[Photo of Matthew J. Brouillette]
Authors

Matthew J. Brouillette

Matthew J. Brouillette is the former Director of Education Policy for the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, an independent, non-profit research and educational institute located in Midland, Michigan. His tenure there was from 1998-2002, until he became President of the Commonwealth Foundation in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Brouillette is the author of numerous articles, Op-Eds, and studies related to education reform in Michigan. He was Managing Editor of Michigan Education Report, the Mackinac Center's quarterly journal focused on K-12 education issues in Michigan. While at the Mackinac Center, Brouillette appeared in many of Michigan's major newspapers and on radio and television programs across the state.

Brouillette is a former middle- and high-school history teacher. He received his undergraduate degree from Cornell College and has earned two post-graduate degrees in education and history from Azusa Pacific University and the University of San Diego.

Tools

By Matthew J. Brouillette

The Case for Choice in Schooling:

After 40 years of struggle, school choice is now at the center of the debate over school reform in America, and it is of primary importance that the public understand the facts-and avoid the myths-surrounding this issue. This three-part primer is designed to educate and inform citizens about all aspects of school choice and equip them to participate in the debate as fully informed members of their communities. The report contains a historical overview of tax-funded schooling, demonstrates the failure of many popular reforms of the past and present, explains the various types of school choice, identifies the barriers to education reform, dispels myths surrounding school choice, and outlines strategic plans parents and other concerned citizens can follow to advance the cause of greater school choice. … more
Published on Jan. 29, 2001

The Impact of Limited School Choice on Public School Districts

Case studies of how school districts in Michigan's largest county are responding to competition from charter schools and public "schools-of-choice" … more
Published on July 24, 2000

School Choice in Michigan: A Primer for Freedom in Education

  School choice--the right, freedom, and ability of parents to choose for their children the safest and best schools--has moved front and center in the debate over how to improve education in Michigan. This three-part primer equips parents, educators, and policy makers with the facts they need to understand and advance market-based reforms that will help all Michigan schools perform at higher levels of quality and efficiency.
  The primer examines the history of government-funded and operated schooling, explains why nonmarket-oriented school reform efforts ultimately fail, and describes various school choice proposals including charter schools, inter-district choice, vouchers, tax credits, and universal tuition tax credits. Helpful appendices explain ways for grass-roots citizens to help advance school choice. … more
Published on July 16, 1999

The Impact of School Choice on School Employee Labor Unions

  As school choice heads for the 2000 ballot in Michigan, it is important for citizens to understand how proposals including K-12 vouchers and tuition tax credits will affect the school employee unions that exert such a powerful influence on the state’s public school system.
  This study examines union membership rates among Michigan’s public, charter, and private school teachers and found that while teachers in every public school district are represented by-and pay dues to-a union, only 5 out of 139 charter and 2 out of over one thousand private schools employ unionized workforces.
  The study concludes that school employee unions-including the Michigan Education Association and the Michigan Federation of Teachers-have powerful political and financial incentives to spend millions of dollars to prevent more parents from being able to choose non-unionized charter or private schools for their children. … more
Published on June 23, 1999

Unused Capacity in Privately Funded Michigan Schools

Many Michigan education reformers are exploring proposals to use private schools to help fix public school problems, including student overcrowding and a lack of incentives for improving student performance. The proposals, whether they involve public-to-private student transfers or expanded parental choice among all schools, depend on private schools' willingness and ability to accommodate new students. This study, which surveyed 342 of Michigan's 1,058 private schools, confirms that private schools have the classroom capacity and desire to accept a significantly larger role in providing more of the state's children with quality education. 10 pages. … more
Published on March 15, 1999

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