Race to Reform  Like Wendell Maddox, African Americans and
Latinos increasingly support vouchers as a viable alternative to
schools that fail them. Opponents say minorities are being used
as pawns in an ideological battle.  WENDELL MADDOX IS a longtime
supporter and consumer of the Minneapolis public school system.
After graduating from Central High School in 1961, Maddox saw
five of his children through the district's public schools. But
he isn't certain he wants his sixth child to follow in their
footsteps. Like many African American parents, Maddox, who is a
two-year member of the state Board of Education, has lost
confidence in public schools and wants to see some working
alternatives by the time his 3-month-old son is ready to enroll.
Last spring, the results of a national poll conducted by the
Joint Center of Political and Economic Studies found that a
majority of African American and Latino parents support vouchers
that theoretically would give parents greater leeway in choosing
a school for their chi