Republican supporters of charter schools flush $2.3 million in taxpayer dollars down the toilet

Here’s yet another example of why Republican efforts to increase the number of charter schools in Wisconsin are such a horrible horrible horrible idea.

LifeSkills Academy in Milwaukee also had troubles.

Save for one child who met the state benchmark one year in reading, no students could read or do math proficiently in 2011 or 2012, according to the most recent state test score results.

Before closing, the school collected more than $200,000 in taxpayer money this academic year. The school will not get its final two voucher payments from the state, according to the state.

In Milwaukee’s voucher program, qualifying private schools receive an annual taxpayer-financed subsidy of up to $6,442 per child. Nearly 26,000 children in Milwaukee participate in the program.

Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction records show LifeSkills was nearly booted from the voucher program in 2010-’11 because the Monroes were listed as school administrators but didn’t have bachelor’s degrees — a program requirement that went into effect in 2010.

Once Taron Monroe hustled to get hers and the state was convinced that Rodney Monroe was no longer in a teaching or administrative position, the taxpayer money continued flowing, according to the DPI.

Keep in mind that despite a record of abject failure when it comes to educating children, the LifeSkills Academy received $2.3 million in taxpayer money since 2008.

The next time some conservative tries to tell you that Republicans really do care about providing a quality education to children at a reasonable cost to taxpayers, remind them of the $2.3 million in taxpayer money the LifeSkills Academy received thanks to Republicans, money that was absolutely wasted.

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4 thoughts on “Republican supporters of charter schools flush $2.3 million in taxpayer dollars down the toilet

  1. Is Life Skills a charter school or a private school in the choice program because they are two different things?

  2. As far as I’m concerned, ALL the money going to charter schools is being wasted because it takes from a acutely underfunded public education system in Wisconsin. Classrooms are daily loosing critical tools and teacher help, pay and other incentives, which will lower Wisconsin’s formerly outstanding student status until we begin to compete with Mississippi and Alabama for the bottom of the rung in student achievement.
    The only positive in the voucher program is that some money is going to religious, mainly poor catholic students where students perennially do better on standard testing and college entrance exams. But that loophole will be closed soon, no doubt.

  3. The eleven most terrifying words in the English language are: “I’m from the private sector and I’m here to help you.”

    1. Actually Gareth it’s : “I’m from the private sector, and I’m in this for the common good to serve everybody.” The hell they are.

      What a disgusting grift. How can the Dems not be plastering the airwaves about this corrupt failure?

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