The 34 percent is simply bogus, and seeing numbers like that thrown around is nothing new. The business community, former Mayor Norquist, Charlie Sykes, the Bradley Foundation and the rest of the voucher gang has thrown numbers like that out there for more than 10 years, knowing that they’re wrong, knowing that everybody in the ‘burbs who hears them will say, “Oh my, MPS is a disaster, DO something … pull money from that “bloated education bureacracy” — to quote Norquist 12 years ago. Meanwhile, those of us who are in MPS every day look at these numbers, see how fraudulent they are, and say, “How do these people sleep? Is Bradley Foundation money that green?”

The graduation rate in MPS is 64 percent — that’s the hard number DPI reported for 2004-05. It is not fluffed. Beyond the 64 percent who graduate in 4 years, there are others who take longer, whose path to graduation is more difficult. If we don’t look at these students, their mobility and their needs, how can we as a state dare consider “reforms” to make their education better? It’s incredibly irresponsible that all sides have continually proposed legislation not knowing the needs of these kids, and that, in 2006, all sides are still admitting that they still don’t know.

I haven’t judged Messmer based on the failure of schools like Alex’s Academy, though it is fair to judge the program by those disasters, which have been there from the start. The dough-grab hustles that were Milwaukee Prep, Exiter, Mandella, Alex’s, etc., can be easily prevented, and that’s something Republicans and Democrats should support. It’s a no brainer.

If I had to guess, I suspect Jane was sarcastically making a point with the 34% number… drawing attention to the abysmally low rate in MPS. You can fluff the “reasons” all you want, but MPS isn’t doing what its patrons are paying for.

Furthermore, just as you decry our suggestions that MPS shouldn’t be judged on the few poor schools, then perhaps you’d stipulate that voucher schools shouldn’t be judged by the few poor schools - Alex’s Academy, et al…

A 34 percent graduation rate? Where’d you get that, Jane, Charlie Sykes and WPRI?

Jane, if you had any sense of what goes on in MPS (or if you cared) you’d recognize that number as completely fraudulant — it’s off by 30 points, 100 percent! The 2004-05 graduation rate was 64 percent, tracking students who graduate in their four-year track. Because low income MPS families are on the move, changing schools — perhaps going to one of those disastrous choice schools for a time, then moving back into MPS — it sometimes takes 5 years or more for a kid to graduate … If you take transience into account, the graduation picture becomes more of a common sense figure, and gives you a much better idea of what’s going on in the schools and in the lives of many children in Milwaukee.

Fraudulant research and bogus numbers from the voucher crowd is an old game, Jane, and you’ve said nothing to dispel the statement that both sides in the School Choice political debate have admitted that they really don’t know what’s going on in Milwaukee schools, and shouldn’t be talking about lifting the cap at all until they can find common ground on this reality. In fact, your comment proves this point, all the more reason that the Legislature and Gov. Doyle need to be very careful with the School Choice cap, I’m sure you’ll agree.

A dozen years of voucher rhetoric (research paper 197), bogus studies, hobgoblin journalism stalking reform in the daily newspaper and conservative talk radio, more conservative talk radio, and now the blogosphere, too … It’s time to cut through it all and get some common ground on what’s happening in Milwaukee schools. Is Assembly Republican leader John Gard up to the task?

Similar to the MPS experience, huh?