UNDATED (WSAU-Wheeler News) Two Wisconsin House Democrats have asked for a second federal review of Milwaukee’s 25-year-old private school voucher program.
Madison Democrat Mark Pocan took the lead in asking the U-S Government Accountability Office to grade the program on things like student achievement and special-ed services — and compare them to the Milwaukee Public Schools. Democrats Gwen Moore of Milwaukee and Dave Loebsack of Iowa also signed Pocan’s letter to Comptroller General Gene Dodaro.
Jim Bender, who heads the pro-voucher group School Choice Wisconsin, said the request is “99-percent politics.” He says Pocan gets big support from teachers’ unions, and it’s not Washington’s business to look into programs funded by state and local tax dollars. Pocan disagrees, saying other states have joined Wisconsin in considering expansions of tax-funded vouchers for youngsters to attend private schools. He says it makes sense to have an objective study by what he called a “respected, non-partisan agency.”
The G-A-O reviewed the Milwaukee program in 2001, but Pocan says there’s a ton of new data since then which warrants another review. Wisconsin expanded its program on a limited basis two years ago — and it’s considering another expansion in the next state budget.
