Research Says

The 32nd Annual Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll
The notion that the public is dissatisfied with its public schools is based on myth instead of fact, this national pole shows. It also establishes that vouchers are increasingly unpopular. August 14, 2000

RISING MATH SCORES SUGGEST EDUCATION REFORMS ARE WORKING
A non-partician Rand Corporation study finds Michigan public schools improving at twice the national average. This press release includes a link to the full text of the study. July 25, 2000.

A Review of "The Impact of School Choice on Integration in Milwaukee Private Schools"
Researcher Gerald W. Bracey concludes that the Fuller/Mitchell study "fails completely to prove its case" that Milwaukee vouchers increased integration. June 26, 2000

Support for Vouchers Depends on How the Question is asked
Public Agenda, a non-partisan public opinion organization demonstrates that voucher support in public opinion polls plummets when the phrase "public expense" is included.

Laws That Don't Apply to Private Schools
The voucher debate is increasingly about the lack of private school accountability. This study lists the laws that public schools must obey and private schools can ignore.

Schools Budget Bill Plans Funding Cut to Pay for Vouchers
The Governor's new State Aid Budget bill provides a $100 per student funding cut if the voucher proposal is adopted. This MEA study shows how much each school district would lose.

Nationwide Roundup Of State Action On Private & Religious School Voucher Legislation
People for the American Way reviews the status of the voucher movement across the United States as of July 14, 1999.

The Cost
No matter what its proponents say, the first thing a voucher program must do is pay for all of the kids currently attending private and religious schools. While proponents use a $3,100 figure for each voucher, this MEA estimate uses a strict reading of the proposal’s language and reaches a much higher per voucher figure. As a result, the total cost of a voucher program skyrockets.

Vouchers a Part of the Religious Right’s Long Term Plans
Read the National Education Association’s detailed investigation of the Religious Right’s 30 year plan to change public policy with vouchers and private scholarship programs. Starting with the creation of the Heritage Foundation in 1973 and leading directly to the founding of the Mackinac Center, this is a story that right wing conspiracy theories are made of.

Overview from the Education Week
Starting with the unavoidable premise that "Conservatives see school choice as a way to reduce the clout of bureaucrats and teachers' unions," this article gives an easy to digest summary of the voucher movement, together with a glossary and an archive of Education Week articles on the subject.

The Cost of Choice
The Phi Delta Kappan examines what is currently known about voucher programs and proposals.

Private School Accountability
As private schools continue to clamor for taxpayer funding, a question arises about their willingness to account for how they spend these funds. This American Federation of Teachers article reviews the conflict between the religious school work to get public funding and their refusal to give up their cherished autonomy.

The Milwaukee Voucher Experiment
Voucher proponents always make glowing comparisons to the success of the Milwaukee voucher program. Read the facts for yourself. This article summarizes a five year study, conducted by John Witte, professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and appears in the September, 1999 issue of the Phi Delta Kappan.