The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported this week that local school choice leaders want to create an accountability system to serve "as a stronger system of checks and balances for schools in the voucher program." According to Bob Smith, the superstar president of Messmer Catholic Schools - a cornerstone of the Milwaukee voucher program - and a supporter of the plan, the group wants to create an independent body of educators that would evaluate schools based on a "very general set of standards" and then award a "Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval." The goal is surely admirable - giving parents better tools to make informed choices and ensuring that school quality is transparent to one and all - but the devil will, as always, be in the details. According to the Journal Sentinel, the "standards" against which schools might be judged include a list of "best practices," including "having a principal with a degree in school administration, for instance, or a person on staff with financial training who can make sure the books are kept in order." Sounds reasonable, but instead of judging schools by outputs like financial viability and student achievement, standards such as those mentioned seem to rely on inputs. At day's end, a school's quality is best gauged by looking at its results, not its credentials or staffing roster. We've seen some staggeringly good schools that ignore educators' cherished notions of "best practices" - and vice versa.
"Voucher-school leaders consider evaluations," by Sarah Carr, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, December 11, 2004 (registration required)