RELATED LINKS

Internal Links

3,252,000 to the M.H.S., Inc. - Messmer High School

Profiles:

The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation
William Bennett
Empower America

External Links

Messmer website

RECIPIENT PROFILE

www.messmerhigh.com

M.H.S., Inc. - Messmer High School

Milwaukee, WI 53206

[From The Feeding Trough]

...It was against this backdrop that many Black and Latino parents welcomed the chance to send their children to schools outside the public school system and Bradley was poised to take advantage of their justified frustration. In fact, Bradley's funding of school choice in Milwaukee has included some of the largest grants the foundation has ever made, allowing the pilot choice program to expand without the need to draw on large amounts of public money.

It was this financial support from Bradley that made Milwuakee a national leader in the movement for "school choice." In 1990, the country's only government-funded school choice program was launched here. In 1995, Empower America co-director William Bennett made a pilgrimage to the city, saying "This moment in Milwaukee is probably the breakthrough point. This is the beachhead." Bennett toured St. Matthew's, an elementary school participating in the choice program and was a guest on right-wing radio talk show host Charlie Sykes' program on WTMJ-AM. Joined by Gov. Tommy Thompson and others, Bennett held a press conference at Messmer High School.

Messmer is often used as a backdrop for school choice rallies. Until 1984, it was the only predominately Black Catholic high school in the city. It is now operated independently, but still retains a Catholic focus. Using it for photo ops makes it look like school choice is aimed primarily at children of color. In additon, it is bolstered by generous contributions from Bradley -- $400,000 authorized in 1995 for general operations and student scholarships.

But further down the line, when school choice has drained the public shcool system of its funding and its most promising students and state money is pouring unrestricted into predominantly white, middle class private academies and religious schools, the Bradley money will dry up, leaving inner city parents high and dry. Left behind in what's left of public education will be thousands of Black and Latino school children. Poor, undereducated, with few prospects for decent employment, they'll be ripe for exploitation.

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