Promise of education important to Bush

By Hanna LoPatin

Daily Staff Reporter

In announcing his education plan yesterday, President George W. Bush attempted to make good on two of his campaign promises - to make education a top priority and to reach across party lines. While the first seems to have been fulfilled, the jury is still out on the second, as the plan contains a measure that has mixed support from Democrats and even some Republicans.

The voucher system, which directs federal funds away from public schools in order to provide scholarships towards private schools has already been defeated at the federal level and in Michigan during the last election.

In Bush's plan, the voucher system shows up in a less universal form, taking funds away after a school has proved to be failing for three years.

"When federal dollars are spent to educate children, those children deserve an education," said White House spokesman Scott Stanzel, explaining the reasoning behind the voucher system.

Insisting that the president's plan is different from what is traditionally thought of as a "voucher," Stanzel said, "There must be serious consequences for schools that are still failing and the parents must have options - including public or private."

Bush's plan consists of seven "performance-based titles" which include aiming toward improvements in academic performance of disadvantaged students, teacher quality and safety, as well as informing parents about their children's schools and encouraging freedom and accountability.

Though Bush has found wide support of his ideas on accountability, local control and regular testing in math and reading, the option of directing any funds towards private schools was enough to make the New Democrat Coalition announce their own education plan through of one-time vice presidential candidate Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.).

In a statement made yesterday morning, Lieberman made it clear that the two plans have much in common.

"We are happy to say that President Bush has articulated a set of priorities that overlap significantly with our New Democratic proposal," he said.

After pointing out that the Democrats had "serious differences" with Bush's plan - not only with vouchers but with the distribution of federal funds to the poorest communities - Lieberman added, "... We share a commitment to strengthening accountability, broadening flexibility for local schools, spurring innovation, and promoting public school choice."

Susan Shafer, spokeswoman for Michigan Gov. John Engler, said although the governor opposed the voucher proposal that ran statewide in the last election, he strongly supports Bush's education plan.

"He's supportive of higher standards of accountability," Shafer said of the governor. "If parents feel that their school district isn't performing they need to have other options."