Watch Now!: Senate Hearing on D.C. Vouchers
Feeling cheery or optimistic? Tamp those feelings down by watching a live stream of the doubly-depressing spectacle of a Senate hearing on the cancellation of the D.C. voucher program, which highlights the sad end of the small glimmer of hope for the few D.C. kids who had escaped the dysfunctional D.C. school system, showcased within the always depressing context of a congressional hearing.
The first panel, featuring several D.C. schoolkids, was brutal. The kids were so smart and so ambitious—and so screwed. At the end of the panel, Se. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) uttered some "I'm sure you will all be very successful" pleasantries. But that's exactly the point of these hearings: Those sentiments are totally standard for folks in Lieberman's social class. But success is far from assured for D.C. public school kids. Being bright, charming, and ambitious doesn't do you much good if you don't meet any of the matriculation requirements for a college.
Reason has been covering this issue for many years, most recently in a great video by Dan Hayes:
The Washington Post also has a star-studded forum on D.C. vouchers this weekend. Read it here.