July 14, 2005: NORTON THANKS BROWNBACK FOR STATUS QUO ON VOUCHERS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 14, 2005

NORTON THANKS BROWNBACK FOR STATUS QUO ON VOUCHERS &
ASKS FOR URGENT CHARTER SCHOOL USE OF LEFTOVER FUNDS

Washington, DC--Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today wrote to Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS), thanking him for agreeing not to alter the D.C. voucher program. Instead, she asked that for next year, at least some of the leftover funds be allocated for one-time desperately needed expenditures to charter schools, who put in requests this year for appropriate and urgently needed services for charter school children that had to be turned down. Norton said that she withheld criticism when voucher proponents asked for more time after violations and shortcomings were found following the only evaluation the program received after one year of operation. “It was not too much to ask for reciprocal respect from those who would seek early changes in the program,” she said. “To change the rules mid stream against collective will of the city would not have only violated basic principles of self government,” she said, “but would have reopened old wounds from the congressional decision to impose vouchers that the parties are trying to put behind them.”

Norton said that applications for charter school admission continue to outpace the city’s capacity to receive and meet the service needs of children. For example, charter schools are losing millions in Medicaid funding they are entitled to receive and are prepared to set up a mechanism to get these funds for all charter schools. Charter schools had plans to assist with charter school start-up, literacy assistance to students, professional development for teachers, a health benefits cooperative to increase negotiating power, and crucial clinical and wrap-around mental health services for students the children are entitled to. “Money for such indispensable needs should not go unused,” she wrote.

Norton said that she particularly objected to requests to double the amount that may be spent for administrative costs, an expense that Congress always insists be held to a minimum. For example, despite the size and complexity of D.C. TAG, which currently has 5,000 D.C. students in 266 colleges nationwide, administrative expenses have been kept at 3%, and traditionally, Congress has been adamant that program administrative expenses be kept low.