Marquette Warrior: WPRI School Choice Study: Clarification or Recantation?

Monday, October 29, 2007

WPRI School Choice Study: Clarification or Recantation?

We’ve blogged on a recent study from the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute, which has been interpreted by the local media and liberal bloggers as showing that school choice can’t be expected to improve education.

Not only did we critique the assumptions and methodology of the study, we published a penetrating dissection of the study by George Mitchell.

Now George Lightbourn, a fellow at WPRI, jumps in with comments strongly supportive of school choice.

Key quote:
Unfortunately, the headline in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel read, “Choice May Not Improve Schools.” That headline not only misrepresented the study, it energized those who are dying to go back to the days when parents were forced to send their children to whichever MPS school the educrats thought best.

So that there is no misunderstanding, WPRI is unhesitant in supporting school choice. School choice is working and should be improved and expanded. School choice is good for Milwaukee’s children.
Unfortunately, the tone of the original study is pretty much accurately reflected in the Journal-Sentinel article.

Give the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute credit for having the integrity to publish a study that ran contrary to its long-established support for school choice.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t a very good study.

[Full Disclosure]

We have written three articles for The Wisconsin Interest, a publication of WPRI, and been paid for the articles. But of course, if that had corrupted our journalistic judgment, you wouldn’t be reading this.

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1 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Do you honestly think the Milwaukee Urinal is ever going to print something that isn't biased toward WEAC?
The fish wrapper hasn't been objective in at least 10 years. When they hired on Ricardo Pimental, the rag became about as credible as the "Crazy" Shepherd, or even the Onion. Because it is the only daily in Milwaukee it still gets some credit as a news source by default. It's biases are obvious. I talked to Marty Kaiser about 5 years ago, and he was in complete denial. Well I save 50 cents a day now. Every time I look at the paper, I immediately go to the editorial page and am stunned at the delusional thinking it displays.
Any liberal cause is supported, every conservative cause is denounced. As Milwaukee turns into a cesspool, the paper fiddles.

11:35 AM  

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