The state’s ranking dropped two spots from 34th in 2010 to 36th out of 42 states with charter school laws last year, even after Gov. Scott Walker and Republicans in the legislature lifted the cap on virtual charter school enrollment, a change favored by charter school proponents.
But the report also shows that Wisconsin has the seventh-highest number of charter schools with 225 (if you consider charter schools per capita, Wisconsin ranks third).
That’s a sign that Wisconsin’s law is doing what it was intended to do — provide local innovative educational programming while protecting local property taxpayers, Department of Public Instruction spokesman Patrick Gasper said.
“Clearly many communities are taking advantage of this option in Wisconsin,” Gasper said, adding that Wisconsin also hasn’t experienced “the fraud and abuse of public money that has occurred in other states.”
For the rest of the article, go to Extra Credit: National charter school movement critical of Wisconsin’s law
