Michael J. Petrilli and Devon Nir

States across the country have enacted new private-school choice programs in recent years, inevitably raising questions about accountability for participating institutions.

Though it is true—as our friends in the school choice movement argue—that choice itself is a form of accountability because of the agency it provides to parents and the power of the marketplace, we don’t think that “customer satisfaction” is enough. When tax dollars are in play, the public has a right to know that participating students are gaining essential skills. After all, we pitch in to pay for public education because everyone benefits when all children can access the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in life, ultimately ensuring the prosperity of the larger society and a healthy democracy. Education, particularly in the K–12 years, is both a private benefit and a public good.

Still, we recognize that getting accountability right requires a balancing act. If accountability provisions are too heavy-handed, private schools may choose not to participate—limiting choices for families. Or perhaps only those most desperate for students will sign up, driving down quality. Under pressure to raise test scores, private schools might also lose their distinctive character and shift toward uniformity with public schools, undermining the diversity of options that private-school choice seeks to provide.

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Meanwhile:

The data clearly indicate that being able to read is not a requirement for graduation at (Madison) East, especially if you are black or Hispanic”

My Question to Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers on Teacher Mulligans and our Disastrous Reading Results

2017: West High Reading Interventionist Teacher’s Remarks to the School Board on Madison’s Disastrous Reading Results 

Madison’s taxpayer supported K-12 school district, despite spending far more than most, has long tolerated disastrous reading results.

“An emphasis on adult employment”

Wisconsin Public Policy Forum Madison School District Report[PDF]

WEAC: $1.57 million for Four Wisconsin Senators

Friday Afternoon Veto: Governor Evers Rejects AB446/SB454; an effort to address our long term, disastrous reading results

Booked, but can’t read (Madison): functional literacy, National citizenship and the new face of Dred Scott in the age of mass incarceration.

When A Stands for Average: Students at the UW-Madison School of Education Receive Sky-High Grades. How Smart is That?