Wisconsin

Charter Schools Polish Their Image by Cherry-Picking Students

Wisconsin's Forward Institute released a new study of the Milwaukee schools yesterday that shows charter schools' better performance on Wisconsin's new "school report cards" compared with regular public schools is due almost entirely to the fact that the charter schools are able to exclude habitual truants.

ALEC’s Schoolhouse Rock

Indiana Schools Superintendent Tony Bennett was the darling of the education reform movement. In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Bennett and Governor Mitch Daniels created the country’s largest school voucher program, enacted rigid teacher evaluation requirements, and imposed school grading systems, in many cases using “model legislation” from their friends at the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).

Wisconsin’s Voucher Vultures

Scott Jensen began his career shilling for corporations at the Wisconsin state capitol as a lobbyist for Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce in the 1980s. He was then hired by the Republican Assembly Caucus as staff director and within a few years moved into the position of chief of staff for then-Governor Tommy Thompson. After a couple of years, he ran for public office himself and served as an Assembly representative for fourteen years, including as the speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly for some of that time.

Wisconsin

Wisconsin

Legislature Status

In recess.

Existing Programs:

Parental Choice Program (2013)
Gives vouchers of up to $6,442 to low-income and middle-income students to attend private school. The program is capped at 500 students, and is slated to expand by 1,000 every year.

Milwaukee Parental Choice Program (1990)
Gives vouchers of up to $6,442 (for the 2013-14 school year) to low- and middle-income students in Milwaukee to attend private school.

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