Over the years, school choice has made significant gains in Milwaukee and Racine. Since the
voucher enrollment cap was lifted in 1998, the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program expanded by an
average of 11% per year to about 28,000 students. Enrollment in the Racine Parental Choice
Program more than doubled each year between 2012 and 2014. Yet, throughout Wisconsin, the
traditional “one-size-fits-all” public school remains dominant – 88% of all students in Wisconsin
are enrolled at a traditional public school. There is relatively little difference among these schools.
The districts hire teachers under similar compensation schemes, and teach the same curriculum. All
teachers must be licensed by the state, and teachers with licenses from out of state must jump
through many hoops to obtain a Wisconsin license. All schools are overseen by a central
administration.
Governor Scott Walker has proposed an expansion of independent charter schools and lifting the
caps on the statewide voucher program. Opponents to these alternatives to traditional public
schools argue that there is no reason to extend these choices to low-income families. They say that
the present model – in which such students go to the public school that is assigned to them with the
limited ability to move to another such school – is just fine. If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.