School Choice, School Systems, Education, KOLUMN Magazine, Kolumn

School Choice Empowers African-American Families

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School Choice Empowers African-American Families

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BY VIRGINIA FORD & ROBERT ENLOW

Angelicia Rathell knows there’s no such thing as a get-out-of-jail card in life, but the Milwaukee mom credits a local school voucher program for keeping her boys on a path toward success and away from bad choices.

“If they would have stayed in public school, they certainly would have stayed in trouble because there was so much fighting in their school,” Rathell said of her two sons, Dustin and Donovan. “I think they would have had a chance of dropping out and doing stupid things. Now, one is about to go to college and the other will enroll in college next year.”

The Milwaukee Parental Choice Program, a voucher first enacted in 1990 for families earning 175% of poverty level or less, enabled her sons to attend Milwaukee Lutheran High School, where discipline and academics are a deep part of the school culture. She said her children now have great aspirations, unlike many of their peers. “They are going to turn out great in life,” Rathell said.

Sadly, that’s not the case for far too many students of color like Dustin and Donovan.

Read More, Milwaukee Wisconsin Journal Sentinal

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