School reformers just had a banner week. Last Wednesday, the Wisconsin Supreme Court approved a pioneering effort to expand educational choices for the children in Milwaukee's worst public schools. The court declared -- over the protests of the ACLU, People for the American Way, the NAACP, and Americans United for the Separation of Church and State -- that public funds, in the form of school vouchers, could be used by parents to send their kids to religious schools. Currently, 1,500 children in the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program use vouchers to go to non-religious private schools. As a result of the decision, which will open up participation by numerous parochial schools, another 13,500 children will be able to escape dysfunctional public schools.
More good news came from the private sector, with the announcement by investment banker Ted J. Forstmann and Wal-Mart heir John T. Walton of a Children's Scholarship Fund that could send 50,000 needy children to private schools. Forstmann and Walton have pledged to raise $ 200 million for the national initiative and have already kicked in $ 50 million each. The announcement was followed by grousing from the American Federation of Teachers. Sandra Feldman, president of the AFT, said, "I would much prefer to have seen a contribution like that made to the public schools, the way Walter Annenberg did." No doubt. Trouble is, there is no evidence that Annenberg's gift has helped students. Maybe competition will.