Over on the homepage, Justus Myers and Philip Wallach generously cite an article of mine while making an argument for the Student Success Act and against Heritage Action. I agree with the authors that the bill would do a lot of good in reversing the recent centralization of education policy in Washington, D.C., and it does seem to me that Heritage is not putting enough weight on that progress.
But I also agree with Heritage that Republicans have not done enough to fight for portability: the idea that federal aid for poor students should follow those students to whatever school they choose, be it public, charter, private, or parochial. It’s a great idea that has in the past had the support of some prominent Republican leaders. It may not be able to pass this Congress, but Senator Tim Scott (R., S.C.) is right to seek a vote on it. I’m glad Heritage is on the case.