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February 3, 2003
Union of Orthodox
Jewish Congregations Welcomes
Parental Choice in Education Elements in President's Budget Proposal
Today, the Union of
Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America welcomed elements of President
Bush’s FY2004 Budget Proposal which are designed to foster increased
parental empowerment and options in guiding the education of their
children. The Budget Proposal contains several mutli-million dollar
initiatives, totaling $756 million, in this category.
The initiatives include: $75 million for a
new Choice Incentive Fund to provide competitive awards to states to
foster parental choice programs – a portion of these funds would be
dedicated to a school choice initiative in the nation’s capital; $226
million in refundable tax credits for parents transferring a child out of
a failing public school; and$220 million in charter school grants..
Nathan J. Diament, the Union’s director of
public policy issued the following statement:
The parental
empowerment initiatives proposed in the President’s budget are important
steps forward in affording educational opportunity and equity to all
American children. Parents are the best decision-makers when it comes to
the education of their children and public policy must empower parents,
first and foremost, to make the decisions they prefer. The UOJCA hopes
that the President’s proposal is the beginning of a new discussion over
these kinds of policies which will bring greater resources and equity to
America’s public and non-public school families.
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