2014 School Referenda Results
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | April 3, 2014
The Wheeler Report has granted permission for the SAA to post its report detailing school referenda results from January, February and April 2014. See the report here.
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Senator Schultz Gives His Farewell Address
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | April 3, 2014
On Tuesday, Senator Dale Schultz gave his farewell address to the Wisconsin Senate. See the video of his speech here.
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Kestell Will Not Seek Re-Election
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | April 2, 2014
Representative Steve Kestell (R-Elkhart Lake), Chairman of the Assembly Committee on Education and one of the foremost authorities on education issues in the Legislature, announced Tuesday that he will not seek election to a ninth term in the Assembly.
The SAA has worked with Chairman Kestell for many years. And, while we didn’t always agree on education policy issues, we did understand and appreciate that he painstakingly weighed the evidence and made his decisions based on what he thought was the right thing to do for the children and the taxpayers of Wisconsin. That type of reasoned, deliberate approach will be sorely missed in the Assembly.
Steve Kestell is a great friend of public education. We will miss him.
See Milwaukee Journal Sentinel story here.
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High Stakes Referendums in Rural Districts
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | March 31, 2014
Dozens of cash-strapped school districts are asking taxpayers to raise property taxes to support educational opportunities for children. This news story from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel also comments on the work of the Speaker’s Task Force on Rural Schools.
See Milwaukee Journal Sentinel story here.
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Really? You’ve Got to Be Kidding Me!
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | March 25, 2014
From time to time in the 25 years I have spent in and around state government, something has taken place that leaves you scratching your head and mumbling, “Oh my God! You’ve got to be kidding me!”
Such is the case with a head-scratcher that took place this past weekend. It seems the 6th Congressional District Republican Caucus felt the need to pass a resolution of “non-support” and “no confidence” in Senator Luther Olsen and Representative Steve Kestell.
Really. And, I’m not kidding you. The resolution appears below.
2014 –Resolution of non-support and no-confidence for Sen. Luther Olsen and Rep. Steve Kestell
WHEREAS the Republican Party of Wisconsin adopted a resolution calling for the rejection of Common Core State Standards (CCSS) at the 2013 state convention, for numerous reasons listed therein and
WHEREAS the Republican National Committee at its 2013 spring meeting adopted a resolution rejecting the Common Core State Standards for all the reasons stated therein and
WHEREAS Common Core State Standards are nothing more than a continuation of the past failed programs of the Federal Department of Education and the Wisconsin State Department of Public Instruction that sought to indoctrinate students instead of educating them and
WHEREAS State Senator Luther Olsen obviously has and continues to act as a biased champion for CCSS in Wisconsin and has failed to withdraw his involvement in educational matters in which he has a conflict of interest as between his and his wife’s interests and that of taxpayers and constituents
WHEREAS Senator Olsen and Rep. Kestell have remained manipulative, misleading and unaccountable in their dealings with Wisconsin citizens, even with their own constituents who have repeatedly voiced their wishes and been ignored by Senator Olsen, Rep. Kestell and their office staffs alike and
WHEREAS Senator Olsen and Rep. Kestell appear to have personal and independent motives in their promotion of Common Core State Standards which do NOT reflect the views of the members of the Republican Party of the 6th District, the Republican Party of the State of Wisconsin, and the Republican National Committee and
WHEREAS Senator Olsen and Rep. Kestell do NOT seem to have the ability, inclination or commitment to represent the views and positions of their constituents regarding education issues in the 6th District, the State of Wisconsin and the Republican National Committee;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that Senator Olsen and Rep. Kestell resign their positions as state chairs of the education committee and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Republican 6th Congressional District of Wisconsin, in caucus assembled, assign Senator Olsen and Rep. Kestell a vote of no-confidence and a declaration of non-support and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this resolution be delivered to ALL Wisconsin Republican legislators and the Governor before April 1st, 2014.
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