SAA Submits Questions to Walker, Burke Campaigns
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | September 5, 2014
Yesterday, the SAA asked the Walker and Burke campaigns to respond in writing to several questions on current education issues impacting Wisconsin public schools and public school children. Our intention is to forward the candidate responses to the entire SAA membership as soon as they are received.
What’s more, for each candidate that provides written responses to these questions, the SAA will offer to videotape the candidate for a 5-10 minute message to the SAA membership based on the candidate’s written responses to our questions. This process for engaging the gubernatorial candidates was recommended by the SAA Executive Committee and approved by the SAA Legislative Committee.
We have asked the candidates to provide their written responses by Friday, September 19, 2014. Stay tuned.
See the questions here.
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Walker, Burke Sharpen Contrast on Vouchers
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | September 4, 2014
In a follow-up to yesterday’s voucher announcement by Walker, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported today that Gov. Scott Walker and Mary Burke on Wednesday sharpened the contrast between them on taxpayer-funded private voucher schools, with the GOP governor proposing a significant expansion and his Democratic challenger saying she would eliminate the new statewide program.
Read more here.
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State May Need A Budget Repair Bill
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | September 4, 2014
From WisPolitics . . .
The state may need a budget repair bill before the current fiscal year is up unless its finances improve, according to the Legislative Fiscal Bureau.
Still, the nonpartisan budget arm of the Legislature noted the Walker administration can rein in spending. The LFB also said a better picture of the state’s finances won’t be available until October, when the administration releases a more comprehensive report on fiscal year 2013-14.
The Department of Revenue reported last week tax collections for 2013-14 were $281.2 million below estimates. The administration is required to introduce a budget repair bill if expenditures exceed collections by more than 0.5 percent and the shortfall can’t be addressed through tools available to DOA. But because of a projected balance of $443.2 million in the general fund for 2013-14, that trigger won’t be hit for the first year of the biennium.
However, current projections show a shortfall of $115.8 million for 2014-15, exceeding the 0.5 percent threshold of $79.2 million.
The Walker administration has said it plans to manage the current shortfall through available tools. If revenues improve over current projections, that could also eliminate the need for a repair bill.
Read the memo here.
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Article on Voucher Schools “Shocks the Conscience”
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | September 4, 2014
This article from The Progressive was forwarded to me by an SAA member under the subject line “Shocks the Conscience.” In reading this article, you will find many disturbing items about the physical conditions of the featured private voucher schools, the curriculum, as well as the role of voucher schools as part of a real estate portfolio.
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More Analysis of State Revenue Shortfall
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | September 3, 2014
The Wisconsin Budget Project released an interesting analysis regarding last Thursday’s announced $281 million revenue shortfall for the state of Wisconsin. And, as I nosed around the Capitol today, there was clear concern that the problems may run deeper than the political spin doctors indicated late last week. And why do we care? Deeper state fiscal problems mean even less money available to support children in Wisconsin’s cash-strapped school districts.
I have been very impressed with the work of the Wisconsin Budget Project of late. We are indeed fortunate to have such a resource in Wisconsin.
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