As Republicans consider plans for expanding access to taxpayer-funded, private-school tuition vouchers this year in Wisconsin and other states, a federal lawmaker is calling for a review of the long-standing Milwaukee voucher program.
U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) has asked the U.S. Government Accountability Office to scrutinize the impact and outcomes of Milwaukee’s voucher schools compared with Milwaukee Public Schools in areas such as academic achievement, special-education services and accountability practices.
In a December letter to Comptroller General Gene Dodaro, Pocan indicated a study is appropriate now because voucher and tax-credit scholarship programs have proliferated across the country since 2001, and the Milwaukee voucher program — in place since 1990 — offers years of new data to be examined.
“We’d like to know what the strengths and weaknesses of the program are,” Pocan said in an interview. “As other states look at expanding (voucher) programs, it makes sense to have an objective study by a respected, nonpartisan agency.”
U.S. Reps. Gwen Moore of Wisconsin and Dave Loebsack of Iowa — both Democrats — signed the letter as well.
4 thoughts on “Rep. Mark Pocan calls for federal review of Wisconsin voucher school program”
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it is good idea to review everything, but let us start to review how much school pending went up how much money goes to the educrats and not the kids and how the Feds and the Unions have ruined education. Reading scores, math, science are not even in the top ten in the world and that menas we will suffer over the next generations.
Public tax money should only go to fully accountable public schools. Period. Teachers deserve an exceptional pay rate and adequate retirement plus above average health care benefits. The public also needs to foot the bill for transportation in rural districts along with adequate facility and physical structures to house students. We spend more on prisons than on education. Does that seem a bit far fetched to anyone?
When teachers are allowed to teach, instead of having to teach to school performance tests, the entire level of actual educational outcomes will vastly improve, billions of dollars being siphoned off by the corporate test writing business and time wasted in that process can be devoted to the students and to learning, as well.
The scam of grading school performance for the purpose bad-mouthing school districts that NEVER had financial resources necessary to begin with, to do as well as more affluent school district and then claiming voucher schools would fix things is just more depraved conservative nonsense.
I do not think the people of Wisconsin want to go back to porn watching teachers protected by da union!
Hurrah! Hurrah! Though don’t think it will do much good. I’ve lost faith in the Wisconin constituency. Despite the fact that the national economy is thriving…the mantra among the McDonald’s crowd, the country club crowd and the Wisconsin casino crowd is Scott Walker’s “the federal government (Obama) can’t do anything right.” How do you reach these people?