Clinton, Republicans Spar Over Education and School-Choice Issues

WASHINGTON —  As President Clinton promoted new college scholarships and tax breaks on Saturday, his refusal to spend public money on private-school tuition drew tartly personal Republican criticism.

“We want every child in America to have the same choice as Chelsea Clinton,” Minnesota Gov. Arne Carlson said in the weekly GOP radio address.

The president’s 17-year-old daughter recently graduated from Sidwell Friends, a private prep school in Washington.

“What are Democrats so afraid of when it comes to choice, competition and accountability in our schools? . . . A few more national tests, a few more summits and a truckload of tax dollars will not solve the problem,” Carlson said.

His comments reflect Republican strategy for the 1998 midterm elections: Try to undercut Democrats’ strength in polls on education matters by making school choice a wedge issue.

In his own broadcast, Clinton looked ahead to the new school year and urged parents to telephone the Education Department’s toll-free hotline--(800) USA-LEARN--to find out how they can take advantage of higher-education programs just signed into law as part of the balanced-budget package.

He also mentioned his only daughter. “From the day I took office, I have been working on a simple idea: When my child is my age, I want our country to be a place where every person who works hard has a chance to live out his or her God-given abilities and dreams.”

He listed the administration’s initiatives, including tax credits for college, access to individual retirement accounts for tuition payments, new IRAs for tax-free college savings, and expanded Pell Grants.

In the Republican response, Carlson touted Minnesota’s program of tax deductions for tutoring, summer enrichment camps, private or parochial school tuition and other educational purposes.

“Whether public, private or parochial, every family in America should have the right to send their children to the school that best serves their child’s needs,” Carlson said.

The Clintons, he added, “chose private schools, and I believe they have that right. But we want every child in America to have the same choice as Chelsea Clinton, regardless of family income.”

The president supports steps toward public-school choice and charter schools, but he opposes using public money for private-school tuition.