Realizing a dream: Religious school choice in Milwaukee

This qualitative historical case study examines the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program (MPCP). The study reviews events and circumstances that led to the implementation of this pioneering experiment in educational choice. The program is a landmark effort in the use of public vouchers or scholarships to allow children from poor families to attend private schools. The need for the MPCP arose from the failure of Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) to educate children while hiding this failure from public view. MPS attempted to overcome the negative effects of busing to achieve desegregation of the public schools, but the poor achievement of African-American children and those of other minority groups led to frustration and discontent on the part of parents.;How the MPCP became law, and how it functioned in its first years of operation is the focus of the study. PAVE, A privately funded choice program, operated at the same time as the original MPCP, and it had some effect on the subsequent expansion of the MPCP to include religiously affiliated schools. The report follows the expansion debate through the Wisconsin Legislature and into the courts as its constitutionality was challenged. Once approved by the Wisconsin Supreme Court the expanded program allowed poor children to attend many types of religious schools including those of the Roman Catholic, Lutheran, and other Christian and non Christian traditions. Subsequent attempts by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) to regulate the program, and their handling of complaints intended to stifle its operation are discussed. The report comments on publicly funded choice programs in Cleveland and Florida, and on other privately funded programs throughout the country.;More study of the MPCP is needed including a longitudinal study of the expanded program. Other researchers might study parental and student perceptions and explore reasons for perceived high program attrition rates. Further study of privately funded choice programs in other cities would also be useful. The Milwaukee Parental Choice Program is an exciting educational innovation. The program's effectiveness and its implications for education should be carefully considered as part of an on-going effort to improve America's schools.