But with hundreds of millions of dollars invested, that assertion is still being debated. Researchers have done dozens of studies on the Milwaukee program as well as programs in Cleveland and Washington, D.C. For every study that shows school-choice students perform better than their public school counterparts, another study contradicts it.
''You've got to wonder about the wisdom of increasing the program by 50 percent when there's no evidence from Milwaukee and no evidence from places like Cleveland that vouchers have succeeded in raising student achievement," said Nancy Van Meter, director of the American Federation of Teachers' Center on Accountability and Privatization.
Milwaukee's program, begun in 1990, allows poor families to send their children to private or parochial schools at state expense, at up to $6,351 per student. This year, the program is expected to cost nearly $94 million.
Supporters say it allows youngsters to escape bad schools and can make the public school system better by forcing it to compete for students. Teachers' unions and others complain that voucher programs drain money and talent from urban schools and run counter to the principle of free, universal public education.
The governor signed the increase after vetoing two smaller expansions in previous years. Religious and business leaders and other voucher supporters had lobbied Doyle for months, and targeted him in a radio ad that likened Doyle, a white man with two adopted black sons, to the segregationist Southern governors of the civil rights era. A TV ad featured a black student saying the governor was ''throwing away my dream."
Terry Brown, president of St. Anthony's parochial school, said his 800 students thrive because the school focuses on structure and instruction and includes Catholicism in daily routine. This year, 4-year-olds are reading for the first time, and after-school programs were added so parents can work longer, Brown said.
Brown said the fight for students is increasing as schools advertise to attract students and the dollars they bring with them. ''It's so competitive. You've got to create a niche and communicate that to parents so they can decide where to send their kids," Brown said.
