Bogus WPRI-funded Research Released
Researcher failed to disclose source of funding, included leading questions
MADISON – Today, a University of
Chicago professor released the “raw data” of a suspect survey funded by
the right-wing think tank Wisconsin Policy Research Institute (WPRI).
Among other things, WPRI has promoted the privatization of public
education through the failed voucher school experiment, promoted right
to work legislation and argued for the dismantling of competitive wages
for public projects. WPRI is a member of the State Policy Network, an
active member of the American Legislative
Exchange Council (ALEC), which uses think tanks like WPRI to push out
right-wing policies in states around the country.
“WPRI has been at the forefront in
pushing for privatization of public education,” stated Rep. Chris Taylor
(D-Madison), who attended a noon press conference by William Howell,
the professor who conducted the suspect study. “They don’t
do research just to gauge public opinion, but to push specific
right-wing policies that support their agenda. No wonder Professor
Howell failed to disclose the source of his funding on the survey and
failed to allow participants to provide individual answers
outside of selected choices, which, according to some participants,
seemed geared to elicit a particular response,” concluded Taylor.
For two questions involving
“trade-offs” between forfeiting tenure for other salary and contract
terms, Professor Howell failed to allow participants to respond that
they would not forfeit tenure for any amount of compensation or contract
term.
Due
to the outcry surrounding the survey, prior press accounts indicated
that Howell had to shut down the survey within a few days.
In the past, UW-Madison withdrew its
name from a previous WPRI study on school vouchers because the integrity
of the polls was compromised.
“I
suspect that these bogus survey results will now be used by my
Republican colleagues to further erode tenure protections and the
quality and caliber of the UW system. We should be building up our UW
system, not commissioning bogus research
to tear it down,” concluded Taylor.
PO Box 8953
Madison, WI 53708
(608) 266-5342
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LOL, "the failed school voucher program." Milwaukee's government schools should fail so spectacularly. The number of students attending private schools on state-funded vouchers through the Wisconsin Parental Choice Program more than doubled to 2,514 this year. Participation in a separate Racine voucher program rose about 23% to 2,127 students. Add to that 26,900 more students in Milwaukee. Some failure! Of course, these parents don't know what's best for their children.
ReplyDeleteAs long as you want to cherry pick evidence. According to the Department of Public Instruction "three out of four students who entered the program atteded a private school the previous year." From the Journal/Sentinal, October 27,2015.
DeleteSo, I guess that we are just subsidising parents that were already paying to send their kids to private school.
Since Wisconsin is such a tax hell and everyone here is paying too much in taxes the state has so much money that it doesn't know what to do with it all and that is the reason that we have to BORROW $850 MILLION to pay for roads.
So you're ok with P!ssing away $134 million dollars? http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/education/local_schools/state-paid-million-to-schools-terminated-from-voucher-program-since/article_d4277f72-51ca-5da3-b63d-df2a7834569b.html
DeleteParticipation != outcomes
ReplyDelete