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February 8, 2022 Contact: Nicholas Kelly, 414.319.9160 BROOKFIELD, WI – Three new board members with extensive backgrounds in school choice advocacy, community outreach, and business have joined the School Choice Wisconsin (SCW) board, said Nicholas Kelly, SCW president. The three are: Jason Fields, President and CEO of Madison Region Economic Partnership (MadRep); Jim Kitzinger, founding partner of KLCM Advisors, an investment management firm in Wisconsin, and an investor in Milwaukee Forge; and Tammy Olivas, Outreach Director for Hispanics for School Choice (HFSC) since October 2011. “We look forward to the positive impact that these very competent and passionate individuals will…
Read MoreContact: Nicholas Kelly, 414.319.9160 January 31, 2022 BROOKFIELD, WI – Last Friday night, School Choice Wisconsin was proud to host one of the nation’s most significant National School Choice Week events at Lambeau Field. Keynote speaker Governor Tommy Thompson, founding member of the school choice movement, electrified the crowd with a speech about the history of school choice and what the future of the movement holds. He pushed for a path ahead where all families have access to all of our educational options. Wisconsin Right Now has written an account of Governor Thompson’s full speech, which you can read…
Read MoreJanuary 26, 2022 By Edgar Zaragoza Wisconsin’s private school choice program has benefited my family and—through my work at the Green Bay Area Catholic Education School System (GRACE)—I’ve personally seen it change the lives of hundreds of families for the better. Why not bring the blessing of choice to more families? About a decade ago, I worked at a public school, but hoped for a different quality of education and faith-based environment for my oldest daughter. By asking many questions about our options, I learned about Wisconsin’s School Voucher Program and applied for it through GRACE. When we received a voucher, I thought the…
Read MoreJanuary 24, 2022 By Susan Mitchell In 1990, the Milwaukee School Choice Program served only 341 students at seven schools. Last year nearly 29,000 students — 1 in 4 Milwaukee school children —used it to attend 129 private schools. More than three decades have passed since former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson signed into law the nation’s first modern parent choice program. The Milwaukee Parental Choice Program inspired a national movement. Thirty-two other states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico now have their own parent choice programs, serving more than 600,000 students. The pandemic has fueled recent growth and awakened…
Read MoreContact: Nicholas Kelly, 414.319.9160 BROOKFIELD, WI – This Friday, School Choice Wisconsin (SCW) will be hosting an event at Lambeau Field to celebrate National School Choice Week. We will host over 29 schools and school systems from around the state. SCW will have over 300 guests, including parents, state legislators, businesses, and other community leaders who support our mission. In addition, SCW will have an all-star lineup of guest speakers. Our keynote speaker is former Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson. Leading up to this event, SCW founder and former SCW board chair Susan Mitchell has published an article here that provides…
Read MoreContact: Jim Bender, School Choice Wisconsin [email protected] 414.319.9160 Brookfield, WI – Upon the announcement that Representative Thiesfeldt will not run for reelection, School Choice Wisconsin thanks him for his years of public service and dedication to education in Wisconsin. As chairman of the Assembly Education Committee his guidance and assistance has been invaluable to lives of thousands of students across Wisconsin. In particular, his support for the Parental Choice Programs helped transform the landscape of education reform. When first elected, there was a single program in Milwaukee with roughly 100 schools and 21,000 students. Today, there are four programs,…
Read MoreFor Immediate Release October 15, 2021 Contact: Jim Bender, School Choice Wisconsin [email protected] 414.319.9160 Brookfield, WI – The Department of Public Instruction released enrollment numbers today for all education sectors in Wisconsin for this fall. Here is the data from their press release: The state’s four private school parental choice programs (4) reported a combined third Friday of September 2021 headcount of 48,919. This was an increase of 6.6 percent over 2020. 4K headcount in the private school parental choice programs increased by 10.7 percent, kindergarten increased by 5.1 percent, and grades 1-12 were up by 6.5 percent. Independent charter…
Read MoreSchool Choice Wisconsin (SCW) has named Nicholas Kelly to the position of president, effective immediately, said Susan Mitchell, acting president and board chair. Kelly joined SCW in July. He formerly was the principal of St. Thomas More High School, a private school in Milwaukee that participates in Wisconsin’s parental choice programs. As a principal Mr. Kelly took a special interest in making his students feel part of the school community. Under his leadership St. Thomas More implemented a four-year servant leadership program, an after-school mentoring/tutoring program, and a social and emotional wellness program through student services. He took a holistic approach…
Read MoreWisconsin Private School Choice Programs and Special Needs Scholarship Program – Department of Public Instruction Authority – Executive Summary
Read MoreWisconsin Private School Choice Programs and Special Needs Scholarship Program – Department of Public Instruction Authority
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