Senator Clinton Stands by Charter Schools

PHILADELPHIA — Seeking to solidify her reputation as a champion of public education, Senator Clinton is standing by her qualified support for charter schools while condemning vouchers as a poison pill for American education.

"Vouchers would mean the end of the public school system and I believe an erosion of our democracy that we would regret deeply. Take them off the table," Mrs. Clinton told thousands of educators at the annual gathering of the National Education Association's Representative Assembly, held yesterday at the Philadelphia Convention Center.

The Democratic presidential contender was answering a question about charter schools, but after saying she had "always supported public school choice," she segued quickly to a denunciation of vouchers that drew thunderous applause from the crowd. The question of providing parents with public funds that can be used for private schools has long been a political flashpoint, with many Republicans advocating them as an opportunity for increased choice, while Democrats see them as an abandonment of public schools.

Mrs. Clinton said she would "fight them with every breath in my body." In 2004, she was one of 28 senators to vote against an appropriations bill establishing a five-year pilot voucher program for the District of Columbia, the first such initiative of its kind in the nation. The program's reauthorization is expected to come before Congress later this year or next.

The former first lady took a more nuanced position on charter schools. "We've got to experiment. We've got to try different approaches," she said. But she added: "We also have to be sure that charter schools do not drain the financial resources from public schools." Mrs. Clinton's rhetoric matches that of the NEA and many teachers' unions, which have embraced limited numbers of charter schools as long as they are held to the same standards as public schools. Her criticism of vouchers was no surprise, a New York-based lobbyist with Democrats for Education Reform, Michael Tobman, said. "That's what candidates do when they come to the NEA," he said.