Legislative Alert: Charter School Legislation
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | October 8, 2013
Yesterday, we provided information to SAA members on Senate Bill 76 (Senate Substitute Amendment 1) relating to charter school expansion. Today the SAA is issuing a priority legislative alert on SB 76.
The Senate Committee on Education will hold an executive session (vote on) on the bill this Thursday October 10th. We also anticipate the bill will move on for a Senate floor vote next week. We are encouraging all SAA members to contact their legislators and encourage them to oppose this far reaching legislation for the following reasons:
- Greatly expands the number of entities permitted to authorize independent (non-school-board-authorized) charter schools to include all UW campuses, Wisconsin Technical College Boards and CESA boards of control.
- Reduces general school aids to all school districts and raises property taxes. Those additional authorizers will surely increase the number of independent charter schools authorized. Given that the per pupil payments to independent charter schools (currently $7,925 per pupil) are funded as a draw on the general school aids that would otherwise be payable to every school district in the state, this bill will result in a growing aid reduction to public schools. In 2012-13, the reduction in general school aid attributable to independent charters was 1.4 percent statewide on average. And because local school districts are allowed to levy property taxes to cover the reduction in state aid, this will likely result in an increase in local property taxes.
- Removes the right of school boards and newly proposed authorizers to determine if they wish to authorize additional charter schools. This could force school boards and other authorizers to replicate additional charter schools if the charter school operators are deemed to have a proven track record of success. Nowhere in state history has the legislature required a school board to create another school and stripped locally-elected officials of their authority to make such a decision on their own.
Please use the information above as well as the information on our previous post in an email or phone call to your legislators as soon as possible. For your convenience in contacting your legislators, I have provided links to the Senate Directory, the Assembly Directory as well as Who Are My Legislators.
Thanks for listening and, as always, thank you for everything you do on behalf of Wisconsin school children.
Topics: Legislative Action, SAA Capitol Reports, SAA Capitol Reports with Email Notifications, SAA Latest Update | No Comments »
Charter School Bill On Fast Track
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | October 7, 2013
Last Thursday, October 3rd, while the SAA was hosting a press conference on the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and carrying the fight against scrapping the CCSS at the state’s first public hearing on the Common Core, the Senate Committee on Education held a public hearing on a substantially revised Senate Bill 76 (charter schools) with far-reaching implications for local control and school funding.
Sadly, the revised version (Senate Substitute Amendment 1 to SB 76) became public less than 48 hours before the hearing leaving the SAA and other K12 advocates to fashion a position on the bill without the benefit of a Legislative Reference Bureau bill analysis much less a summary by the Legislative Council (the Legislative Council summary became available later on Thursday).
SS A1 to SB76 does the following:
- Greatly expands the number of entities permitted to authorize independent (non-school-board-authorized) charter schools to include all UW campuses, Wisconsin Technical College Boards and CESA boards of control.
- Reduces general school aids to all school districts and raises property taxes. Those additional authorizers will surely increase the number of independent charter schools authorized. Given that the per pupil payments to independent charter schools (currently $7,925 per pupil) are funded as a draw on the general school aids that would otherwise be payable to every school district in the state, this bill will result in a growing aid reduction to public schools. In 2012-13, the reduction in general school aid attributable to independent charters was 1.4 percent statewide on average. And because local school districts are allowed to levy property taxes to cover the reduction in state aid, this will likely result in an increase in local property taxes.
- Removes the right of school boards and newly proposed authorizers to determine if they wish to authorize additional charter schools. This could force school boards and other authorizers to replicate additional charter schools if the charter school operators are deemed to have a proven track record of success. Nowhere in state history has the legislature required a school board to create another school and stripped locally-elected officials of their authority to make such a decision on their own.
- Makes it easier for a school district to convert all its public schools to charter schools.
- Allows pupils to attend any independent charter school, even those outside their own school district.
- Perpetuates the flaw in Wisconsin’s school finance system that does not allow school districts to count independent charter school students for state general aid or revenue limit purposes.
The SAA expressed its opposition to the bill by issuing a brief statement to the Senate Education Committee.
More information to follow.
Topics: SAA Capitol Reports, SAA Capitol Reports with Email Notifications, SAA Latest Update | No Comments »
Mary Burke Announces for Governor
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | October 7, 2013
Mary Burke, the former Trek Bicycle and State Commerce Department secretary, has announced her candidacy for Governor. See the article here.
Topics: SAA Capitol Reports, SAA Capitol Reports with Email Notifications, SAA Latest Update | No Comments »
SAA Legislative Committee Meeting Cancelled
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | October 4, 2013
The SAA Legislative Committee meeting that was scheduled for Monday October 7th, has been re-scheduled for Monday December 9th. Please look for an email and respond with your availability. Thank you.
Topics: SAA Capitol Reports, SAA Capitol Reports with Email Notifications, SAA Latest Update | No Comments »
Update On Thursday CCSS Hearing
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | October 1, 2013
Once more with clarity (I hope)!
The Select Committee for Review of the Common Core Standards Initiative will hold its first public hearing on Thursday, October 3rd at 12:00 p.m. in Room 417 North, State Capitol.
We anticipate that the hearing will begin with a few invited speakers and then hear from the public on a first come, first serve basis. There will be a time limit for testimony, but it has not yet been established. Those planning to testify should plan on having five minutes, but be prepared to cut your remarks to three minutes. Bring 20 copies of your testimony for the committee. Also, be able to access an electronic version of your statement so we can post it.
The most difficult question to answer is, “If I want to testify early in the hearing, when should I arrive at the hearing room to stand in line to register?” I am suggesting that people begin arriving at 8:30-9:00 a.m.
Even if you have already informed me of your intention to testify, please send a quick email to Beth (beth@wsaa.org) at the SAA confirming that you will testify on Thursday.
Thank you.
Topics: SAA Capitol Reports, SAA Capitol Reports with Email Notifications, SAA Latest Update | No Comments »