Building on the Success of School Choice as a State, City, and AF Chapter

Home to the nation’s first private voucher system, it’s fitting that Milwaukee – and the entire state of Wisconsin – celebrates National School Choice Week. AF-Milwaukee joined in last week’s celebration and hosted an event featuring CJ Szafir and Libby Sobic of the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty – experts on school choice policy, research, and litigation.

One of many school choice events in the state last week (including one with Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos in the state capitol), our AF happy hour continued a strong tradition of successful school choice events over the past few years. Two years ago, we heard from Jim Bender, president of School Choice Wisconsin, and last year, we toured Notre Dame School of Milwaukee – a choice school on the city’s south side – and heard from their principal, Patrick Landry.

This year, Szafir and Sobic shared insight on school choice policies and set the record straight on many myths we too often hear surrounding the issue. They shared with us that students who attend a choice school are more likely to graduate from high school, have higher reading and math proficiencies, are more likely to graduate from college, and are less likely to commit crime.

They also spoke on the history of school choice and how it was once a bipartisan issue, though unfortunately, that’s largely no longer the case in Wisconsin.

But perhaps one of their most touching insights came from a story of Kenya Green – a student who chose to attend HOPE Christian High School (a choice school) in Milwaukee after years of moving and instability in traditional public schools. While the transition took some adjustment, she ultimately succeeded, graduated, and attended Wisconsin Lutheran College. She now sends her younger brother to the same school.

Our AF chapter hosts school choice events every year because we know that many, many stories like Kenya’s exist, as does the research and data to back it up. Every child deserves a good education, and every parent deserves the right to choose the best path and school for their child.