Educating Milwaukee

Educating Milwaukee Synopsis

"e;Milwaukee's story is unique in that its struggle for integration and quality education has been so closely tied to [school] choice."e; --from the Introduction"e;Educating Milwaukee: How One City's History of Segregation and Struggle Shaped Its Schools"e; traces the origins of the modern school choice movement, which is growing in strength throughout the United States. Author James K. Nelsen follows Milwaukee's tumultuous education history through three eras--"e;no choice,"e; "e;forced choice,"e; and "e;school choice."e; Nelsen details the whole story of Milwaukee's choice movement through to modern times when Milwaukee families have more schooling options than ever--charter schools, open enrollment, state-funded vouchers, neighborhood schools--and yet Milwaukee's impoverished African American students still struggle to succeed and stay in school. "e;Educating Milwaukee"e; chronicles how competing visions of equity and excellence have played out in one city's schools in the modern era, offering both a cautionary tale and a "e;choice"e; example.