This week, as Gov. Jim Doyle, Legislative Democrats and Assembly GOP Leader John Gard expressed a willingness to reach a compromise on School Choice, Assembly Rep. Leah Vukmir (R - Wauwatosa) — the sponsor of the “lift the cap” proposal — was no where to be found in Madison. Instead of working to come up with legislation that works for all Milwaukee children, she decided to campaign in Milwaukee with Congressman Mark Green, candidate for governor, to show Green’s “support for lifting the cap” on school choice vouchers.

A media advisory from the Green for Governor campaign says Green and Vukmir will hold a press conference tomorrow, Wed. Jan. 25, at Holy Redeemer Educational Complex on W. Mother Daniels Way between 7:50 and 8:15 AM and will then spend the rest of the day with students at HR Christian Academy.

Do we need any more evidence that the Vukmir-Alberta Darling (R-River Hills) proposal has nothing to do with education in Milwaukee and everything to do with scoring political points against Gov. Jim Doyle in this election year?

Doyle wants to apply some accountability to the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program before the enrollment cap in the program is raised, and has proposed a conservative raise to the cap. Vukmir and Darling have proposed to lift the cap completely and to keep standardized testing optional in choice schools.

Republican Assembly leader John Gard last week wrote a letter to Doyle, expressing that he wanted to work with the governor on the future of the School Choice program. Doyle is willing to increase the enrollment limits in exchange for accountability that has been lacking in the program since it began in 1990.

So while Gard, Gov. Doyle and legislators such as Lena Taylor (D-Milwaukee) went to work in Madison, Vukmir decided the best place for her to be was with Green stumping to lift the cap, knowing full well that her legislation is an all-or-nothing gambit that won’t survive the first hand and, knowing too, that accountability is an albatross for Republican candidates if Doyle holds them to it.

But Doyle isn’t yet in fight-back mode on the school choice voucher issue, despite the fact that TMJ and Charlie Sykes have created controversy by attacking the governor with an ad campaign, orchestrated with the introduction of the Vukmir-Darling legislation. Why not? Because, like John Gard and Lena Taylor, Doyle is working to shape a proposal that best serves parents and children in Milwaukee.

Shame on Leah Vukmir. We all know that the schools in her ‘Tosa district are high performance schools. But do the schools and school children just across the ‘Tosa city line in Milwaukee deserve such disdain from elected officials in the county area?