Walkers reforms are working! I can't believe how great this is turning out. I always wanted better for the next generation and my children. Now we are going to get it! UNDRER FUNDED SCHOOLS, HIGHER TEACHER TO STUDENT RATIOS AND A LESS EDUCATED AMERICA. ROBBER BARRON DAYS HERE WE COME!

Liverpool - you got that right! I am tired for paying for the slop in Milwaukee and Racine.

Wow, tax dollars follow students. I guess this is new to some people.

Where's my free Obama phone?

Who owns them may be the question? Are you righties that far up* that you do not see who actually profits. The education system the way it was and is , is far better then dictation schooling. The Walker Klan can take their privatization and do it in their fantasy world leave the other 98% ALONE.

You can't faults 916W's ignorance of the real problem, after all he/she likely has a public school education. Conservatives support using taxpayer funds to support private schools even though no evidence exists that private schools do a better job of educating our youth than public schools, as Stubby points out. The WI Policy Research Institute discovered that funding levels had little impact on student achievement. In fact, property wealth, poverty and race were found to have a much greater impact on student performance. "In Wisconsin, a broader kind of achievement gap is evident among some of the state's high school students. This achievement gap, between students who attend the state's top academically performing high schools and those from the lowest-performing schools, appears to center on several factors—not just race, but also including poverty and property wealth." Walker's choice to give an additional $158 million dollars to private schools has nothing to do with "correcting" student performance.

How are they "private" schools if they are "publicly" funded?

Stubby, I doubt these private schools are very selective. There are throughout the state some very excellent private schools that do a fine job of educating, with decades (in some cases over 100 years) of tradition. And there are the private schools that cropped up in Milwaukee about 20 years ago to take advantage of the voucher program. Many of these went belly up when their CEOs/superintendents skipped town in flashy new cars while the teachers hadn't been paid. These are the ones that have the poor test scores that need to be cut off from public funds.

These private schools, when tested, have shown that they have no better results than the area public schools. What that doesn't cover is the fact that the private schools are very selective about the students they accept. So what you are really seeing is the best students being under-served at the for-profit schools (funded by your tax dollars - you should be outraged!) and the underfunded public schools with every possible student doing a great job. This public funding of private industry is nothing more than a kickback to campaign contributors. Tea Party people wake up and see how your leaders are fleecing you (and me).

Who benefits? The handful of children in Racine and Milwaukee (in theory) as do the profiteers that run the schools.

The children aren't benefiting as their test scores aren't any higher in those private schools. That leaves the profiteers that run those fly by night private schools.

motorman=tired discredited liberal
Thanks for contributing to the tax base though
Walker appreciates the support!

"Hmmm, ya think he had political motives when he did it"
Stop the presses! We have a super genius in our midst! A politician who had political motives in legislation that he pushed? Who would have thought?!?!?
Wisconsin had some of the highest per pupil expenditures in the midwest and the results of that spending were not in line with the performance levels of the state's students. We put walker in office to shake things up and to push different approaches in dealing with some of the state's problems. We're going to have the same old people crying, whining and screaming that Walker is destroying education--the racism claim actually made me laugh:)--they just have to come to terms with the fact the ideas that they supported were not working, and that Walker was put into place to correct this. You guys better get on board because the guy is going to be around for a while!

"They take our money and give it away for a service already provided"
Judging by the test results of the students in the districts where this is going to be implemented, that "service" is far from being provided........

All I can say about previous plans?"How is workin for you?"
Something needs to be done to get kids to
read. Try something. What else is there?
What ideas do you have? Pay more to teachers, smaller class sizes,
more education for teachers? What?

Maybe it is directed at Milwaukee and Racine because they simply are the biggest failures and suck the most money out of the state system already? Milwaukee's public school system is one of the worst in the nation and it is not due to lack of funding. Don't let that stop you from playing the race card though.

Who benefits? The handful of children in Racine and Milwaukee (in theory) as do the profiteers that run the schools.

Who loses? Everybody else in the state. Money that would have come to Janesville to help our schools will now go to Racine and Milwaukee. This should be an outrage to every taxpayer in the state.

as compared to giving it to the unions who pay for the other side of the aisle's representatives.

Everyone needs to wake up and realize that everyone elected has an agenda and IT IS NOT YOURS! They will either push the agenda of the wealthy or the mighty unions, either way doesn't help the middle class.

That is why I am for less government overall, We the People need to stand up and Be the People!

So janesvillean you're saying this is a redistribution of wealth? Looks like it. From the taxpayer to the cronies who fund elections. Can anyone say ALEC?
Where oh where is the hue and cry of socialism now?
They take our money and give it away for a service already provided.

This is not a "trend", this is $158 million of taxpayer dollars that your legislature directed, with minimal public input, toward private, profit-making entities, the same entities that contribute the most dollars to political campaigns in the state. Bought and paid for. It should disgust you -- if, that is, you hadn't already been prepared with nonsensical talking points that disguise the truth.
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There is no evidence that "the private side" has any better outcomes. The private side is usually able to pick and choose its enrollees. That's all this is about in the end -- and the basic motivation is primarily racism. Why do you think the state targeted the Milwaukee and Racine school districts for this attack on their funding? To destroy them, that's why.
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Don't be naïve.

Could it be that the private side does it much better than the public side? Could it be that when placed in a competitive environment, the most innovative and efficient win and the weaker and less efficient are eliminated? There may be good reason for the “trend”. People are getting tired of just throwing money at a problem year after year and would rather look for improved ways of achieving the desired result. If we can achieve better results at less cost, let’s do it.

Why do these private schools keep getting aid if they aren't doing a better job of educating the students? Shouldn't that be part of the formula if they get public tax dollars?

Privatization of schools, privatization of prisons, privatization of the legislative process and the erosion of personal liberties.

Does anyone notice a trend?