respect that difference of opinion. I am going to go on with my remarks.

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