Republican legislators love to talk about how great voucher schools are as a quality alternative to those awwwwwwful public schools, especially public schools in places like Milwaukee, Racine, etc., but according to a recent report by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, public school students in Milwaukee and Racine actually tested higher than their voucher school counterparts.
From Urban Milwaukee:
In the Milwaukee voucher program, the percentage of students proficient or advanced in math was 6.5 points lower than at Milwaukee Public Schools, while the percentage of students proficient or advanced in reading was 10 points lower. In the Racine voucher program, the percentage of students proficient or advanced in math was 3.7 points lower than in Racine public schools, while the percentage of students proficient or advanced in reading was 2.1 points lower.
So much for voucher schools providing a better education to our students.
Neither the state of Wisconsin nor the individual school districts can provide financial support for two parallel school systems. It is totally foolhardy to continue expansion of voucher programs.
It is about time that every school accepting public money for education use the same tests and publish those test results just like the public schools. Wisconsin tax payers should be able to see what they are getting for their money.
And I can’t fathom why the failure of voucher schools to meet or exceed the results from public schools comes as any shock to any one. When you don’t have to provide certified teachers or meet many of the requirements that public schools face…a lesser result should be no surprise.