Freedom of choice is a staple of American culture that should be available to every American citizen, but many choices are limited due to factors such as socioeconomic status.

For children born into these circumstances, choices are made by parents to ensure the best possible future. Many are lucky and grow up within the confinement of a good public school district, and so private schools are not needed. For some, private schools are chosen despite good public schools for religious or academic reasons. Then there are those who do not have a competent school district or the option of private schools due to extreme tuition costs and location.

Fifteen years ago, the city of Milwaukee passed a still-controversial bill to allow low-income families to send their children to one of 115 private schools. Sound perfect? I wish it was.

There are many aspects of school vouchers that are promising and helpful to those students of lower socioeconomic status, which accounts for many success stories such as Believers in Christ Christian Academy — a school with 213 voucher students. These students begin each day with a prayer service and assembly, which is regularly attended by parents and students. The academy reports that all of its high school graduates have been accepted by colleges in recent years.

Unfortunately, Milwaukee has few voucher schools with reputations like these. The fault lies in an administration that has continued to spend money without reports from voucher schools regarding students' statuses. The voucher program applies to students who live in the city of Milwaukee and whose families meet income guidelines.

It is disappointing that Gov. Jim Doyle has wasted another $83,034,407 of taxpayer money. Last year, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel conducted a much-needed investigation of 106 schools that ended with unpromising results.

If Milwaukee wants to create new private schools, they need to set some standards on the quality of education. Sa'Rai and Zigler Upper Excellerated Academy opened last year with Sa'Rai Nance and Clifford Zigler in charge and, apparently, accelerated was spelled wrong on purpose.

According to the state Department of Public Instruction, Mr. Zigler has an expired license as a substitute teacher but has taught and worked as a security guard in schools in Chicago and Milwaukee. Ms. Nance said she has worked as a teacher's aide in Chicago and Milwaukee and is a certified reading tutor.

Things have gotten to the point where almost anyone with a place to meet and the ability to comply with administrative rules of the state Department of Public Instruction can open and run a voucher school. James Carter, who runs the Carter's Christian Academy, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: "The curriculum that we have is so basic that someone with just a high school diploma is able to teach it."

When many of the voucher schools first opened, qualified teachers found that their scheduled plan for the class was not sufficient. Besides students' education being well below par for students of their same age, many did not even attend class at all. At up to $5,943 per student each year, the state most likely will never find out about these absences or the progress of its pupils since private schools are not required to submit reports. These schools are also not required to administer standardized tests to assess the students.

The voucher program is a whole other topic when it comes to parents who wish to send their children to religious schools. These schools cost money that the state should be able to provide in order for the children to have the same uniforms and materials of the other students of different socioeconomic status. In the existing voucher program, all Catholic and most Lutheran schools generally insist on teachers who are licensed by the state as opposed to nonreligious private schools.

Instead of wasting time and money on voucher schools, Milwaukee needs to revamp its public schools and allow vouchers for certain private and religious schools only. The lack of organization in the private schools not only disgraces the government in Milwaukee but also the children. It is unfair to send them to small schools with uneducated teachers in unfit environments; the public schools were built to accommodate a large number of students even if the classes are larger.

To move forward, children must be encouraged to finish school and determine their own fate so that their children are not presented with the same education that they were in the voucher program.

Joelle Parks ([email protected]) is a sophomore intending to major in journalism.