Even before I arrived here three-and-a-half years ago, I had heard about Milwaukee’s celebrated “Choice in Education Program.” Adjectives used to describe it were “revolutionary,” “pioneering,” “daring,” “creative,” “just,” and “about-time.” It is so simple that it is downright profound: return tax dollars which parents pay for education back to them, and allow them to choose the school they wish their children to attend. Very effective! Very wise! Very American!

So, when I got here, I was eager to see these schools which participate in the Choice Program in action, and proud to discover that about one-third of the “choice students” were enrolled in our city Catholic schools. As I visited these wonderful grade and high schools, and met with eager students who had the freedom and opportunity to attend them because of Wisconsin’s enlightened program, this man from Missouri, the “show-me-state,” had all the evidence he needed to conclude that Wisconsin was indeed on the cutting-edge of educational opportunity in fostering this already legendary project.

I also rejoiced that our community seemed free from the acrimony between public and private schools that cursed other cities. Wisconsin citizens were committed to quality education for all children, wherever their parents sent them. I had read reports from a study done in Albany, N.Y., showing that public schools actually benefited from such choice initiatives as we are blessed with here in Milwaukee, as the climate of competition created almost a vibrant menu of education options (almost a “free market” in education) which has indeed helped everybody. That was important to me. As Catholics, we want to support all our children, and we also realize that, even with our excellent system of Catholic schools, most of our children were, as a matter of fact, in public schools. We are pro-all-schools, private and public.

Early on I met with brave leaders who had been on the frontlines of promoting the Choice endeavor — people like Dr. Howard Fuller, Polly Williams, John Stollenwerk, Mikel Holt, Br. Bob Smith, Bob O’Toole, the Bradley Foundation, PAVE, ACE, Rev. John McVicker, Tim Sheehy, and Don Schuenke. I even found myself surprisingly agreeing with editorials in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

I admired the cooperation they had generated, and was interested in the challenges they outlined still needing to be faced: issues of legitimate accountability for the choice schools, questions of eligibility, making sure that the City of Milwaukee did not lose revenue due to the program, and, most of all, apprehension that this entire providential venture could be jeopardized when the cap of 15,000 students was reached.

Well, as you all are aware, that dreaded day was recently at hand. Could this community rally to strengthen and expand a program of pride that was gaining the attention of the country?

It was, of course, in the hands of our elected officials. Early on, Gov. Jim Doyle let us know that he wanted to support the program and raise the cap, but that he had some concerns that struck me as sincere: accountability for participating schools, and continued attention to our struggling Milwaukee Public Schools. Speaker John Gard, an early ardent promoter of the project, likewise spoke of his hopes for fostering and expanding it. Both leaders promised they would work hard to come to an equitable compromise … and both leaders, bolstered by colleagues in both parties, kept their word! The “rumors” that I had heard years ago — that Wisconsin was a state that wanted sound, solid, quality education for all its children — was true!

You know “the rest of the story.” Last week, the governor and the speaker announced a creative, fair, promising plan to strengthen and expand the “Choice-in-education” project, while continuing to improve our Milwaukee Public Schools. While the package must now go through the legislature and eventually be signed by the governor, all appear optimistic that this program that has given so many so much hope will continue to thrive.
And all I can say is, Alleluia!