Impact of educational tax subsidies
Julie Fisher Mead will discuss the impact of voucher schools on public schools at 6:30 p.m. Monday, June 26 t the Waupaca Area Public Library.
Sponsored by Winchester Academy, the program is free and open to the public.
When the voucher program was first enacted by the Wisconsin Legislature in 1989, supporters said voucher schools would provide competition for public schools, thereby motivating them to be better.
On the other hand, critics have argued that the program diverts resources from already cash-strapped public schools in low-income areas.
Mead will discuss the trade-offs involved in various forms of school choice, the history of Wisconsin’s voucher and charter school programs, and the implications of those policies on public education.
She will share her research on the forms of school privatization that allow families to use taxpayer dollars to cover tuition for private or parochial schools.
Dr. Julie Mead is the associate dean for education and a professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy analysis at University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Mead researches, teaches, and writes about topics related to the legal aspects of education. Her research centers on legal issues related to special education and legal issues raised by various forms of school choice, including charter schools and vouchers
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Mead has co-authored a book, Charter Schools and the Law: Establishing New Legal Relationships, and she has published numerous articles in both education and law journals.
She is a member of and regularly presents at the annual meetings of the American Educational Research Association, the Education Law Association, and the University Council on Educational Administration.
Mead is a former special education teacher and administrator.
Winchester Academy is a funded through sponsors and tax-deductible donations.
Mead’s program is sponsored by Barry and Ruby Shaw.
For more information about Winchester Academy, check winchesteracademywaupaca.org, follow on Facebook, or contact Executive Director Ann Buerger Linden at 715-258-2927 or [email protected].