School Information System: Republican bill calls for a board of political appointees to authorize charter schools

March 22, 2011

Republican bill calls for a board of political appointees to authorize charter schools

Under a Republican-sponsored bill, nine political appointees would get to authorize public charter schools while local school districts foot the bill. The creation of this state-wide charter school authorizing board -- with members appointed by the governor and the leaders of the state Senate and Assembly -- is a key provision of legislation authored by Sen. Alberta Darling of River Hills that will get a hearing on Wednesday at 10 a.m. at the Capitol before the Senate Education Committee.

Senate Bill 22 not only de-emphasizes local control, but also creates changes in how teachers are certified and removes caps from the numbers of students who may enroll in virtual schools. A companion bill is also pending in the state Assembly.

Opponents say the proposed changes would not only eliminate local control in favor of a new, politically motivated bureaucracy but would also siphon general aid away from all of Wisconsin's 424 public school districts in favor of charters. But backers say it will remove current barriers that prevent charter schools from realizing their full potential.

"This bill would get rid of the charter school lite culture we currently have in Wisconsin and allow these schools' full potential for autonomy, flexibility and innovation to be fully realized," says John Gee, executive director of the Wisconsin Association for Charter Schools.

School Choice Wisconsin: Milwaukee residents favor school choice expansion

Posted by Jim Zellmer at March 22, 2011 8:55 AM
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Comments

Outrageous. A politically appointed state board can decide whether, what kind, and how many charter schools a district will have yet the district is required to pay for it? Keep in mind there is the proposed budget item which caps the property tax by which school districts make up cuts in state aid or pay for increases in salaries/benefits or, now, the added cost of new charter schools. Worse, districts can't even raise those funds via referendum, that's capped, too, as I understand it.

A Walker two-fer: bust the teachers union (charter school teachers won't need teaching licenses) and gut general public education which the state constitution requires must be available to all children.

Obviously this will end up in the state supreme court--yet another reason to vote in the April 5 election...

Posted by: Joan Knoebel at March 22, 2011 1:04 PM

And, write or email to Governor (govgeneral@wisconsin.gov), Senate Committee on Education - Sen.Olsen@legis.wisconsin.gov, Sen.Vukmir@legis.wisconsin.gov, Sen.Grothman@legis.wisconsin.gov, Sen.Darling@legis.wisconsin.gov, Sen.Jauch@legis.wisconsin.gov, Sen.Vinehout@legis.wisconsin.gov,Sen.Larson@legis.wisconsin.gov

Definitely, vote, vote, vote on April 5th...

Posted by: barbs at March 22, 2011 4:06 PM

In my business I had to get separate government authorization, ie., licenses, to sell seed, feed, to sell grain, to store grain, special truck licenses, general business license, ad infinitum. All of this amounted to thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours of my time per year. And this was for a small local business.
Can't really see why requiring government permission to set up a school is that outrageous.
I'll vote no for a bill like this because I am not in favor of any state control over what should be local....on one condition. The WIAA and state DPI is disbanded as well.

Posted by: RCS at March 24, 2011 9:23 AM