Evers Introduces 2015-17 State Education Budget Request
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | November 10, 2014
“Across the state in school districts large and small, urban and rural, we’ve heard that Wisconsin’s school funding system is broken. It’s not serving our state well,” said State Superintendent Tony Evers as he introduced his 2015?17 state education budget.?
See DPI News Release here.
See DPI Budget Request here.
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Legislature’s Agenda Grows More Conservative
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | November 10, 2014
Here is another article focusing on the tilt to the right in the Legislature and what that means for the agenda in the Capitol. Please note the section on education issues.
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Preliminary School Referenda Results
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | November 6, 2014
The SAA has received preliminary school referenda results from the DPI. There was a total of 53 referendum questions on the ballot in 38 school districts.
Twenty-four of those questions were for debt issuance with 15 passing and 9 failing. Twenty questions were for exceeding the revenue limit (non-recurring) with 16 passing and 4 failing. Finally, 9 questions were for exceeding the revenue cap (recurring) with 4 passing and 5 failing.
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MJS Editorial on Walker’s Ambitions
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | November 5, 2014
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel posted an interesting editorial this afternoon on Walker’s ambitions for higher office and what that means for all of us. The editorial essentially said that a governor at the pinnacle of his power like Walker is should use that power to forge consensus and tackle some very important issues for the state of Wisconsin. One of those issues of course is to ensure adequate funding for K-12 education. Here is what the Journal-Sentinel had to say about the school funding issue:
“Ensure adequate funding for K-12 education. Walker and the GOP-dominated Legislature cut state aid to schools by nearly $800 million in the 2011-’13 budget — the largest cuts in the nation that year. Walker claimed that Act 10’s “tools” (the law that gutted collective bargaining for most public workers) helped schools make up the difference. That’s debatable. What is less debatable is his insistence on establishing a second shadow public education system by lifting the 1,000-student cap on the statewide school voucher program. It would be costly and ensure that Wisconsin has not one but two underfunded public school systems. A fiscal conservative such as Walker should know better”.
Amen.
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Clean Sweep for Republicans
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | November 5, 2014
The 2014 elections proved to be a clean sweep for Republicans. In Wisconsin, the GOP swept to control of the governor’s and attorney general’s offices and broadened their majorities in both the State Senate and State Assembly. At the national level, Republicans wrested control of the U.S. Senate from the Democrats and broadened their majority in the U. S. House of Representatives. I have provided a link to the Wisconsin State Journal’s election results for your information here.
What does it all mean for the children we serve? There will be much analysis floated in the coming days. But, early on the day after election day 2014 as I reflect on the past election sweeps of 2008 (Democrat) and 2010 (Republican) and the subsequent public policy adoptions following each of those elections, I’m left with this: Elections Matter.
Stay tuned. There will be more to follow. Given the education policy promises of the victors, some may wonder, “What do we do now?” We will do as we have always done. We will fight for all that is good in public education but, most importantly, we will fight for the children we serve. Thank you for all that you do.
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