Wisconsin Democrats vow to abolish school choice for 60,000 students
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At a recent town hall, the leading Democratic candidates for governor of Wisconsin, state Rep. Francesca Hong and former Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes, vowed to eliminate the school choice program in their states.
Meanwhile, the progressive legal organization Law Forward has filed a lawsuit that could end the Dairy State’s school choice programs, claiming they violate the state constitution. A 2000 state supreme court decision allowing vouchers did so only if the state legislature provided “adequate resources” to traditional public schools. Although the state currently funds Milwaukee Public Schools at $25,000 per student, Law Forward claims these resources are inadequate.
Wisconsin’s highest court may agree; the court returns to a progressive majority in 2023.
Had either effort succeeded, it would have been a travesty for the 60,000 students currently enrolled in one of Wisconsin’s preferred programs and a stain on the Democratic Party’s record. This would signal that the party would rather bow to pressure from teachers unions and progressives than serve student needs.
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The left is seeking to roll back gains in school choice across the country. One of his first targets is Wisconsin. (iStock)
Milwaukee boasts the nation’s first voucher program after Republican Gov. Tommy Thompson joined with local civil rights groups to pass a ballot measure in 1990. Rather than appealing to libertarian or religious concerns, it was the civil rights framework that gained support.
In his book “Coupon Wars,” attorney Clint Bolick describes the rows of African-American parents supporting the coupon by attending every court meeting. The Wall Street Journal published three op-eds in support of the initiative, and Bolick writes: “For the first time a major national media outlet has unfurled a civil rights banner over the school choice movement.” Such a declaration remains valid.
The primary beneficiaries of choice policies are students who receive vouchers and thus have access to school options they might not otherwise be able to afford. Students who attend participating schools are more likely to attend college, stay in college, and avoid criminal activity into adulthood.
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Affluent families are already using their resources to purchase homes in affluent communities with successful schools. Coupons provide the same ability to everyone.
But other surprising beneficiaries of school choice are students who remain in traditional public schools. There is a robust literature examining the so-called “competitive effects” of school choice programs, where competition from charter, private, and other similar options puts pressure on public schools to improve outcomes for their students. Good intentions are laudable, but nothing drives corporate change like threatening profits.
In a recent Education Next report, researcher Patrick Graff compares the effects of competitive pressure from school choice on academic outcomes with the effects of increased spending. He writes that spending on Florida’s choice programs has increased “public school student achievement” far more than “the same amount of new funds being spent directly through the public school system.” Researchers found similar effects in Milwaukee.
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Wisconsin is leading the charge for a growing push among Democrats to dismantle school choice policies. illinois ended A similar school choice program in 2023. Arizona Democrats have attempted multiple referendums to end or limit election politics in the Grand Canyon State. Numerous policies have been proposed at the state level to impose burdensome regulations on educational freedom.
Milwaukee boasts the nation’s first voucher program after Republican Gov. Tommy Thompson joined with local civil rights groups to pass a ballot measure in 1990. Rather than appealing to libertarian or religious concerns, it was the civil rights framework that gained support.
But these dire indicators of school choice need not become reality. Florida is an instructive case study. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis won because a deliberate social media campaign by his Democratic opponent, Andrew Gillum, highlighting his opposition to school choice highlighted the issue. In the end, DeSantis won because of his so-called “school choice mothers,” including a significant portion of African-American women who voted for him on school choice.
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But the fight is coming to an end, and it holds several lessons for national reformers: The fortunes of voucher, tax credit and education savings account programs remain poor, even moderate Democrats oppose educational freedom, and most importantly, every student deserves access to a quality education. If you destroy these programs, it may be a win for Democrats, but it’s a loss for children and their families.
