School Choice Wisconsin (SCW) is a non-partisan organization that promotes choice in K-12 public education in Wisconsin. SCW provides research supporting school choice programs, intending to empower parents, and liaises between schools and Wisconsin government in order to advise on programs. ¹

School Choice Wisconsin supports state-funded private-school tuition subsidies, and claims that students taking advantage of choice programs will save taxpayers money, ² have higher test scores, ³  and have lower rates of criminal activity. ⁴

School Choice Wisconsin is an associate member of the State Policy Network (SPN). ⁵

Activity

School Choice Wisconsin is a non-partisan organization that promotes K-12 school choice. SCW provides research supporting school choice programs to create community awareness, and liaises between schools and Wisconsin government in order to advise on program administration. ⁶

SCW supports government subsidies for private school tuition (known as “school vouchers”), and claims that these programs save local taxpayers money, as compared with traditional students. ⁷ SCW also features favorable press, with articles describing higher scores and “more positive effects” for school voucher students. ⁸ Milwaukee’s school voucher program is the basis for a research paper that predicts lower rates of criminal activity and paternity suits for students who participate in the program. ⁹

SCW is aligned with several other organizations supporting school choice policies, including Hispanics for School Choice, School Choice Wisconsin Action, and the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, among others. ¹⁰

Funding

School Choice Wisconsin receives its funding through donations from individuals, corporations, and other non-profit organizations. One of its most notable donors is the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, a Milwaukee-based grantmaker that supports Milwaukee community initiatives and right-of-center policy advocacy. ¹¹

People

Staff

Nicholas Kelly is the president of School Choice Wisconsin. Prior to joining the group, he was principal of St. Thomas More High School, a Catholic high school in Milwaukee. ¹²

Lexi Dittrich is the content writer for SCW. Prior to joining the group, she worked for the MacIver Institute, a right-leaning Wisconsin think tank. ¹³

Other staff members include Carol Shires, vice president of operations; Tim Young Eagle, director of development; and Michael Metoff, executive assistant. ¹⁴

Board of Directors

Andrew Neumann is the executive chair and CEO of Open Sky Education. Neumann sits on the boards of the Alliance for Choices in Education and the Institute for Missional Visioning. Neumann is a co-founder and former board member of the Choice Schools Association. ¹⁵

Timothy Sheehy works as president of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce, chair of the Milwaukee Economic Development Corporation, and as a member of the State of Wisconsin Investment board. Sheehy has sat on the boards of Rocketship Community Schools, Teach for America, the City Forward Collective, Milwaukee Succeeds, and the Badger Institute (formerly the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute). ¹⁶

Heather Weininger is executive director of Wisconsin Right to Life. Prior to joining that group, she worked in various capacities for Republican officeholders and on Republican political campaigns, including the re-election campaign of President George W. Bush. ¹⁷

Cate Zeuske served in various roles in Wisconsin state government during the administrations of former Governors Tommy Thompson (R) and Scott Walker (R). ¹⁸

Other board members include chair Susan Mitchell, treasurer Bob DeKoch, and Richard Laabs. ¹⁹

1.  “Mission and Activities.” School Choice Wisconsin. Accessed October 26, 2020. https://schoolchoicewi.org/mission-activities/.
2. “Wisconsin School Financing.” School Choice Wisconsin. Accessed October 26, 2020. http://schoolchoicewi.org/schoolfinance/.
3. “Press Releases.” School Choice Wisconsin. Accessed October 26, 2020. https://schoolchoicewi.org/press-releases/.
4.  “Working Paper Series: Private School Choice and Character: More Evidence From Milwaukee. School Choice Wisconsin. Accessed October 26, 2020. https://schoolchoicewi.org/school-choice-character/.
5. “The Network: Wisconsin.” State Policy Network, 2020. Accessed October 26, 2020. https://spn.org/directory/#WI.
6.  “Mission and Activities.” School Choice Wisconsin. Accessed October 26, 2020. https://schoolchoicewi.org/mission-activities/.
7. “Wisconsin School Financing.” School Choice Wisconsin. Accessed October 26, 2020. http://schoolchoicewi.org/schoolfinance/.
8. “Press Releases.” School Choice Wisconsin. Accessed October 26, 2020. https://schoolchoicewi.org/press-releases/.
9. “Working Paper Series: Private School Choice and Character: More Evidence From Milwaukee. School Choice Wisconsin. Accessed October 26, 2020. https://schoolchoicewi.org/school-choice-character/.
10. “Partner Resources.” School Choice Wisconsin. Accessed October 26, 2020. https://schoolchoicewi.org/partner-resources/.
11. Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2004-2017, Part XV, Item 3b.
12. “School Choice Wisconsin Staff.” School Choice Wisconsin. Accessed January 26, 2022.  https://schoolchoicewi.org/staff/.
13.  “School Choice Wisconsin Staff.” School Choice Wisconsin. Accessed January 26, 2022.  https://schoolchoicewi.org/staff/.
14.  “School Choice Wisconsin Staff.” School Choice Wisconsin. Accessed January 26, 2022 https://schoolchoicewi.org/staff/.
15. “Andrew Neumann.” LinkedIn, 2020. Accessed October 26, 2020. https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-neumann-575b7755/.
16. “Timothy R. Sheehy.” Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce, 2020. Accessed October 26, 2020. https://www.mmac.org/timsheehy.html.
17. “Board of Directors.” School Choice Wisconsin, October 1, 2021. https://schoolchoicewi.org/board/.
18. “Board of Directors.” School Choice Wisconsin, October 1, 2021. https://schoolchoicewi.org/board/.
19. “Board of Directors.” School Choice Wisconsin, October 1, 2021. https://schoolchoicewi.org/board/.