Discrimination charge reignites passions over Wisconsin school voucher program

The Washington Independent ^ | 6/8/2011 | Mikhail Zinshteyn

[triumphant values]

School Choice Wisconsin fired back against charges the Milwaukee school voucher program discriminates against students with disabilities as alleged in a federal complaint filed yesterday by the American Civil Liberties Union and Disability Rights Wisconsin.

In a press release, School Choice Wisconsin argued ACLU and DRW misappropriated public information about student disability enrollment:

• Understates dramatically the number of special needs students served by private schools in the [Milwaukee Parental Choice Program].

• Fails to note the disparity in taxpayer support for MPCP pupils and pupils in private schools.

• Fails to note that Disability Rights Wisconsin opposed a bill to provide more educational opportunities and more taxpayer support for students with disabilities.

Though the complaint by the two legal advocacy groups, which was submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division, stated only 1.6 percent of the voucher program students have special needs, SCW says those numbers are a “non-representative percentage of the 10,649 MPCP pupils who indicated they had disabilities when taking the WKCE in 2010.” (WKCE is Wisconsin’s state-sanctioned standardized test.)

[triumphant values]

I try to tell supporters of school vouchers that when they become prevalent enough, the federal courts through discrimination lawsuits will be used to pry private schools open to anyone and will destroy them just as the public schools are destroyed.

Here's a perfect example of that.You take the king's shilling, you'll do the king's bidding.

[VRW Conspirator]

the federal courts through discrimination lawsuits will be used to pry private schools open to anyone and will destroy them just as the public schools are destroyed.

I hear ya. Yet, it is the voucher system that could swamp the teacher's unions. I see the Teacher's Unions as a more imminent threat. I am open to a rebuttal, though.

[WOBBLY BOB]

That’s why tutition tax credits are a better idea.

You keeping your own money is NOT federal money.

[Cyber Liberty]

You keeping your own money is NOT federal money.

Democrats will disagree with you on that. 1) To them, all money is Federal, except for what they let you keep. 2) Even tax credits are an excuse to break you open...see all the Colleges and Universities that have been required, over the years, to divulge all sorts of information to the Feds because they take students on federally guaranteed (not even funded!) loans.

[triumphant values]

I see the Teacher's Unions as a more imminent threat.

If you think the teacher's unions are a more imminent threat, then you really need to meet the students of Detroit, Chicago, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Houston, New Orleans, St. Louis and Baltimore Public schools.

[triumphant values]

That’s why tutition tax credits are a better idea. You keeping your own money is NOT federal money.

It is you pay just $2500 in taxes, but get a "credit" for $4500.