All of Milwaukee is focused on the miracle that happens when teachers, students, and parents make a connection and learning flourishes. I evolved into an advocate of school choice when it became clear that under the traditional monopoly in education, children from affluent families were leaving the public schools, and leaving children from less-affluent families behind. Instead of choosing an alternative school for their children, wealthy parents were choosing an alternative place to live. Our city, and too many other cities, were left behind. Vouchers equalized the power of choice.
Schools have to compete for our children every day, all year.
And they will attract money only by convincing parents they will teach the children well, and only by delivering on that promise will the schools be able to prosper. And so, after nine years of Milwaukee's voucher experiment, more than 6,000 students attend about ninety parochial and secular private schools. Together with a robust charter school program, school choice has helped children and their parents, and test scores are rising. Precisely because these children and their parents have a choice, school systems have an incentive to ensure schools are safe, provide challenging academics, and dedicate themselves to the success of their students. But even with these incentives in place, huge bureaucratic systems need a strong nudge from mayors and city leaders to keep them moving in the right direction.