The debate over how to improve public education in Wisconsin has intensified, with various interest groups, community leaders jockeying to see who and what plans can improve public school performance, particularly in underperforming districts like Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS). Groups in Milwaukee have long been trying to make reforms in MPS, and all have failed.
A growing consensus among parents, policymakers in Wisconsin has led to state support to operate outside the public system and focus on empowering parents through school choice. School choice offers a powerful solution to the persistent problems facing public schools. By allowing parents to simply opt out of the traditional public school system, school choice provides greater control for parents, more educational options to choose from, and the opportunity to find schools that better meet their children’s academic and safety needs.
The most compelling arguments for school choice is that it empowers parents to make decisions that directly impact their children’s education. Unlike the one-size-fits-all approach of public-school districts, school choice acknowledges that each child is unique and may thrive in different educational environments. Parents are given the autonomy to select schools that align with their values, academic goals, and the specific needs of their children. This freedom to choose is especially crucial in districts like MPS, where many parents feel trapped in underperforming schools with limited alternatives.
School choice introduces a competitive element into the education system, which can drive improvement across the board. When parents have the option to leave failing schools, those schools are incentivized to improve their performance to retain students. If they don’t improve more students leave- as we can see in Milwaukee but other school districts around that state such as Appleton, Green Bay and Watertown where demand for school choice is increasing. This competition encourages public schools to innovate, adopt best practices, and become more responsive to the needs of students and parents. In essence, school choice holds public schools accountable by making them earn the trust and enrollment of families, not taking them for granted because they are assigned to the district school.
Private schools typically operated differently than public schools. They don’t have union bureaucrats influencing the private school board, the private school has more freedom in their curriculum, have the flexibility and freedom to create specialized curriculums, implement unique teaching methods, and maintain smaller class sizes. This diversity in educational approaches can cater to various learning styles and preferences, ensuring that more students receive an education that suits them best even in the same classroom. Additionally, private schools often emphasize discipline and safety, which are significant concerns for many parents in struggling public school districts. In short, private schools are strongly incentivized to have strong and enforced disciplinary policies that hold parents and students accountable- and it is because if parents feel the school is unsafe, they can leave and take their voucher to another school.
Critics of school choice argue that it drains resources from public schools. The truth is that parents who live in these school districts are taking their tax dollars elsewhere because their needs are not being met at the local school district. Anti-choice advocates feel public schools have an entitlement to their student population, private schools must earn the support of their student population and their families.