PUBLIC VS. PRIVATE EDUCATION?
Friday, March 25th, 2011 -- 2:45 PM
Public school supporters are concerned the governor?s proposed budget may signal the start of a deeper philosophical debate.According to the Wisconsin School Board Association?s analysis of Gov. Walker?s proposed budget, the document expands several options that compete with local public school districts.
The plan could potentially shift more money to virtual schools, charter schools and private voucher schools.
Neillsville superintendent John Gaier explains that, right now, charter schools can be started by local public school boards.
Gov. Walker would allow any UW system four-year campus to create an independent charter school that would compete with local public schools. Another Republican proposal would create a non-elected state agency that could establish charter schools anywhere in the state.
"It would take away local control. It would also change how those schools are funded. If it's a state board that approves the charter, then the funding would not come to the local school district," Gaier says. "It would take money out of the local school district's pocket."
Voucher schools are a completely different animal. They're mostly private schools that still receive taxpayer money. They?re currently only allowed in the Milwaukee Public School district, but Walker wants to expand them to all of Milwaukee County, and possibly beyond.
"My biggest fear becomes that we're going to run two different systems and we're going to try to fund both of them publicly," he notes. "That becomes a problem of how are you going to fund both of those. Is it fair to fund both of those?"
Plus, private schools don?t have to play by the same rules public schools play by; for instance, their teachers don?t have to be state-licensed. Plus, not all families can afford private school tuition.
"Private schools can decide who they take and who they don't take. If they have a choice between low income or high income families, who are those schools going to choose down in Milwaukee?" Gaier notes. "That, quite frankly, is the strength of public schools: socio-economics stop outside the school doors."
Then there are virtual schools. Gov. Walker would like to eliminate the 5,250 student cap for virtual school enrollment. Neillsville has 29 students open-enrolling out of their district next year; 24 are planning to attend virtual schools. That could be a loss of around $160,000 in state aid.
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