Milwaukee's Voucher Scandal

[proud2BlibKansan]

'Excellerated' Learning: Milwaukee's Voucher Scandal

Friends of public schools and church-state separation have long warned that voucher schemes will spell disaster. The evidence is growing that the prediction is right.

Earlier this year, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel published an investigative series that found alarming deficiencies in many of the religious and other private schools founded to take advantage of the state’s voucher program. While some of the well-established private schools are doing a good job, a significant number of the new ones are outrageously inadequate.

Journalist Barbara Miner summarizes the conditions at some of these “schools” in an article for Rethinking Schools Online.
http://www.rethinkingschools.org/archive/20_01/free201.shtml

Says Miner, “Some of them had high school graduates teaching students. Some were nothing more than refurbished, cramped storefronts. Some did not have any discernable curriculum and only a few books. Some did not teach evolution or anything else that might conflict with a literal interpretation of the Bible. No matter how severe one’s criticisms of the Milwaukee Public Schools, nothing is as abysmal as the conditions at some voucher schools.”

For example, she notes, “At the Sa'Rai and Zigler Upper Excellerated Academy (K4–1), principal Sa'Rai Nance doesn't even have a teaching license. She said she opened the school after she had a vision from God. Nance also said that ‘excellerated’ is a fusion word combining accelerated and excellent and is ‘spelled wrong on purpose.’ The word ‘upper’ refers to ‘the upper room where Jesus prayed.’

Continues Miner, “Since the program’s start, voucher schools have received a total of almost half a billion dollars in taxpayers’ money. Yet, as one of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporters has noted, ‘The lack of research and data is stunning.’”

Print out Miner’s article and keep it handy. The next time some right-wing politician says public schools need “free-market” competition, give him a copy.

--Joseph L. Conn

http://blog.au.org/2005/12/excellerated_le.html