Deal on Choice Cap?
Doyle blinks a lot. GOP blinks a little. A compromise is born?
Cap to be lifted, as is sage funding?
If this story is accurate, that's the plan.
Will be interesting to see the bill...and to see what equates a 'substantial' incrase in SAGE funding.Gov. Jim Doyle and State Assembly Speaker John Gard are on the brink of reaching an agreement to expand enrollment in Milwaukee's private school voucher program, according to sources.
An agreement is likely to be announced Thursday and is expected to include a substantial increase in state funding of the class size reduction program known as SAGE.
Two sources told the Journal Sentinel that the agreement will likely allow an increase in the number of low-income students using publicly funded vouchers to attend private schools and religious schools in Milwaukee from roughly 15,000 to about 22,500. It also reportedly calls for all schools using vouchers - currently 124 schools - to obtain one of several forms of accreditation within several years. Many have such accreditation now, but some, including some of the weakest schools, do not.
Doyle, a Democrat, and Gard, a Republican - as well as other key figures in the dispute over the future of the voucher program - held a summit meeting in Madison last Friday to discuss resolving the issue. Discussions have continued this week.
2 Comments:
Doyle's initial proposal was to increase the enrollment cap to 18%. The initial Republican proposal was the set the cap at 100%. The final number appears to be 22.5%.
Yeah, Doyle is the one who blinked a lot.
I do share, however, your optimism that a compromise is finally being realized. With the increase in SAGE funding and addition of accreditation rules to go along with the enrollment cap increase, this compromise will be a benefit to all Milwaukee youth. And as soon as the funding flaw can be fixed in next budget cycle, it will be a victory for all Milwaukee families, too.
The GOP caved on this one.
Doyle had far more to lose by continuing to be the obstacle here and insisting that the education of inner city kids we used as a bargaining chip for yet another WEAC cash cow.
John Gard running for congress seems to have made him far more willing to cut deals today he never would agreed to otherwise.
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