Forward Institute Wants to Shut Down Successful Charter Schools Despite Claiming to Fight for Low-Income Students

This recommends that the state’s non-instrumentality charter schools no longer exist going forward. It’s a bold statement, and one that doesn’t line up with the rest of the study’s mission; to provide high quality education for low-income students. Milwaukee, which is home to all but one of the state’s independent charter schools, has had great progress in these institutions. They commonly outscore public schools and instrumentality charters in both WKCE and School Report Card metrics while educating a high population of low-income students.  Read More Forward Institute Wants to Shut Down Successful Charter Schools Despite Claiming to Fight for Low-Income Students

Debunking Five Common Myths About School Choice

Recently, Step Up for Public Schools (SUPS) released a pamphlet titled “The Truth about Vouchers and Privately Run Charters.” Unfortunately, a better title for their flier would have been “Half-Truths.” SUPS raises several tired talking points about school choice in Wisconsin that have been repeatedly debated, disproven, and regurgitated over more than two decades of voucher discussion.  Read More Debunking Five Common Myths About School Choice

Debunking Five Common Myths About School Choice

Recently, Step Up for Public Schools (SUPS) released a pamphlet titled “The Truth about Vouchers and Privately Run Charters.” Unfortunately, a better title for their flier would have been “Half-Truths.” SUPS raises several tired talking points about school choice in Wisconsin that have been repeatedly debated, disproven, and regurgitated over more than two decades of voucher discussion.  Read More Debunking Five Common Myths About School Choice

Scott Walker Rallies State GOP to Support his Budget

MacIver News Service – Governor Scott Walker drew wide support from Republican Party members this past weekend for school choice, his decision to reject the Medicaid expansion under ObamaCare, entitlement reforms, and his income tax cut. Walker delivered remarks to about one thousand Republican Party of Wisconsin delegates and members at their state convention on Saturday.  Read More Scott Walker Rallies State GOP to Support his Budget

Choice Schools Association Responds to Journal Sentinel Editorial

The Journal Sentinel editorial board recently quoted the Department of Public Instruction Superintendent as saying, “The state cannot continue to play favorites. We can and must meet our constitutional obligation to invest in all of our kids.” The superintendent errs, however, when he suggests that private schools that serve choice students are the ones that have somehow been shown preferential treatment over the years. This op-ed discusses the real facts about school choice.  Read More Choice Schools Association Responds to Journal Sentinel Editorial

Joint Finance Votes to Reduce Transportation Spending, But Does Not Fill Budget Hole

MacIver New Service – After numerous delays waiting for a grand compromise to take shape, the Joint Committee on Finance (JFC) passed a motion late Tuesday that reduces spending and increases revenue for the Department of Transportation (DOT) but does not fix the projected 2013-2015 budget deficit.  Read More Joint Finance Votes to Reduce Transportation Spending, But Does Not Fill Budget Hole

JFC Begins Voting on Budget Tomorrow and The MacIver Institute Will Provide Full Coverage and Analysis for Wisconsin Taxpayers

The powerful Finance Committee, made up of 12 Republicans and 4 Democrats, will spend weeks reviewing, debating and amending every part of the governor’s $68 billion dollar budget. And with the start of Finance’s work, the MacIver Institute will provide the real-time analysis and the 24/7 coverage of the budget debate that you can find no where else.  Read More JFC Begins Voting on Budget Tomorrow and The MacIver Institute Will Provide Full Coverage and Analysis for Wisconsin Taxpayers

New, Stringent Testing Standards Lead to Lower Scores Statewide

Wisconsin’s proficiency rates took a big hit in 2012-2013 thanks to more stringent standards on the WKCE. Fewer than half of the state’s students met national benchmarks in mathematics – and that figure fell to just 36 percent when it came to reading. This is a significant difference from the grades that Wisconsin students turned in under the old standards, which suggested that nearly 80 percent of all pupils were proficient in reading in 2011-2012.  Read More New, Stringent Testing Standards Lead to Lower Scores Statewide

New, Stringent Testing Standards Lead to Lower Scores Statewide

Wisconsin’s proficiency rates took a big hit in 2012-2013 thanks to more stringent standards on the WKCE. Fewer than half of the state’s students met national benchmarks in mathematics – and that figure fell to just 36 percent when it came to reading. This is a significant difference from the grades that Wisconsin students turned in under the old standards, which suggested that nearly 80 percent of all pupils were proficient in reading in 2011-2012.  Read More New, Stringent Testing Standards Lead to Lower Scores Statewide

School Administrator Association Director Ignores Data in Op-Ed Against School Choice

Special Perspective from James Wigderson breaks down Miles Turner’s Op-Ed “There are no ‘failing’ Wisconsin schools.” Turner is the executive director of the Wisconsin Association of School District Administrators. Wigderson looks into each claim by Turner to provide the full and honest story that Turner neglected to mention in his article.  Read More School Administrator Association Director Ignores Data in Op-Ed Against School Choice