But those twin victories were the meager results from the most ambitious legislative campaign yet by voucher advocates.

However, even as voucher advocates began planning long-term strategy yesterday, New York's legislative leadership vowed to block efforts to start a voucher program in the state.

But Ms. Weingarten said she believed that voucher advocates were wrong if they thought there would be a groundswell of support in minority communities.

Indeed, emboldened voucher advocates were looking to the White House tonight.

Many voucher advocates have been disappointed by the lack of studies demonstrating that such programs have dramatically boosted student achievement.

Or is it that the voucher advocates and state officials who want to cut education spending have an interest in promoting the notion that no change is possible?

And then they actually test voucher advocates' theories and describe the results of their research without making grandiose claims.

Even some voucher advocates have criticized the initiative for not limiting the vouchers to impoverished families or struggling schools.

Across the nation, voucher advocates say private choices should be extended to disadvantaged children, like the poor or those with disabilities, whom public schools have failed.

Even some voucher advocates acknowledge that the test shows that private schools are no panacea.