Friday, May 23, 2014

Inside a Voucher School



By Jeff Simpson


We brought you recently how Robin Vos is campaigning on destroying our public schools
  More school choice is in Wisconsin's future according to an article by Rep. Robin Vos in the Appleton Post-Crescent.  According to Vos, "every Wisconsin parent should also be given the opportunity to enroll their child in the school of their choice" just like we are free to decide where to live, what to wear, what to say, where to go to college, etc.

            Vos says "we should never have implemented a cap [on the Wisconsin Parental Choice Program] and I will work to get rid of it because schools choice works for Wisconsin." 

"but wait, there's more!"

Let's take a look at the "opportunity" that your child could have at a private/voucher school in Milwaukee, with our taxdollars. 

The Academy of Excellence in Milwaukee!  

Are you looking for a family-oriented school for your child? A safe classroom and a place where your child will learn and achieve his or her fullest potential? A non-denominational Christian school in Milwaukee that develops the soul as well as the mind? Afraid of the cost something like this may be? The Academy of Excellence is the answer to your questions! As a participant in the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program, your child(ren) may qualify for free tuition!

With our small class sizes, quality teachers with a  world of experience, and a staff that is there for you, your child will succeed. And if your child is unable to read, we will provide effective tutoring to make sure that no child is left behind!
Interesting that they advertise small class sizes, when during debates, our friends on the right tell us that small class sizes do not matter.  However, the fact that the republicans are not always honest in their debate is not shocking or news, so we will move on. 

Before we enter into the Academy of Excellence we all need our inside voices:



 Inside voices, but look inside the In-house safety room and you are likely to see kids who while under "in house suspension" are being used as free secretaries(stapling etc...).   Ok let's move on down the hall and head off to science class:


WHOA.  I guess science is called off in this school, lets move on to Recess, I know recess will be great because they tell me so:

Studying is important, but students can study better if they have some opportunities to relax and enjoy the day!
  • Recess!
Recess is fun on our secure, fenced-in playground.


 To be fair, they did not advertise "all the way" fenced-in playground.  Yikes.  

 We are checking to see if peeled paint and exhaust fumes come with the price of admission or if they are ala carte.  

That was not much fun, now let us head back inside.   


Yikes.....what a message to send to the kids.  I do not think they mean this wicked either:


I am also sure that when they talk about the Academy of EXCELLENCE they mean


Not this one!  

Seriously though, is this the education and learning environment we want for our kids?  Or does short term profit always trump long term investments?

Wisconsin we need to wake up and have this discussion and have it quick or else Robin Vos will be in charge and the Academy of Excellence will be the gold standard in WI.  




11 comments:

  1. Romenesko recently caught the Journal-Sentinel's oopsie moment when an automated Facebook headline grab caught some additional snarky text. Plenty of readers jumped on the JS as a rag, but its one defender worked for Yes We Can, a charter outfit with 23 schools in Milwaukee.

    Charter schools know who they owe allegiance to, and are busy educating a generation of kids to be subservient to authority and indifferent towards the needs of others.

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  2. Wow Jeff. I get that you only see taxpayer dollars fit for some - the public schools, but admonishing private schools because they don't have the biggest and best is pretty sad really. Is it really the building, or the playground, that makes the child? How materialistic. Furthermore, intolerance of religious views is downright pathetic.

    Yeah, I will beat you guys to the punch, my kids go to private school. Yeah, they learn about Jesus. They also learn about science. And I love that they are becoming well rounded individuals capable of critical thinking and reasoning. They also are growing their faith. Values and virtues make the person who they are. And if you want to go academically, take a look at how private schools compare to public schools in overall development of the child. Quit being so damn pathetic.

    I know I am going to get grilled for this one, so I will sit back and take it. I have said what I need to say on this topic, so go ahead anonymous cowards, let me have it, but don't expect a response to your sophomoric posts.

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    Replies
    1. Corey, perhaps you would benefit more from some religious training. That might help you learn to let go of your hate and learn some compassion. Your comments have shown that you need some help with your values and with critical thinking.

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    2. I am curious Corey, where does this fit into the teachings of Jesus?

      http://youtu.be/K1S_Pxw2n-U

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    3. Well, I happen to agree with Cory, and don't see any hate in his post. And, I won't be anonymous in my support.

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    4. LOL

      "Overall development of a child"

      Bwah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

      So how does a wing-nut teabagger like you objectively measure that!?!?!?!

      Bwah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

      If this is just your personal proclaimation -- your posts here entirely prove your incompetent to makes these judgements. Your development stopped years ago when you were still in the anal exploration phase.

      Bwah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

      "Overall development" -- just too funny -- those other test scores, of course, demonstrate otherwise.

      But your stunted development doesn't understand that.

      You do know what teabaggers do, don't you? They TEABAG (noun).

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  3. Corey, I agree with the Founders, taxpayer dollars are 100% for public schools and public schools are for everyone.

    if you feel the need to take your kids to a religious/private school, more power to you, just dont take taxpayer dollars to do so.

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    Replies
    1. I agree with you Jeff, taxpayer dollars go to schools for the public, where no one can be turned away. If you want your child in a private school, then you pay for it. My kids went to Parochial school til 6th grade and then I transferred them to public school. I found both to be good schools, but I wanted them to get a sense of what living in the real world is like, with all kinds of people, that is why I transferred them. Private schools can throw out any student they don't happen to like or who is unruly, not a good message for life. I think we made a good decision as I have two well rounded grown adults. I have no problem with private schools, just don't use taxpayer dollars meant for all schools open to the public.

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  4. Does Robin Vos have any relatives who are administrator's at religious schools?

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  5. What grabbed me was the description of the school as "non-denominational Christian." Is this supposed to make us First Amendment believers feel better? Non-denominational, maybe. Ecumenical? Clearly not, judging by those photos. What a shame when schools taking tax dollars go on proselytizing their pupils. Even if you believe in God and even if you're Christian, that's way beyond the bounds of what government ought to be sanctioning under the Constitution. It's respecting the establishment of a religion, which is supposed to be forbidden. That's why the pilgrims and puritans came here from Europe -- to get away from religious intolerance. Yet almost from the moment they arrived, they began imposing their own fresh versions of religious intolerance. If they could be taught some real history, maybe voucher school advocates wouldn't be visiting the sins of their former masters upon their current flock. See: http://tinyurl.com/qawm8jd

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  6. Late last year LifeSkills Academy abruptly closed, leaving its students in the lurch. LifeSkills was started in 2008 by Taron and Rodney Monroe of Lifestyle Ministries. The K-8 voucher school was awarded more than $200,000 for the school year, and the DPI is not able to recoup the money. The Monroes left the state, and in March were found in Florida, where they have started another school.
    Wisconsin has given LifeSkills some $2.3 million since 2008, for about 400 total students. Last year it had only 66. No students attending LifeSkills were proficient in reading or math in 2012-'13, except for a single fourth-grade student. None of LifeSkills Academy’s students met the minimum testing standards in reading or math in 2011 or 2012. It was removed from federal meal programs in March 2012 for appalling violations of federal school lunch program, taking its funding while cheating the students and profiteering from its misdeeds.

    Churches enjoy the luxury of tax-exempt status. Religious schools want their educational standards seperated from public institutions, though financed with public tax dollars. I will never understand how publicly-financed entities can be considered private, with no standards, rules or accountability attached for having provided that public financing.

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