We reported the good news yesterday that Pennsylvania became the 17th state to approve a major school choice measure this year.
Also yesterday, we received more encouraging news on the education front. By a vote of 4 to 3, the Wisconsin State Supreme Court declined to hear arguments in a case alleging the state’s more than two-decade-long school choice program violates the state’s constitution. That’s a preposterous claim by the public education blob coming now after Wisconsin has already graduated tens of thousands of kids – mostly minorities – who have materially benefited from the program.
Wisconsin pioneered school choice under former GOP Gov. Tommy Thompson. He worked hand-in-glove with the late civil rights leader and “Mother of School Choice” Polly Williams, a Democrat legislator representing parts of Milwaukee, to empower parents to choose better schools for their kids. The plaintiff in the case claims that after all these years the public schools are hurt by the voucher program – when in fact the evidence shows just the opposite. Talk about turning back the clock!
The case was thrown back to the lower courts. Our worry is now that the seven-member Supreme Court has a 4-3 liberal majority, if the case comes back up, these new liberal justices may rule for the unions and against Wisconsin children.
Polly Williams: Is her legacy in danger in the Badger State?