Voucher Program is 'a Costly Mistake,' Johnson Says
The decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold the constitutionality
of Cleveland's private school voucher program will prove to be a costly
mistake, WEAC President Stan Johnson said Thursday (June 27, 2002).
| What about the Milwaukee voucher program? The U.S. Supreme Court's court's ruling in the Cleveland private
school voucher cases did not remove the constitutional cloud over
the Milwaukee voucher program, according to WEAC General Counsel
Bruce Meredith.
"The majority decision in today's Cleveland case relied heavily
on the amount of the tuition subsidy," Meredith said. "The
court noted the tuition subsidy in the Cleveland program is substantially
less than the cost of tuition at the religious schools. This leaves
open the question of whether the Milwaukee voucher program, which
provides schools with substantially more than the cost of tuition,
is constitutional." |
"Voucher schools are not accountable to the taxpayers who have paid
more than $140 million for this unproven experiment," Johnson said.
"There is no evidence showing how students in voucher schools are
faring academically. Voucher schools do not administer the tests that
public school children take, so there is no way to assess voucher student
progress."
Johnson said voucher school teachers are not required to be college graduates
or to have teaching licenses.
"Voucher schools do not have the great teachers and staff that public
schools enjoy," Johnson said. "Voucher schools cannot guarantee
classrooms that work."
Johnson said taxpayer dollars should be used to enhance goals and programs
that have a proven track record of success.
"The answer is right in front of us: Invest in programs that are
proven successes," Johnson said. "We know that smaller class
sizes; early childhood and after-school programs; and recruiting and retaining
talented, trained, and caring teachers work. Wisconsin doesn't need to
spend any more tax money on questionable experiments."
Wisconsin's great public schools are among the best in the nation, according
to Johnson, and the state should focus on maintaining and improving them,
because they benefit everyone.
Johnson said history will prove that vouchers did not help students or
society.
"We are confident that, in the long run, vouchers will be viewed
as a failed experiment that cost many students a quality education,"
Johnson said. "Vouchers are just one more passing fad… the educational
equivalent of the eight-track tape player."
Chase says vouchers are divisive
Resource page on private school vouchers
Posted June 27, 2002