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From: Kate Towle Dear Senator Pogemiller, This week, through the Education Working Group and Senate Tax Committee, revenues for education vouchers will be revisited as a way to provide greater choice in education. As a parent of one child in a Minneapolis Public School (MPS) and one child in a St. Paul public charter, I have listened closely to this debate. I believe strongly that each Minnesota child must have access to quality education. That is why I have spent time researching vouchers. Through my research, I have learned that while vouchers may appear to offer short-term advantages, in the long run, they aggravate educational disparities. Recent data on achievement in Milwaukee’s Catholic schools point out a vast chasm in student achievement between those schools serving high-income and low-income neighborhoods. In fact, the racial disparities in Milwaukee private schools have paralleled and accelerated those of the Milwaukee Public Schools. In other words, rather than resolving the achievement gap in Milwaukee, the “gap” was simply extended outward into more communities. In the state of Florida and in Cleveland, Ohio, vouchers have also set up a two-tier system that deepens the achievement gap. True educational equity—and leaving no child behind—means that all children must have access to quality education in their neighborhoods. Voucher systems tend to pull children out of their neighborhoods, rather than to foster leadership and community resources within the community to strengthen existing schools. While the first year of my daughter’s new public charter school has offered her remarkable learning opportunities, we also learned that her new school needed much support to mediate unexpected racial tensions that arose through blending former private school students with public school students (many of whom came from under-privileged neighborhoods). While our school responded well, I learned that: 1) it struggled to recruit and maintain a diverse group of students; and 2) our public schools have much to teach about integrating highly diverse groups of students, including creative methods for teacher development. The achievement gap in Minneapolis is a grave concern. Minneapolis has the 3rd highest achievement gap, after only Detroit and Philadelphia. 68% of children in Minneapolis receive free and reduced lunches—and hence live in poverty. With education funds dangerously low—and not keeping up with the cost of inflation, we must be absolutely committed to programs that best serve these children. Even Milton Friedman, the “grandfather” of vouchers, dismissed the concept that vouchers would help low-income children. He was interested primarily in the experimental freedom of private enterprise. This is not a time to experiment with market-driven education enterprise. We must remember that America’s success has been built from the unification of diverse groups, not in their segregation. We must invest in the most intelligent efforts to close achievement gaps and to unify our multi-cultural students. And finally, we must never lose track of our goal for a majority of our students to become contributive citizens. As author Jim Wallis has said, “A society’s integrity is not judged by its wealth and its power, but rather by how it treats its most vulnerable citizens.” I urge you to see that public education funds are directed to our public schools, where they will have the highest potential to close the achievement gap and to lift the educational standards of all children. The voucher system offers a hollow promise that has deepened the racial divide in cities, states and countries (like New Zealand and Chile) where it is in place. Our children are much better served by investing in our public schools—and by giving them the funding and support they need to duplicate those schools with a proven track record in educating diverse groups of children. Best regards,
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