MADISON, Wis. — School choice in Wisconsin now has a big voice advocating for it.
The American Federation for Children, “the nation’s voice for educational choice,” this week announced the launch of Wisconsin Federation for Children.
Officials of AFC, which has been active in Wisconsin for a decade, say the launch of the local campaign “signifies a renewed commitment in the state, including a push for significant expansion of the Wisconsin Parental Choice Program.”
“Wisconsin’s history as an innovator in education reform provides the perfect foundation for future growth and new opportunities for our kids,” Brian Fraley, communications consultant for the Wisconsin Federation for Children, said in a statement “We will help lead the push to expand educational options for parents and establish effective accountability measures, to ensure that educational choice becomes even more popular and stronger in the years ahead.”
Scott Walkerand the Republican-controlled legislature have pushed to expand voucher and other parental choice programs in recent years.
Data released in May showed a surge of applicants seeking to enroll in the program. The program turned away more than 2,400 students this year–a 26 percent increase from a year ago, a study by School Choice Wisconsin found recently.
And a new poll by the Wisconsin Federation for Children show 63 percent of voters in Wisconsin’s swing legislative districts favor school choice and that voters in that district favor Walker, a school choice champion, over his Democratic opponent, Madison School Board member Mary Burke, 47 percent to 46 percent.