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There seems to be a unifying strategy employed by Democrat groups lately.  Every Republican candidate running for office appears to be a clone of Governor Scott Walker.  Seriously.  In the Milwaukee County Executive’s race, for example, Democrat Chris Abele – son of billionaire tycoon John Abele – is running television ads depicting Republican Jeff Stone as a Scott Walker replica.  And most recently, Democrat groups are hoping the clone strategy works in the Supreme Court race against conservative incumbent Justice David Prosser.

Currently, the Wisconsin Supreme Court tilts conservative with a 4-3 majority.  If David Prosser loses his seat, it will most certainly mean trouble for the recent expansion of Milwaukee’s school choice program.  Governor Walker’s budget – already signed into law – will expand the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program (MPCP) into Milwaukee County suburbs.  This means that low-income students in Milwaukee will be qualified for spending a $6400 voucher on an approved private school of their choice.  Poor Hispanic kids who are forced to attend South Division High School, for instance, will not have the chance to attend any of the approved suburban private schools in Oak Creek, Franklin, South Milwaukee, Hales Corners, and so on.

If, however, David Prosser loses his seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, it is almost certain that groups with ties to teachers unions will mount legal challenges against Governor Walker’s budget trying to reverse any expansion of school choice – quite possibly outlawing school choice is one fell-swoop.  How could they win?  Well, special interest groups could challenge the constitutionality of using taxpayer dollars to fund the education offered by religious schools.  If a liberal-leaning supreme court finds it unconstitutional, schools like St. Anthony’s in Milwaukee with a 99% Latino enrollment will have to close down.  The 1400+ students that attend St. Anthony’s would be forced to attend public schools in the school districts of which they live.

Let’s be clear, Democrat groups do not favor school choice programs.  They see it as an attack on public schools; and through the bidding of powerful teacher’s unions, they will legally challenge the constitutionality of the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program.  Justice David Prosser is the only judge standing in the way of winning that legal battle.  We saw a few weeks ago when teachers unions organized a massive “sickout” going to Madison to protest.  School districts in Madison, Milwaukee, and Racine were forced to close down for days keeping our children at home when they should have been in the classroom.

While MPS closed down, schools in the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program were up and running.  In fact, St. Anthony’s School in Milwaukee sent out a reminder mailer informing parents that although MPS was closed, St. Anthony’s School was still open for business.  This underscores a problem in our schools.  Currently, teachers unions have the power to close down public schools when their labor bosses deem it necessary.

And it’s not just about closing down school districts, but performance as well.  Students that attend choice schools in Milwaukee are graduating high-schools at an 18% higher rate than students at MPS.  Choice schools are on the cusp of real education reform.  Unseating Justice David Prosser will undoubtedly reverse every educational gain made the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program in the past 20 years.  It will also reverse gains made by St. Anthony’s School on the south-side of Milwaukee.  Think carefully when going to the ballot box on April 5th.  Do you want St. Anthony’s School in Milwaukee to stay open?  Do you want more low-income kids to become eligible for private schools in the Milwaukee suburbs?  Or do you want the same education status quo that we’ve seen the last 30 years in our public schools?

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