Olsen: Voucher Expansion Will Cost Taxpayers
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | April 17, 2013
In a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel news story on Monday, Senator Luther Olsen (R-Ripon) expressed his concerns that private school vouchers, once expanded, will continue to grow and cost taxpayers more and more. We appreciate Senator Olsen’s efforts to expose the true long-term fiscal effect of voucher expansion. Can you say entitlement? Where are all the fiscal conservatives now?
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Help Drive Strong Broadband Survey Participation
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | April 17, 2013
Yesterday, Deputy State Superintendent Mike Thompson emailed a letter (pasted below) to all district administrators asking them to work with parents and community members to participate in surveys created by the Public Service Commission to help determine local broadband coverage and need. I don’t have to tell you how important this work is for education and economic development efforts. Please give this effort the attention that it so critically deserves. Thank you.
Dear District Administrators:
Increasing broadband accessat less cost in Wisconsin schools and libraries is critical as we continue to implement major reform initiatives in our state. To that end,the Public Service Commission (PSC) is creating a statewide broadband plan under the banner of LinkWisconsin. The PSC has done extensive additional broadband mapping, created cost models for estimating broadband build out across the state, and gathered extensive information about broadband needs.
The PSC is now asking partners to help them with another step. They have created surveys for both residences and businesses to determine existing broadband coverage and potential market demand. A pilot for these surveys was run in Fond du Lac County last year and was supported by the schools and libraries in the area. Based on the success of the pilot, they are now taking those surveys statewide and ask for your support on communicating with your parents and communities about the surveys to foster a high response rate.
To help facilitate the survey process, we have created some materials for you to use if you wish to support the survey effort in your district. We hope you will share information with parents and community members to help drive strong survey results. We have drafted a brief letter you could share with parents, if you choose, to help participate in the broadband survey effort. We also have a button you could place on your district and school web pages that would direct parents and community members to the survey. Please note that the PSC is only requesting you inform folks about the survey as all information will be sent directly back to the PSC. If you have questions about this effort, please contact Stuart Ciske on our Instructional Media and Technology Team (stuart.ciske@dpi.wi.gov).
Sincerely,
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LFB Memo on Vouchers
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | April 16, 2013
The nine districts targeted by Gov. Scott Walker for expansion of the school choice program could take a significant financial hit depending on how many of their students participated, according to a new LFB memo.
The Legislative Fiscal Bureau memo also lays out a scenario in which $7.9 million in state aid would be redistributed to other districts in the state with the nine losing money.
Among the other districts, 324 would receive more aid and 91 would be largely unchanged under that scenario.
The Republican-controlled Joint Finance Committee has its final official public hearing Thursday, while Dems are having alternative hearings.
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Study: Campaign Money Drives Voucher Agenda
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | April 15, 2013
Wealthy campaign contributors and shadowy electioneering groups that back school voucher programs have spent nearly $10 million in 10 years in Wisconsin – much of it to help twice elect a governor who is trying to sharply expand the program, a Wisconsin Democracy Campaign review found.
See Wisconsin Democracy Campaign study.
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Notes From JFC Committee Hearings Green Bay/WI Dells
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | April 12, 2013
On Monday and Wednesday of this week, the Joint Finance Committee held it’s second and third of four public hearings on the state budget bill (Assembly Bill 40) in Green Bay and Wisconsin Dells respectively. The SAA was well-represented at both hearings. The following school administrators provided testimony at the Green Bay hearing: Tony Klaubauf, Superintendent, Denmark; Pete Ross, Superintendent, Seymour; Dave Polashek, Superintendent, Oconto Falls; Michelle Langenfeld, Superintendent, Green Bay; Joe Stutting, Superintendent, Sturgeon Bay; Ron Welch, Superintendent, Algoma; Alan Wagner, Business Manager, Green Bay; Claudia Hendrickson, Special Education Director, Green Bay; and Edward Dorf, Principal, Green Bay East High School.
Tony Klaubauf Testimony 040813
Dave Polashek Testimony 040813
The following school administrators delivered testimony at the Wisconsin Dells hearing: Jim Sebert, Superintendent, Fond du Lac; Steve McNeal, Superintendent, Beloit; Wally Leipart, Superintendent, Phillips; Cindy Zahrte, Superintendent, Tomah; Jeff Holmes, Superintendent, Montello; Curt Bisarek, Superintendent, Hillsboro; Tim Schell, Director of Curriculum/Instruction, Waunakee; Margaret Rudolf, Business Manager, Portage; Brent Richter, Business Manager, Lodi; Mindy Lankey, Business Manager, Hillsboro; Julie Smallwood Lankey, Business Manager, Mauston; Greg Nyen, Special Education Director, Stevens Point; and Tammy Nyen, Special Education Director, Wausau. Many thanks to these SAA members for their leadership.
The pro-voucher forces were well-represented at the hearings with several speakers, students and parents in attendance at each hearing. This heavy presence illustrates how important it is for SAA members to make a strong showing at the final JFC hearing.
For those of you planning to testify at Baldwin-Woodville High School on Thursday, April 18th here are my suggestions:
- Get there early. I know the hearings don’t start until 10:00 a.m., but if you wish to speak before noon get there by 7:30 a.m.
- You will only have 2 minutes to testify. There will be no questions from legislators.
- Bring 20 hard copies of your testimony with your full contact information on it for the committee members.
- Use the information in the SAA’s recent Legislative Alert to stay on message. It is very important for us to stay focused.
We need to finish strong at the final JFC budget hearing in Baldwin. I haven’t been able to verify it, but sources I respect have heard the pro-voucher forces are planning a big showing in Baldwin. If you have questions about testifying please call me. Thank you.
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