Two key Republican state legislators in Wisconsin said they would not permit an expansion of vouchers unless there was a local vote.
Voucher proponents oppose local referenda.
No wonder. Vouchers are very unpopular and have never won a popular election.
Supporters say children need choice to go to a better school, but there is no voucher program in the US where vouchers have unequivocally outperformed the public schools.
And yes, vouchers drain money from the public schools and cripple the community schools.
Everyone is hurt when public funds are divided into two or three competing sectors. And no one wins.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Good news. Reserve public funds to strengthen public schools. Perhaps the voucher fad has run its course?
Gop members are senate pres mike ellis and senate education chairman luther olson
I think we should try to find a few minutes of our day to let them know we appreciate their efforts. No longer do I entertain the thought that any political party supports public education. Most govt. officials are only interested in getting reelected. Thanks for naming our supporters, Jim.
Diane, there is a small group of people who are the “winners” when vouchers and charter schools proliferate: the corporate education-industrial complex, consisting of edupreneurs, so-called philanthropists (in reality, malanthropists) pursuing their financial and political interests through tax-exempt foundations, academics-for-hire, opportunists running captive advocacy and astroturf groups… the list goes on.
The question must always be asked, “Qui bono?” Who benefits? Some people are benefitting handsomely, though it’s clearly not students, teachers or society at large.
This is more than just an academic point, since those affected by these policies need to understand that the meanness and emptiness of corporate education reform benefits the relative few who are pushing it so aggressively. It benefits them, and them only.
Your post is good news, since it suggests that perhaps some elected officials are starting to wake up to the possibility that they may suffer negative consequences for allowing the public schools to be cannibalized.
However, there are many people who have sunk their fangs into public education, and are drawing much blood from their victims. Real reform cannot occur until a stake (metaphorically speaking, of course) has been driven through their institutional hearts.
It seems to me, also, that vouchers could backfire down the road for the politicians who encourage or enable them because of lawsuits on equity. If vouchers chipped away at public schools enough, states could, I suppose, get sued for not providing schools that are free, appropriate and least restrictive environments. I think the problem with vouchers is the philosophy behind them that there is actually a per head dollar amount spent for teaching children; we can look at numbers like that for ideas and estimates, but to actually tag every child in a community with a dollar amount that is allowed to follow them to whatever school their parents decide on is foolish, and not realistic. Choice is a noble idea–but vouchers don’t seem like the way to get there.
Re: Milwaukee vouchers: http://www.jsonline.com/news/opinion/milwaukee-school-choice-beats-the-alternative-p68doeu-187369091.html
Be sure to read the comments – as usual, they are more accurate than the article itself.