WI School Funding Update

Funding reform resolution introduced -- your chance to act
Funding system continues to erode quality education
School-funding reform calendar
The Wisconsin Alliance for Excellent Schools (WAES) is a statewide network of educators, school board members, parents, community leaders, and researchers. Its Wisconsin Adequacy Plan -- a proposal for school-finance reform -- is the result of research into the cost of educating children to meet state proficiency standards.
*************
Funding reform resolution introduced -- your chance to act

School-funding reform is finally in front of the Wisconsin Legislature. Where it goes now is up to you.

Wednesday, March 1, a press conference was held in the Assembly Parlor in the Capital (http://www.thewheelerreport.com/releases/Mar06/Mar1/0301demsschoolfunding.pdf) to introduce a joint resolution (http://www.excellentschools.org/events/ReformResolution/School%20Funding_AJR.pdf) calling for a new funding system by July of 2007. The call for reform is based on a set of core principles that include adequate resources to prepare all children for high school graduation, additional resources for children and communities with special circumstances, and a reduced level of local property taxes.

Authors of the joint resolution are Sen. Roger Breske (http://www.legis.state.wi.us/senate/sen12/sen12.html) and Reps. Sondy Pope-Roberts (http://www.legis.state.wi.us/assembly/asm79/asm79.html), Barbara Toles (http://www.legis.state.wi.us/assembly/asm17/asm17.html), John Lehman (http://www.legis.state.wi.us/assembly/asm62/asm62.html), and Gary Sherman (http://www.legis.state.wi.us/assembly/asm74/asm74.html). Contact them now to offer your thanks and support. The joint resolution has also been endorsed (http://www.thewheelerreport.com/releases/Mar06/Mar1/0301kreuserschoolfund.pdf) by Assembly Democratic Leader Jim Kreuser (http://www.legis.state.wi.us/assembly/asm64/asm64.html).

This is your opportunity to your part in the reform effort. Contact your Representative and your Senator (their names and contact information can be found at http://165.189.139.210/waml/) with this message:
Ask your Representative to contact Assembly Speaker John Gard and request the joint resolution be scheduled for discussion during the current legislative session.
Ask your Senator to contact Senate President Alan Lasee and request the joint resolution be scheduled for discussion during the current legislative session.
Ask your Representative and your Senator to publicly endorse the joint resolution and ask them how they will vote when it is considered.
Remember, it is critical to hold your elected officials responsible and accountable. As stated at the press conference, Wednesday, it is their job to solve this problem. If they say they will not help you help your children, ask them why. If they say they will help, tell them you will follow up on their promise.

You should also contact Rep. Gard (http://www.legis.state.wi.us/assembly/asm89/asm89.html) and Sen. Lasee (http://www.legis.state.wi.us/senate/sen01/sen01.html) and ask them to schedule debate on the joint resolution.

Even before you make your contacts, please forward this update to others interested in school-funding reform.
************
Funding system continues to erode quality education

According to a report just released the Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC) and the Wisconsin Association of School District Administrators (WASDA) the state's school-funding system continues to erode the quality of education available to our children (http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060301/GPG0101/603010546/1207).

The annual survey (http://www.weac.org/Capitol/2005-06/feb06/revcapstudy06.htm) finds that cuts have worsened across the board since the 1998-99 school in each of the 27 program and service areas included in the survey. For example, 48% of the school districts increased class sizes in 1998-99 because of the financing system, while 70% did so in the 2004-05 school year. Thirty-six percent laid off teachers in 1998-99, compared to 70% in 2004-05.

"Wisconsin's schools have always been a leader in the nation, but they will not continue to be if we do not change this law," said WASDA Executive Director Miles Turner. "The failure to invest in our infrastructure poses a real and permanent threat to the basic quality of our schools."
************
School-funding reform calendar
March 3, 2006 -- School-funding reform presentation for the Portage County Rotary Club, 7 a.m., at the Comfort Suites (300 Division Street N., Stevens Point)

March 8, 2006 -- School-funding reform presentation, 7:15 p.m., for school finance class in Room 3006 of Winther Hall at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater

March 10, 2006 -- School-funding reform presentation, 3:30 p.m., School Finance Class (Ed 810) in the Edgewood College Doctoral Program
March 13, 2006 -- School-funding reform presentation, noon, for the Fond du Lac Retired Educators Association, Knights of Columbus building, 795 Fond du Lac Avenue
March 29, 2006 -- School-funding reform presentation, 7 p.m., Menomonee Falls High School Library (http://www.sdmf.k12.wi.us/), Merrimac Drive, sponsored by the Menomonee Falls Council of PTAs

March 30, 2006 -- Forum on school-funding reform and taxes sponsored by the Lodi School District (http://www.lodi.k12.wi.us/sdlweb/Home.htm), 7-9 p.m. at the Lodi Elementary School (featuring Jack Norman, research director with the Institute for Wisconsin's Future; Prof. Andrew Reschovsky with the University of Wisconsin-Madison Lafollette School of Public Affairs; and Todd Berry, president of the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance)
April 28 -- School-funding reform presentation, 9:30 to 10:30 a.m., at the Wisconsin PTA Convention (www.wisconsinpta.org) at the Plaza Hotel and Suites, 201 North 17th Avenue, , Wausau

April 28-30, 2006 -- Youth ROC Wisconsin Statewide Youth Summit (http://www.excellentschools.org) on Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
May 18-19 -- School-funding reform presentations from 3:15-4:15 p.m. on May 18 and 9:45-10:35 a.m. on May 19 at the annual convention of the Wisconsin School Business Officials (http://www.wasbo.com/) at the Regency Suites in Green Bay

June 6, 2006 -- School-funding reform presentation, 1 p.m., for the Dodge County Retired Educators Association, Marsh Haven

Please feel free to share your copy of the WAES school-funding update with anyone interested in school-finance reform. Contact Tom Beebe (tbeebe@wisconsinsfuture.org) at 414-384-9094 for details.
--
Thomas S. Beebe, Outreach Specialist
Institute for Wisconsin’s Future
1717 South 12th Street
Milwaukee, WI 53204

Voice: 414-384-9094
Fax: 414-384-9098
Cell: 920-650-0525
E-mal: tbeebe@wisconsinsfuture.org

http://www.excellentschools.org
http://www.wisconsinsfuture.org

Posted by at March 2, 2006 7:47 PM
Subscribe to this site via RSS/Atom: Newsletter signup | Send us your ideas