Grasping At Straws
Illinois is sure to be disappointed if it continues to move forward with a private voucher program ( SB 2494 ) for Chicago Public Schools. Just ask Wisconsin-- and Milwaukee . Clearly, the Chicago Tribune editorial board ( 'Liberate the kids' ), which is cheering the process on, has not done its homework, not checked its sources, and not looked to its neighbor to the north for guidance. Or it is simply drinking the Kool Aid mixed by Voucher Inc.: And there's evidence that vouchers improve public schools. A 2009 report by The Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice examined 17 studies on the impact of voucher programs. Sixteen studies found that vouchers improved student achievement in public schools; one study found they had no positive or negative impact. In other words, competition works. There is also plentiful evidence that vouchers do NOT improve public schools, including the on-going evaluation of the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program -- the longest-stan...