A recent report in Florida found that struggling public schools faced with the threat of losing students to vouchers showed more improvement on standardized tests than other schools. But critics contend that researchers ignored factors such as extra teachers and other resources that were funneled to the failing schools. Wisconsin legislators are considering a long-term study to assess the benefits of school choice. Many thousands of other city students are allowed to attend classes outside their neighborhood school boundaries. Many school reform proponents see these education options as the most important change brought by vouchers.
Parents make decisions around a variety of issues.
Some want faith-based institutions. I want people to have choices. The wide range of education options has forced public schools to work harder to attract and retain their 100,000 students via infomercials, billboards, open houses and radio spots. Now, we need to do it to survive. The decade-old voucher program has enjoyed a secure place in the education landscape since 1998, when its constitutionality was upheld by the Wisconsin Supreme Court.