Virginia Walden Ford - School Choice: A Legacy to Keep

PRAISE FOR VIRGINIA WALDEN FORD

If it wasnt for Virginia Walden Ford, my kids would not have had the opportunities that they did. Her drive to fight for a better education for all children goes beyond what she accomplished in D.C. She is changing Americas future.

Pamela Battle
Member, D.C. Parents for School Choice

Virginia Walden Ford gave my family the tools to fight for school choice. She mentored and guided us every step of the way. She taught us that having the right to choose comes with a lot of responsibilitiesand one is to help make sure that other children also have those opportunities.

Wendy S. Cunningham
Member, D.C. Parents for School Choice

The D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program is a shining example of funding what works for our children in education. It was inspired by parents who were demanding better educational options in Washington, D.C. Their inspiration was Virginia Walden Ford, who worked tirelessly to help these parents use their voices and absolute commitment to a better education for their children to get the United States Congress to act. I was proud to work with Virginia and John Boehner on this wonderful program, which continues to produce tremendous outcomes for those fortunate enough to participate.

Former U.S. Senator Joseph Lieberman

Virginia Walden Ford is a true American hero. She and her colleagues marshaled the voices of thousands of families in the nations capital, who demanded a quality education for every D.C. resident. I was proud to stand with her to fight for a better future for the children of Washington, D.C.and am delighted that this book recounts that story, so others may learn from Virginias courageous example.

Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich

Virginia Walden Ford gave voice to countless parents in Washington, D.C.moms and dads who wanted and deserved better educational opportunities for their children. Her story, and the fight for school choice in the District of Columbia and across America, is an inspiration.

Former U.S. House Majority Leader Dick Armey

Virginia Walden Ford fought for Washington, D.C.s children and led a movement of parents to ensure every child would have a shot at a quality education. Virginia is a model of what can happen in America when a leader organizes their neighbors and refuses to accept the status quo. Thousands of kids have better opportunities because of her work.

Former U.S. Representative Luke Messer
Founder of the Congressional School Choice Caucus

I would not have stayed in the school choice movement were it not for Virginia. She is the heart and soul of why we should all fight for educational justice.

Robert Enlow
President and CEO, EdChoice

Copyright 2019 by Virginia Walden Ford

All rights reserved. Published in the United States of America. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage or retrieval system,without the permission in writing from the publisher.

This book is a memoir. It reflects the authors recollections of experiences over a long period time, based on the authors memory. Where possible, the author has attempted to ensure the accuracy of all quotations that appear in this book. Where a source for a quotation is not indicated by way of footnote, the quotation or dialogue is based on the authors recollections.

Some paragraphs, stories, and information in this book previously appeared in Virginia Walden Fords book Voices, Choices, and Second Chances
(D.C. Parents for School Choice, 2005).

The article, Negro Educator Picks Little Rock Teachers, was reprinted with permission by, and license from, the Associated Press. Copyrighted 1967. Associated Press. 2119892:0819PF

Photos from Getty Images (2060090937) and the Associated Press (AP-62797131) were licensed for editorial use in this book. These photos belong to Getty and to the Associated Press, and those organizations hold and reserve all rights to those photos. They are not to be reprinted, reproduced, or used from this book without permission from those organizations.

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Paperback ISBN: 9780825309397

Ebook ISBN: 9780825308215

Cover Design: Mark Karis

Interior Design: Neuwirth & Associates

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data On File

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I HAVE ALWAYS LOVED TO learn. As a young woman, my mother and grandmother fostered my precocious spirit and constantly looked for opportunities to enhance my education.

By the age of 13, I couldnt get enough of sciencespecifically, chemistry. I would devour what I learned in class and long for more. As a result, my mother and grandmother started looking for more opportunities to stretch the boundaries of what I could learn and where I could go in life with that knowledge.

They found very quickly, however, that the sky was not actually the limit when it came to learning opportunities. Our income set the limit. Our income limited my opportunities to receive a quality education.

I first met Virginia Walden Ford in 2004. My grandmother and I were attending a local informational meeting about the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program. I had my sights set on Archbishop Carroll High School, which was known for its college preparation and high academic standards.

Miss Virginia, who was often referred to as Mama by the children who knew her, walked my grandmother and I through the scholarship application process and cheered me on as I waited to hear back on my application status. Thankfully, I received an Opportunity Scholarship, and not only did I graduate from Archbishop Carroll High School in 2008, but I earned a 4.3 GPA and was my class valedictorian.

From there, I attended Syracuse University and earned a Ph.D. in chemistry. I was the first person in my family to graduate from college. Today, I work as a postdoctoral oncology research fellow at Johns Hopkins University.

I owe my success to the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Programmore specifically, to the support of Virginia Walden Ford. Miss Virginia gave my grandmother and I hope at that first meetinghope that we could move beyond our current, narrow circumstances to a wide open future. Miss Virginia is not just a woman of words, though. She is a woman of action, directly responsible for the brighter futures of so many D.C. children and other children across the country who have been positively impacted by wider access to school choice options.

Educational opportunities for all children, particularly children from low-income and at-risk homes, is an American right. Miss Virginia understood that when she encouraged me and my family to advocate for what was best for me and my future. As you read the pages of this book, youll begin to understand more about where Miss Virginias drive and advocacy beganand why the movement she started two decades ago continues to gain momentum.

Dr. Tiffany Dunston

A S CHEMICAL REACTIONS, FIRES HAVE their own unique characteristics. Some fires burn brightly; others burn softly and slowly.