Amanda Brooker writes about the good work in her school and district. It is important that everyone recognize that the effort to make public schools intolerable and to privatize public education is national. Scott Walker, Jeb Bush, Tony Bennett, and Michelle Rhee are among its leaders.
Dr. Ravitch,
My superintendent Michelle Langenfeld and I feel like we know you on a first name basis, as we are avid readers of your blog. I am proud to say that I am working in a school district that is reforming on our own (and not RheePhorming) under the leadership of Dr. Langenfeld. The Green Bay Area Public School District has almost 60% students on free or reduced lunch, the highest ELL population in the state (20%), and 45% minority . Our student growth has been rising over the years, considering that we have hundreds of kids entering kindergarten only recognizing 0-3 letters or numbers, and unable to hold a pencil. And if our high school students stay in our schools for their four years, we show more than a 90% graduation rate. http://www.gbaps.org/Hot-Topics/Documents/Reform/Growth%20Handout.pdf
This is in spite of being weighed down with mandates and high stakes testing; our staff is working hard.
We want to share with you what is going on in Green Bay, Wisconsin:
http://www.wbay.com/story/20608613/expanded-school-vouchers-expected-to-be-part-of-budget-plan
http://www.fox11online.com/dpp/news/local/green_bay/governor-stirs-student-voucher-debate
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/viewart/20130117/GPG0101/301170390/Wisconsin-Republican-Ellis-to-push-for-voucher-vote
Needless to say, working in public education in Wisconsin has been a very exciting place to be the past two years. We’ve seen nothing like it. But your blog also lets us know that we are not alone in the insanity. Thank you for standing up for what is right in public education.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
More about Wisconsin and vouchers — I and two other parents of students with disabilities have just had a column published in Wisconsin’s Capital Times:
http://host.madison.com/news/opinion/column/parents-why-we-must-stop-special-needs-vouchers/article_1d0779cc-151a-53d2-b575-62de8feadfbe.html
Amanda’s link above, about expanded vouchers expected to be part of the budget plan, also holds true for special needs vouchers, although the Walker administration has been silent on that aspect so far. Just this week, however, the national American Federation for Children lobby has begun contacting disability groups across Wisconsin, with a pitch for putting the vouchers INTO the budget.
This although no statewide disability group in Wisconsin is asking for these vouchers, and we particularly DON’T want them in the budget where they wouldn’t get a separate public hearing. Such a controversial statewide policy change, full of problems and pitfalls, must be debated and exposed and voted on separately!
Stop Special Needs Vouchers, a statewide grassroots group led by families of students with disabilities, is spreading the word: we need to keep special needs education strong in Wisconsin public schools. We’re on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/StopSpecialNeedsVouchers — please join us!
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