But voucher opponents don't buy that argument. They say that injecting competition into public education corrupts a system meant to serve everyone. A public school with a private school attitude' One Milwaukee public school that has excelled in the new era of competition is Riley Elementary, where fifth-grader Anteria Wright attends school. Anteria is happier at Riley than she was at the voucher school she attended previously. Her performance has improved as well.
Studies show that family income level is usually the best predictor of a school's performance.
But at Riley, most of the students read above their grade level, even though 90 percent are poor enough to qualify for federally-funded free lunches. Riley's principal, Jim Novak, uses competition with the voucher-funded schools as a benchmark for his school. Because his budget depends on the school's enrollment, Novak has had to be responsive to the changing demographics of Milwaukee's south side. Once a Polish immigrant neighborhood, Hispanic children now make up about half of Riley's 725 students. In response, the school has added English immersion and bilingual classes.