2-19-14 school accountability measure clears senate

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin state Senate has passed a limited school accountability bill that would not impose sanctions on poor performing public or private voucher schools.  The vote Tuesday comes as the Assembly is reviving another bill that would call for closing poor performing public schools and stopping private schools from accepting students who receive taxpayer subsidized vouchers.

The measure passed by the Senate on a 29-3 vote would require any school that takes taxpayer money to report test scores and other data to be included on report cards starting in the 2015 school year.  Democratic opponents say the bill doesn't go far enough to hold voucher schools accountable. Republican sponsor Sen. Luther Olsen says he doesn't know if there's support in the Senate for the more expansive Assembly bill.