Stubby, your missing the truth (or avoiding it) Milwaukee public schools tests were based on the entire student population including advanced kids. The voucher tests cherry picked only those who were receiving vouchers from the state. Now I'm sure you would agree that the children that used the voucher system were probably not thriving in the public school they previously attended. Why not let the voucher schools include those bright kids in their comparative tests?

Whoa....wait a minute All4. I thought the assertion was that choice schools were an improvement on public schools, not just a little bit worse. You are correct - not every choice school was tested - but those that did test showed similar demographics to public schools and also showed inferior results. So choice schools did not increase student achievement, but did funnel millions of dollars away from public schools that desperately need those funds to show improvements.

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It is a scam, people. You should be outraged that your taxes are being used to fund these private, for profit, institutions!

Pasta: This is America we can vote for people like Scott Walker who will not back down and do what's right with our tax money

Stubby: You have to read the whole article before commenting. Only half of the voucher students were tested in this study. Only the voucher students in those schools were tested not the whole student body as was tested in the public schools scores. Even with this unfair testing voucher schools trailed by only a few percentage points. You have to agree that those voucher students would not have scored well in the public schools tests. Why does one test include the smartest kids and the voucher school cannot? Those who are against school choice like to cry cherry picking, isn't that the pot calling the kettle black?

"Why are you so against a person deciding to place their child and their tax money into a private school."
Why do you think that once you pay your taxes you should still control that money? That money is no longer yours. If you want to control it,after you pay it, get yourself elected.

916 - there are some problems in Milwaukee - but the voucher schools are doing even worse!

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http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/chartersc...

Fear: Sandusky wasn't in a religious school was he? I think we could ask the same question to you. Why are you so against a person deciding to place their child and their tax money into a private school. Were not asking for your child or your tax money. It doesn't seem to be your business. If public school proves to be better people will choose it. Let go of some of that fear.

fear,
You don't make any sense. Why settle for either? I don't have to send my children to that religious org, but if I am in the district of the porn surfing teacher, guess what? I don't get a choice, my tax money goes to help pay his salary.
You want the teachers to have bargaining rights for their jobs, but you don't think I have a right to bargain for my children's education? The money would follow the student with the voucher program. That means, the 11,000+/- that taxpayers pay for public education goes to the school they go to. I happen to disagree with one thing. There should be a list of schools to choose from...no private schools should be included in this program, only available public Wisconsin schools.

A guy caught looking at porn versus MULTIPLE sexual abuse counts all across the land in religious organizations? Ill take the porn surfing union guy ,over the molesting gay priests.

916 why are you so fixated on unions? I know that you despise them with every shred of your being. I however see the need for teachers to stand together unified against politicians that may try to destroy the profession, or at very least devalue it as significantly as possible. I don't begrudge teachers their rights to unionize. I believe that their union is one of the few that are still necessary because of politicians like Scott Walker and bitter local business men like Bill Sodemann whose sole purpose is to defund public education at all costs.
Why is it that people are so afraid of letting these people or anyone bargain together for better working conditions and a fair wage? I find your fixation on unions as what's wrong with education, IGNORANT, and very shortsighted on your part. I also would submit that if there were a fair way to evaluate a teacher based on performance I would be all for it. Unfortunately that just doesn't exist.
So outside of unions what else do you people have? you have shown yourselves as nothing more than union haters looking to take money out of the pockets of our most important public servants. After looking through the obscene special interest spending going on at both the state and federal level to say that education funding is the issue is comical. Why don't you look around a little bit more. I would also ask you this, where were you and others when the economy was absolutely EXPLODING and teachers in WI were having compensation limited buy the ridiculous QEO law? Now we should blame the private sector's failures on teachers? Shows you how ridiculous this movement is led by the dumbest governor in the history of the United States of America.

Case in Point: Scott Walker isn't qualified to be a substitute teacher in a kindergarten classroom.

Why should my taxpayer money go to support private education? Private means not government supported. If my money is going to go to support a private school, then that school should be grade the same as public schools. Currently there is not check on private schools.

"this budget ensures that the small proposed increase in school aids will only be used to
reduce property taxes, not increase spending on our students."
Link to full release.....

http://eis.dpi.wi.gov/files/eis/pdf/dpin...

axolotlsx5--Walker gave himself a $7000 raise? Please provide proof of that claim. As far as the mortgage settlement, ALL Wisconsinites suffered when the bottom dropped out of the housing market. That money was applied to a general fund and used to help our entire state. The socialists should be happy with Walker for that one.....

All4- you can choose any school in the state for your kids. When I think of school choice, that is what I consider choice.

Fear.....Are your kids in this school or one like it? Hope not!
http://www.wkow.com/Global/story.asp?S=1...
The good thing though is that the union always has the best interests of the children as their #1 priority--right??

what do you exspect from a snake in the grass? he takes away the rights of union workers and gives him self a $7000/year raise. what happened to all the money that banks had to pay back for scamming people on house loans? that wasnt walkers money to decide where it goes, should have gone to the people who lost their houses and not to walker and his butt buddies.

All4 your kids in this school or one like it? Hope not. http://gazettextra.com/weblogs/latest-ne...

analertcitizen: I would be happier if we were all given our own choice

All4- this voucher debate has been going on since 1962. I was an opponent of it then and I am now. It is the new political Far Religious Right thing that has me more frightened of voucher schools than anything else. Let 's beef up our public schools.

"Even now, however, with less than ever, Wisconsin public schools are producing top-notch results"
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This article sheds some much needed reality to that claim......
http://www.jsonline.com/news/education/1...

Stubbs.....Attached is an excellent article outlining a successful voucher school program. Enjoy:)
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872...

analertcitizen: Thats great that you didnt ask for your tax dollars to be allocated for your childrens school, after all yopu didn't really have a choice, but wouldn't you have been entitled to it. I dont ask for my tax dollars to go to a failing public education system and then have to pay again for a school that works, but I do it because I have to.

"In the end keep God in church and OUT of the schools."
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Many of us believe that unions should be kept out of the school systems as well. If you expect certain groups to respect your wishes regarding how your tax dollars are spent, surely you would in turn respect the wishes of those taxpayers that want nothing to do with the unions influencing the education of their children.....no?

Tom Evers, Mary Bell, and Mike Tate are all from the same mold. I wouldn't expect anything else from these pro-union bullys. They have had nothing but contempt for anything Scott Walker has come up with.

We've had this debate already. I posted links to data that showed that voucher schools in Milwaukee significantly UNDER-PERFORMED when compared to state averages and when compared to Milwaukee Public Schools. Somehow, after this data was collected, the voucher schools were then exempted form having to collect further data. Bottom line is that there is no evidence to suggest that voucher schools do any better than their public counterparts - even when allowed to cherry-pick their students. The idea of "choice" sounds wonderful and oh, so American, but in the end it is a smokescreen to divert your tax dollars to private, for profit, corporate schools. The unions are the scapegoats here. Facts are that most public schools are doing a pretty bang-up job in Wisconsin. Data consistently shows Wisconsin students scoring at the top in the ACT and other nationwide tests. By de-funding the schools the administration is creating a crisis (where none existed) to legitimize their actions. Even now, however, with less than ever, Wisconsin public schools are producing top-notch results - which speaks volumes about the dedicated professionals teaching our children day in and day out.

All4- My kids all went to private elementary schools. We never wanted tax dollars to send them there. It was, after all, our choice.

All4- I do know that the schools who accept tax dollars must follow the rules regarding testing, length of school day etc. Not certain of curriculum but there is the separation of church and state portion of the Constitution. Someone would challenge it.

fearandrhetoric4dummies: You should worry more about where YOUR tax dollars go and what YOUR children are taught, not mine.

analertcitizen: Your assuming that, I haven't heard of any specifics pertaining to religious teaching in a tax excepting private school. Have you?

Its called standards, its caled curriculum, they are called rules. We all should follow them and be held to standards. Private schools underperform for this reason alone. Religious indoctrination may be your choice but if your school gets a dime of taxpayer dollars you are subject to standards that the public schools are held to. Should be easy for the schools that cherry pick students.
In the end keep God in church and OUT of the schools.

dtb: I understood wislady's point to be that we should be given more choices if public school is not working. You should be more tolerant of other peoples views

All4- in accepting tax dollars your school would be subject to the same rules that public schools and for that matter- any tax accepting organization is subject to under Federal law.

Some one should tell wislady this isn't about home schooling.

analertcitizen, to answer your question you dont have the right to tell "my" religious school what to teach just as I wouldn't have the right to tell yours. I think your misunderstanding, my tax dollars are going to the school that I choose to send my children and your tax dollars go to the school that you choose. Its simple really

Allforchoice-so if my tax dollars go to support your religious school do I get to tell you what to teach or who to teach. As a tax payer I mean. Better think about what you want.

Hey everyone, don't mean to state the obvious but if you don't want "YOUR" tax dollars going to Christian based schools, then you don't have to send your children there. Just don't take my right away to allow my tax dollars to go where I choose. What are you so afraid of? Is the competition too strong? Will public education fail so miserably when citizens are actually given a choice? Trust me the competition will create better schools.

"Through ALEC, corporations, ideologues, and their politician allies voted to spend public tax dollars to subsidize private K-12 education and attack professional teachers and teachers' unions by:
Promoting voucher programs that drain public schools of resources by using taxpayer dollars to subsidize private school profits, and specifying that those schools must remain unregulated. Voucher programs have been pushed in the following ways:"..........
http://www.alecexposed.org/wiki/Privatiz...

yada

Your jealousy of Walker is showing.

School vouchers were originally the 1962 brain child of Milton Friedman, a brilliant economist and self-described Libertarian. He also thought that drugs and prostitution should be legalized. I'm not too certain the Religious right want to hang their collective hats on his ideas.

GANDALF - wilady will never get it!!! You are correct with your comments (Feb. 18,@5:29pm)Walker was UNABLE to even get a degree - Dropout! His grades were barely above a C average. He left school after some very strange circumstances regarding a school election - which is another sad story about him. For Walker - as you have stated - It's all about his "IDEOLOGICALLY DRIVEN MOVE TO PRIVATIZE THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM......." Walker the Talker has done more to divide our state with his EXTREME AGENDA! Just another part of his "DIVIDE AND CONQUER" - He is sharing HIS bed with ALEC and is NOT to be Trusted!

http://www.prwatch.org/news/2013/01/1193...

http://www.prwatch.org/news/2011/07/1088...
http://www.thenation.com/blog/166038/how...

http://www.democracynow.org/2012/9/27/th...

There are many successful home schooled, or charter schooled graduates. Parents should have choices, especially if their children are not getting the best education possible.

Walker & his people could care less about the children

Walker is trying to kill public school and then when the religious schools take off the public schools will have to close then what?
I do not want my taxes going to any religious school. I prefer my kids be taught science in school. Evolution should be taught as a fact!

Walker's plan is to privatize education - it's been the plan of conservatives since Thompson began the failed voucher program over 20 years ago. He and his puppet masters want to destroy public education.

I don't want my tax dollars going toward a religious school. I say no to the voucher entitlement program.

It would be nice if those who criticize would come up with suggestions on how to resolve the problem, oh I forget, THEY are the problem.

wislady - you're kidding right? It's not about the kids. It's about shifting taxpayer dollars to private/corporate schools. Don't you read anything?

Bad idea. The Albany's, Juda's and O-P's of the area will be the hardest hit. Scooter is also paying off huge contributors like the owners of Amway. Please do some research rural, Walker supporters!!

Surprise, surprise....a union shill not supporting ideas which remove power and control from the unions? Who would have thought?!?:)

Why does this guv insist on putting money into this failed voucher system? Money from contributors maybe? Otherwise known as quid pro quo?

If it is about the kids, Evers should support it.