Gov. Scott Walker has proposed expanding the Milwaukee school voucher program to Green Bay, Racine and Beloit, and that’s most assuredly the start of a discussion about an even bigger expansion.
Indeed, why stop there?
Check out the story here, and a story on the mixed response here.
Simply, Walker is suggesting that taxpayer money be used to send local students to private schools in more than just the City of Milwaukee — a program that itself is being expanded under a bill co-sponsored by South Milwaukee Rep. Mark Honadel.
I’m wondering what you think about this. Would you like to see school choice brought to communities like South Milwaukee? Would you like to see the City of Milwaukee’s school voucher program expanded?
Post your comments below, and vote in the poll question on the right-hand side of this page.
I am lukewarm on school choice at best.
I have a hard time buying the argument that taking kids out of the public school system will somehow save the public school system. Why not invest in the system itself? Here’s why: Commiting to real solutions to make things better inside MPS is hard. Taking kids out of the system and sending them outside the district is easy, and it avoids the problem. Let’s stop avoiding the problem.
I also do not support increasing the income limits for families to participate in the City of Milwaukee program. The program was meant to help low-income students, those who may not have the means to afford sending their children to private schools, and that is where the focus should be. I am with Howard Fuller, the founder of school choice, on this one.
As to allowing Milwaukee students to attend schools across the county, I am OK with that. If you are going to offer true choice to city students, then they should able to pick from a broader list of options (including perhaps some in South Milwaukee).
But let me be clear: I do not support expanding school choice to other communities, be it Green Bay or South Milwaukee. The program was formed to help certain students in the failing Milwaukee Public Schools system to find a better education, and it should stay there.
First of all, there is no clear evidence that the program actually works — and by “works” I mean delivers better results. Early studies, in fact, have shown that achievement may not be any better for voucher students than non-voucher students. Until there is a clear benefit in this area, why expand the program to other cities?
And as to South Milwaukee, I don’t see a need for school choice here. As I have written about, I think we have a first-class school system that I am proud to send my 6-year-old to. My wife and I have the means to send our children to private schools, but we have made our “school choice,” and it’s the South Milwaukee school system.
Giving incentives for people to do otherwise is wrong.
South Milwaukee Blog 
“Why not invest in the system itself?” I’ll tell you why. We’ve been throwing hard-earned tax dollars down the MPS rat hole for far too long. The more money they get the worse their performance. What will save or, maybe better yet, replace MPS will be COMPETITION. When you can get a better education at a lower cost where do you think parents will go? And it’s not even so much about whether it’s a better education (it sure can’t be worse) – it’s about the cost. It is a proven fact that private or parochial schools cost much less per student than almost any public shool, especially MPS. Let’s stop ALWAYS throwing more money at a problem and try some real solutions for a change.
I agree Randy, I heard today it costs taxpayers $12,000 per student at MPS. Vouchers are for a bit more than $6,000. Why not give parents the choice as to where they send their children. MPS is a failure, competition can only make things better. Though, I do agree with Erik that there should be income limits. Also, Erik, you say you have the means to send your children to private schools and have chosen South Milwaukee public schools, so you HAVE a choice, while the poor do not.
I understand your points, and I think we can agree that simply throwing money at the problem has not helped, and will not help. It will take big ideas and a big commitment to change, in addition to those added resources (and wise use of those resources). With that in mind, I don’t see how we’ll ever get to real solutions through school choice. For the individual kids who take part, it might improve their educational experience(or it might not). But taking kids (and funding) out of MPS will not improve the overall system. It will only put it in a death spiral.
If it can’t compete let it die and replace it. Maybe splitting MPS up into smaller districts would help. Some children, as opposed to none, getting a chance at a better education IS a real solution for THEM.
Here are a few truths that I think the others posting may need to consider:
Erik’s post is highlighting the fact that school choice will be expanded in this bill and current South Milwaukee students will now be eligible to go to private schools on the taxpayer dime, regardless of income level.
MPS is certainly a broken system, but some things
to consider that many are not aware of –
1. Because of the current choice guidelines a large number of poor students are currently attending choice schools, eliminating the opportunity to capture aid from the Federal Government in the form of Title I aid that goes to help educate impoverished children. This skews the numbers of average household income seems increased in the district and brings less dollars to actually operate the district.
2. MPS has a larger percentage of children with special needs since many private schools will not accept children that are have the ability to decline applications if the the children are too costly to educate.
3. MPS and all public school districts are required to accept students back even if they are kicked out of the private school even once if the private school accepted tuition for that student. So MPS or public school will have to “assume the burden” of educating that student and receive no money for them since they were not there for the third Friday count that gets reported to the state for aid calculations.
It was stated that private education costs less, yes it does, but most often the teachers make quite a bit less. The teaching profession has a very large dropoff rate of career change after the first five years in the profession. Also, take into consideration when it is stated that it costs less, they often times do not have the burden of english as a second language students, special needs students, music, art, and phy ed programs, guidance counselors, and the requirement of having a school psychologists.
If you are on facebook, I encourage you to check out my page, forward south milwaukee. Carol and I have tons of links that help explain school funding. Our system of funding has been broken for a really long time. This is not the best fix.
Why don’t we finally realize that taking away local control of the education system and putting it with the federal government is a failed idea. The argument that we have to rely on Title 1 or any other funds from some far flung, overly bureaucratic entity underscores the problem. We need to take a step back and determine what is education and what is charity. Radical? Yes! We need to be realistic when ever more so precious tax-payer dollars are concerned when defining what is an education. Is providing meals, English as a second language and special-needs programs a must as part of the education system or better handled by some other entity? What did we do before the Department of Education? I know, this isn’t the ’60s but it sure seemed like kids got a better education, preparing them for careers back then. And don’t get me started on how private school teachers are paid less. The Cadillac benefit and pension programs the public sector teachers get are just scratching the surface of the problem with the cost of a public school education.
and isn’t that the whole crux of the matter Randall, teachers pay and bennys?
Actually educating kids that are english as second language learners and kids with special needs is a law and a civil right of all American Citizens. If you are going to take on that fight, you are going to have to change laws of a fair and appropriate education.