For Immediate Release September 29, 2022 Contact: Nicholas Kelly On September 29, 2022, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction released the state test scores via the Wisconsin Student Assessment System. As in prior years, students in Wisconsin’s school choice programs outperformed traditional public school students on the college-readiness ACT exam. “This continuing pattern is quite noteworthy,” said Nic Kelly, School Choice Wisconsin president. He added: “The fact that choice students from low-income and working-class families score higher on average than public school students is consistent with other data and research. Despite taxpayer funding at 60% of public school levels, choice…

For Immediate Release September 23, 2022 Contact: Nicholas J. Kelly Statement from School Choice Wisconsin and Bender Consulting LLC: School Choice Wisconsin (SCW) and Jim Bender, after more than a decade of success working together to advance educational options for parents, are moving forward on different paths but will remain allies in the fight for school choice. “SCW is grateful to Jim for his service. He has been an effective advocate for our mission of providing parental choice to all families,” said SCW Board Chair Bob DeKoch. “We continue to share a commitment to that goal.” As SCW President and…

For Immediate Release September 8, 2022 Madison, Wis. – Wisconsin’s leading education, policy, and advocacy organizations announced on Thursday the formation of an unprecedented coalition to empower parents and expand educational opportunities for students. The newly formed Wisconsin Coalition for Education Freedom includes seven leading groups that have a unified voice on educational reform. Coalition partners include: Americans for Prosperity (AFP) Wisconsin, American Federation for Children (AFC) – Wisconsin Chapter, the Badger Institute, K12/Stride, School Choice Wisconsin/School Choice Wisconsin Action, the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty (WILL) and Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC). “Never before has there been a…

For Immediate Release September 1, 2022   Polling released today by SCWA shows likely Wisconsin voters favor Wisconsin’s school choice programs by a 51-23 margin. The poll also shows that Tim Michels and Tony Evers are in a dead heat in the gubernatorial race. The poll of 600 likely voters was conducted on August 22-24 by On Message Inc. (OMI). Lead OMI pollster Wes Anderson was named “Pollster of the Year” in 2019 by the American Association of Political Consultants. OMI has extensive experience in Wisconsin and is a leading national firm in the area of education public opinion. A…

For Immediate Release April 28, 2022   Two polls, two positive results for school choice in Wisconsin. A Marquette Law School poll released on April 27 shows majority support for dropping family income limits on choice programs in the state. “Extending vouchers for students to attend private or religious schools statewide and without family income limits is supported by 58%,” says Marquette Law School’s news release on the poll. This aligns with a School Choice Wisconsin survey conducted in February 2022 by OnMessage Inc. In that survey, 65 percent agreed that income restrictions need to be dropped so that every…

Download the School Choice Wisconsin Focus Group Presentation 2022.

For Immediate Release April 15, 2022 Governor Evers vs. Public Opinion   School Choice Wisconsin issued the following statements regarding Governor Evers veto of AB 963: “Governor Evers’ vetoes are at odds with the views of parents and likely voters across the state. They support making all families eligible for the state’s school choice programs. They support the rights of parents to be actively involved in their children’s education, including in the review of instructional material,” said Nicholas Kelly, president of School Choice Wisconsin. “Good Friday not so good for parents – Governor Evers vetoed multiple education bills today resulting in…

For Immediate Release April 15, 2022 Governor Evers vs. Public Opinion   School Choice Wisconsin issued the following statements regarding Governor Evers veto of AB 970: “We have seen a surge in support of parental empowerment in education. Today’s vetoes not only ignore the public’s backing of education dollars following the child but retains barriers to parents finding the right solution for their families,” said Nicholas Kelly, president of School Choice Wisconsin. “Good Friday not so good for parents – Governor Evers vetoed multiple education bills today resulting in high-demand options being out of reach for many in Wisconsin. His…

For Immediate Release February 28, 2022   One of the nation’s leading opinion research firms conducted a random, scientific sample poll in February of likely Wisconsin voters.  The survey focused largely on education issues. It showed significant support, across the political spectrum, for policies that expand parent options.  Respondents also were in broad agreement on what they see as constituting “parent rights.” “There’s been a parental awakening in Wisconsin.  While voters might be divided on any number of non-education issues, there is substantial agreement when it comes to education,” said Nicholas Kelly, President of School Choice Wisconsin. A comprehensive summary…