Description
Book SynopsisThe Consequences of Governance Fragmentation explains the ongoing legacy of Milwaukee's longstanding school voucher policy. The book details the evolution of school choice in Milwaukee, its impacts on student achievement, key externalities such as school closures and political conflict, and the ways in which the Milwaukee voucher program challenges traditional notions of accountability and democratic control. Michael R. Ford concludes that the voucher policy has fragmented public education to the point where true aggregate level progress of pupils is impossible and proposes an umbrella governance structure to bring funding and accountability equity to all publicly funded Milwaukee schools.
Trade ReviewAt a time when national interest in school vouchers and school choice is very high, there are valuable lessons to learn from Milwaukee, which has the oldest and most impactful voucher program in the United States. Mike Ford is an excellent person to teach those lessons. In this book, he provides a clear-eyed, knowledgeable, realistic, and insightful examination of the record and results of the voucher program, along with provocative thoughts on what public policy lessons it teaches. -- Alan Borsuk, Marquette University Law School
At a time when the national debate over school choice is more vicious and polarizing than ever, Michael Ford brings some well needed balance, nuance, and perspective to the issue. Grounded in the real experience of Milwaukee families, rather than ideology or theory, he makes a compelling case for a more cohesive approach to improving urban schools. -- Michael J. Petrilli, President, Thomas B. Fordham Institute
Table of ContentsChapter 1: The Evolution of Milwaukee School Choice Policy: From Bold Experiment to Status Quo Chapter 2: The Path to Fragmentation: How Voucher Policy Changed other Parts of Milwaukee’s Education Landscape Chapter 3: School Failure in the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program Chapter 4: Milwaukee Voucher School Leaders’ Views on Accountability: What Are They, and Why do They Matter? Chapter 5: The Long-term Impact of Vouchers on MPS Finances and Enrollment Chapter 6: The MPCP and Student Achievement: What We Have Studied, and What We Need to Study Chapter 7: The Politics of School Vouchers in Milwaukee Chapter 8: A Parallel or Complementary School System? Chapter 9: Moving Milwaukee Forward: A Meta-Governance Solution Chapter 10: Lessons from the Milwaukee Voucher Experience
