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Ali Schwartz
Ali Schwartz
If there is one thing that 7-year-old Kyan Wakefield has enthusiasm about, it is prayer. The second-grader loves to pray. In fact, he gets a bit overzealous at times, and is gently reminded to cut it short when he leads the prayer at his new school, HOPE Via, in Racine. That doesn’t surprise his parents, Fatima and Charles Wakefield. They stand their family of six on faith. It was during a school supply drive at their church, Reconciliation Ministries International, where they met HOPE Principal Castenzio Venegas. The church had gathered supplies for needy families who would be attending HOPE,…
The SCW Action Quality Committee hosted a workshop to help explain what schools will need to prepare and what they can expect to happen throughout the school choice financial audit process. In addition to the video of the seminar, you can view the seminar PowerPoint presentation and download the following documents: Internal Control Document Audit Request List Bank Confirmation Template Investment Confirmation Template Note Payable Confirmation Template Contribution and Receivable Confirmation Template Sample School Audit Report Sample School Management Letter Sample School Management Representation Letter Download The Financial Audit Documents ITEM #1 INTERNAL CONTROL DOCUMENT ITEM #2 AUDIT…
Participation in the MPCP Lowers Criminal Convictions for the Most At-Risk The Journal of Private Enterprise recently named “Private School Choice and Character: More Evidence from Milwaukee” as the best academic article of 2021 in their publication. The paper by Patrick J. Wolf, Ph.D., and Corey A. DeAngelis, Ph.D., examined the effects of Milwaukee’s school voucher program on adult criminal activity and paternity suits, using matched student-level data. “The study by Wolf and DeAngelis adds to the growing evidence on the positive impact of Milwaukee’s pioneering choice program,” said Mary McIntosh, School Choice Wisconsin President. She added, “Earlier research shows…
Far across town from the Institute of Technology and Academics, lives a 15-year-old girl who has been in desperate straits. Her parents struggle with drug addiction, she cannot read and she has resorted to cutting herself to cope with her unhappy life. Things are changing for her, though, and it is all because of one confident, big-hearted eighth-grader at ITA who can relate to her friend’s life, but can see a better one on the horizon. This eighth-grader is Amya, and she has become the confidant, counselor and friend of this desperate teen who has looked to her younger neighbor…
There was a time when Bernetta Dokes was in denial. She didn’t want to believe that any of her children had special needs that would impede their academic success. But in the middle of his elementary years, her son Adam was not reading at the rate that would be expected for his age. He was tested, and later diagnosed with a reading disability. “He was almost embarrassed about it,” she said of her son when his difficulties were identified. “He went into a shell and became withdrawn.” But this year, Adam has taken strides that Bernetta didn’t think were possible.…
Last August, days after some schools had opened and days before most schools were ready to open, the Dane County Health Department issued a school closure order for all schools, public and private serving grades 3-12. School Choice Wisconsin Action, along with several private schools and other stakeholders, immediately filed suit through the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty. The petition asked the Wisconsin Supreme Court for an injunction that would allow schools to open while the Court deliberated. The injunction was granted allowing private schools in Dane County to open for in-person instruction, but the Court’s final decision was…
MADISON –On Monday evenings, a handful of parents gather at Lighthouse Christian School to better understand the vital role they play in the successful education of their children. One of them, Marcia Vinveza, joins her colleagues after a day working in a nearby factory. The single mother of a third-grader says she chooses Lighthouse Christian School because the school has earned her trust. It’s a safe place where her daughter, Kiara, will not be overlooked. But Lighthouse leaders aren’t only focusing on the students, says Principal Tia Sierra. If children truly are to grow in their learning, parents need to understand their…
This Special Needs Scholarship Program roundtable discussion goes in-depth with topics related to participating in the SNSP in Wisconsin. We cover determining the number of seats, IEPs, reporting and compliance, blended learning programs, professional development, benefits of joining the SNSP, and much more. Participants in the Special Needs Scholarship Program roundtable are: Sharon Wallace and Matt Vahl, Immanual Lutheran School in Brookfield Ellen Heiden and Dennel Meinzer, LUMIN Schools Mike Derrick, Mary Queen of Saints Catholic Academy Lori Saqer, Messmer Catholic Schools Erin Janetzke, Martin Luther High School A complete summary of the topics covered is below and you can…
Sahara Aden is a St. Joan Antida success story. Aden graduated from the all-girl, Catholic school in Milwaukee earlier this year and just completed her first trimester at Milwaukee School of Engineering, studying electrical engineering. “I don’t think I’d choose this path without the choice program,” she said in an interview. Ninety-eight percent of St. Joan’s enrollees are choice students, meaning many come from low-income households. “My family wanted private schools because private schools take education seriously. They offer a more rich education and prepare me for my future,” said Aden, of Milwaukee. But her family couldn’t afford the tuition. Her…
This seminar for Choice Schools, part of the SCWA Quality Series, offers an introduction to student-centered coaching styles. It is led by Stefanie Herbert, Assistant Principal of Academics at Trinity Freistadt school in Mequon. The seminar covers: Defining student-centered coaching for teachers Setting the coaching focus with teachers Building a schedule that makes an impact with students and teachers Monitoring and developing relationships with all teachers and gaining their buy-in Student-centered coaching sets specific targets for students that are rooted in the standards and curriculum and works collaboratively to ensure that the targets are met. It provides a natural connection…