A longitudinal study released by Harvard University last week shows that low-income students that received vouchers to attend the private school of their choice were more likely to graduate from college. Read More Harvard Study: School Choice Increased College Grad Rates for Low-Income Students
With the inauguration of Gov. Scott Walker and members of the Senate and Assembly behind us, the new legislative session is officially underway. Wisconsin’s lawmakers have a busy spring ahead of them as several issues are rising to the forefront of Badger State politics. One of the biggest pieces of that puzzle is the state of K-12 education. Read More Major Education Reforms Expected in 2015?
MacIver Investigation – Stretching the Truth will become a regular feature where we fact check the claims made by professional protesters, supporters of increasing the minimum wage, and those on the left that simply cannot help themselves from taking liberties with the truth. Read More Stretching the Truth: Fact Checking the Embellished Rhetoric of Professional Protestors
DPI data suggests that taxpayers spent approximately half a billion dollars to send Wisconsin K-12 students to chronically failing schools. And that was just in 2013-14 alone. A review of School Report Cards and average per-student revenue suggests that the state’s underperforming schools are costly for students, families, and residents of the Badger State. Read More Half a Billion Dollars Spent in Wisconsin’s Failing Public Schools Last Year
According to a new study, state mandates that place rigorous standards on Wisconsin’s voucher-accepting private schools have made these schools as accountable – or more – than Milwaukee Public Schools. Read More STUDY: Voucher Schools Face More Rigorous Accountability Laws Than Public Schools
In elections that ended last Tuesday, government workers voted to decertify 25 school district unions that sought recertification. Plus, 100 fewer unions than last year chose to seek recertification. Last year, 408 units sought recertification. This year, the number was down to 305.
Read More 100 Fewer Wisconsin School District Unions Seek Recertification Under Act 10
MI Perspective by Christian D’Andrea – Appleton Area Public Schools boast some of the highest-performing classrooms amongst the state’s largest districts, they just happen to be in the city’s charter schools. Read More Appleton’s School Report Cards Show How Valuable Charter Schools Can Be, Even Outside Milwaukee
MacIver News Service – Gov. Scott Walker sat down with the MacIver Institute recently to discuss his new proposal that would require working-aged, able-bodied adults to go through drug testing to receive unemployment and food stamps. Walker says there are thousands of jobs available in Wisconsin, but employers are having trouble filling them because individuals are not prepared to work. Read More Scott Walker Announces Entitlement Reform that Includes Drug Testing
The 2013-14 Wisconsin School Report Cards have been released, and only one district in the state earned a “Fails to Meet Expectations” grade. That was Milwaukee, where 47 schools fell below the 53-point cutoff for a passing grade in the third year of the state’s measurements. More than one in three MPS schools failed to meet Wisconsin standards during the prior school year. Read More New Report Cards Show Most Milwaukee Schools Still Struggling
James Wigderson, Special Guest Perspective for the MacIver Institute. With serious educational challenges in front of us, Wisconsinites deserve a genuine and frank discussion of ideas to help our children succeed. Read More Any Education Plan, Even If Plagiarized, Is Better For Public Debate Than No Plan At All