As one of the state's most outspoken advocates of public education, State Sen. James Meeks (D-Chicago) stunned some of his biggest supporters last month when he introduced a proposal (SB 2494) to hand out private school vouchers to public school students. At the time, the bill seemed like a longshot. But after clearing the Illinois Senate last week, the prospect that Chicago could become ground zero in a statewide voucher experiment gained some credibility.

For years, Meeks has criticized his fellow lawmakers for failing to recalibrate the state's education funding formula so that all Illinois students would have the chance to attend adequately funded schools. By floating the measure, Meeks is also making clear that he's fed up with many education and municipal officials who have not applied the sort of political pressure required to see through the sort of tax reform that would finally instill equality into the education system.

Still, critics are calling Meeks' efforts a diversion that will only reroute more public money from cash-starved schools. Among them is State Sen. Kwame Raoul (D-Chicago).  "We can't just say give them a voucher," he said on Fox's Good Day Chicago this morning, "and that's going to solve the problem." Watch:

Under Meeks measure -- which Raoul voted against -- 22,000 Chicago students from the city's lowest-performing primary schools would get vouchers next year to cover the cost of private school tuition. Those vouchers would top out at $6,119, or the state's per pupil spending average. As Raoul points out, the measure is based on two questionable premises: that there will be enough private school openings to accommodate the students and that those private schools achieve better educational results. The Center on Tax and Budget Accountability's executive director Ralph Martire echoed those sentiments, adding that there is no guarantee that a private school must accept disadvantaged students, either.

Meeks bill now moves over to the House, which will take up the measure after the spring recess. Meanwhile, the Chicago Teachers Union is pushing back against the bill. And Gov. Pat Quinn has indicated that he's not thrilled about any idea of draining any more resources from already-struggling public schools.

"The concept of public education is that every child, regardless of where they grow up, can get a quality education," Martire tells us. "If you don't have the resources to hire more and better teachers, to put technology in the classrooms, to have enrichment and afterschool programs to extend the school day ... how is competition [with the private market] going to make schools any better?"

Good question.