Education


Farmers say Budget Damages Farm Research, Schools and Conservation Input – By State Senator Kathleen Vinehout

Picture of Senator Vinehout
“It’s very important that we are here today,” the farmer from Independence told me. “In fact, it’s more important that we be here than anywhere else.” Here was in my Capitol office. Local farmers were visiting as part of Ag Day at the Capitol. The weather that day was dry and warm. It was perfect for getting early spring chores done. Instead, these farmers drove hundreds of miles to meet with their legislators. They were on a mission to change parts of the state budget that hurt rural communities. The first thing on their mind – in every group that ...

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THE LEGACY OF FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES

Outside phote of Northwestern High School in Maple Wisconsin
The "legacy" of families and communities working together is the inheritance my grandparents, parents, and the Finnish immigrants who settled in Maple, WI gave to me. My grandparents, Konsta and Mary, farmed 160 acres of red clay and tended to a herd of 15 to 20 dairy cows.  Konsta's brother, Charlie, lived and worked with them.  One of Mary's brothers, Willard, who was born with disabilities also lived with them and contributed to the well-being of a family working together.  They needed each other. My grandparents needed help with the rigorous work of farming....

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MIDDLE WISCONSIN FROM BEND, OREGON

Middle Wisconsin Logo
Middle Wisconsin has always been a state of mind, not a location. The values of fairness, respect, and community are universal. They live in the heart of caring, concerned citizens throughout America, throughout the world. The following letter from Baruch Zeichner of Bend, Oregon, verbalizes what many of us fear, what many of us know, but have hesitated to say. Follow Baruch on his Podcast at http://paradigms.bz/ on http://wbkm.org/ radio, and visit his Blog at http://baruchzedblog.blogspot.com/ “We are now literally dismantling the state government, and people ...

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Public Schools Serve the Whole Society

Protestor speaking at a rally
A 21st Century public education system is the foundation of democracy and provides equal opportunity. The doors of public schools are wide open for all students and are essential to the well-being of our communities, state and country. Do you know the difference between taxpayer subsidized private schools and our community Public Schools? Responsibilities and Standards Taxpayer subsidized private schools do not need to hire highly qualified teachers and were not required to take state assessments until last year. Public schools are rated by the state every year, ...

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Economic Development $$$ Grow – Public Oversight Shrinks – By Senator Kathleen Vinehout

Picture of Senator Vinehout
Senator Kathleen Vinehout “I’ve heard about the cuts,” the Buffalo County man said. “But this budget spends more.  Who’s getting more money?” Folks are concerned about big cuts to the UW; cuts to local schools; scaling back of health programs for the disabled; public radio and TV losing state support. But the new budget spends $3 billion more than the last. Where is that money going? One place to look is the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC).  Despite its name, WEDC is a part of state government; in fiscal year 2012-13 it receive...

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Potential Impact on Environmental Education of the Proposed FY 2016 & 2017 Budget

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Information provided by Jeremy Solin, Director (interim) of the Wisconsin Center for Environmental Education at UWSP: The infrastructure of environmental education in Wisconsin is in jeopardy. The proposed Wisconsin state budget affects the Wisconsin Center for Environmental Education, the Department of Public Instruction Environmental Education Consultant position, and the Wisconsin Environmental Education Board. Environmental education inspires people to pursue STEM-related careers in science, technology, environmental management, engineering, natural resources, ...

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THE WISCONSIN IDEA DEFINES US

Wisconsin Idea
For more than a century, the Wisconsin Idea has defined who we are as citizens of this state. It is an Inspired Idea. It is an idea based on the principles that learning must be available to all and that the search for truth is paramount. In his 2015-2017 Budget Bill, Governor Walker struck the Wisconsin Idea from our laws. Section 36.01 of the Wisconsin Statutes embodies the Wisconsin Idea in its definitions of the purpose and mission of the State University system. The purpose holds it is "in the public interest to provide a system of higher education." The mission ...

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WHAT IS BEST FOR CHILDREN IN RURAL WISCONSIN?

Picture of rural school house
The times, they are a-changin’. Rural Wisconsin is seeing big changes. Rural Wisconsin is home to almost 44 percent of the state’s 860,000 public school students. One big change is the decrease in school enrollment. Rural school districts have a 7% decline while non-rural districts have 3%. With a decline in student population comes a drop in funding. Every district works hard to make the most of each dollar. But at the same time, rural school districts are increasing in poverty. More than half the students are eligible for free-and-reduced lunch. Along ...

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HOW DO WE FORGET?

UW Emblem
How do we forget over two hundred years of the Wisconsin dream? How do we look at what our fathers and mothers bequeathed us, and throw it all away for the promise of more jobs, or less taxes? Are we so much less than previous generations that we can throw out any measure of the ideal we expect for our children and our children's children? I am asking these questions of my neighbors and fellow statesmen, because that is exactly what Scott Walker is asking us to do with his current budget proposal. In one fiscal proposal the governor is asking us to dump the Wisconsin ...

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NO CUTS TO THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN SYSTEM – THE “BADGERCARE IOWA FIX”

Iowa BadgerCare Fix Logo
Following is the text of the speech given by Joel Lewis, Marathon County Board Supervisor from the 5th Supervisory District, at the February 19, 2015 Citizen Action of Wisconsin media event in Wausau, WI. Labeled the “Badgercare Iowa Fix,” the event was to encourage Wisconsin legislators to accept Federal Medicaid/BadgerCare dollars as the state of Iowa did, rather than inflict huge cuts to the University of Wisconsin system. At a time when politicians are bickering over how to best create jobs, I can hardly believe that we are seeing budgets from our elected ...

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