Education
AUSTERITY IS THE ENDGAME
Austerity is the endgame, the final subjugation. It is the offspring of Ronald Reagan’s corrupt ideology that “government is the problem” and Bill Clinton’s corrupt deregulation of Wall Street - - the unholy marriage of neocon and neolib. It is the weapon of the oligarchy, the instrument of bondage and control.
We are in a rigged game, a game designed to transfer money upward while blaming all things public for our impoverishment, a game designed to starve government of the people while sparing nothing for government of the corporation. It is a game that ...
THE MANY BENEFITS OF UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MARATHON COUNTY
The University of Wisconsin system was the topic of an event hosted by D.J. and Mary Clare Freeman featuring Mandy Wright, a candidate for the 85th Assembly District; Katie Kalish, an Associate Dean and English faculty member at UW-MC; and Noel Radomski from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Katie Kalish has been part of the UW system since 2006. The guiding principle of the Wisconsin Idea is to reach every family in the state. The 13 UW campuses reach students and their families all across the state.
The UW-Marathon Campus is one of the Access Institutions. One ...
BUDGET CUTS AND THE WISCONSIN IDEA
“In many ways a cut of this size feels like a betrayal from Wisconsin,’ he (University of Eau Claire Chancellor James Schmidt) recalled telling faculty early this year (in 2015), when the looming statewide cuts were predicted at $300 million. It also feels like a death in the family.’” “Schmidt said they’ve had just as big of a negative impact on campus morale.”
Over the past five years, the University of Wisconsin System has seen budget cuts of $500 million. In the 2011-2013 budget, $250 million was cut from the UW System. An additional $250 million was ...
HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN THE CORPORATE ASSAULT ON PUBLIC EDUCATION TO FRIENDS WHO KNOW NOTHING ABOUT IT?
HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN THE CORPORATE ASSAULT ON PUBLIC EDUCATION TO FRIENDS WHO KNOW NOTHING ABOUT IT?
Diane Ravitch received an email from a daily reader of her blog who asked her how she could explain the downside of corporate reform to friends at a dinner party in the suburbs who know nothing at all about the issues. She said that her friends were liberal Democrats, but their own children are grown, and they don't read the blogs. What could she say that was direct, accurate, and informative?
They exchanged emails and began creating a list explanatory comments. The ...
WALK-IN FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS ON WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17
Last September, Milwaukee educators, parents, students and community citizens showed their support for public schools in Milwaukee when they held walk-ins at over 100 public schools in Milwaukee. As a result, school takeover attempts were stopped.
The county executive and takeover commissioner publicly committed to support MPS and took over only one empty building.
On Wednesday, February 17, 2016, the movement goes national as families and educators at over 700 schools – in Wisconsin and across the nation – walk in. Together people are standing up against school ...
PUBLIC EDUCATION WINNERS AND LOSERS
WINNERS in Colorado and Ohio….
Education, Inc. is the excellent video showing the Koch-sponsored candidates winning in the School Board race in Jefferson County, Colorado in 2013. If you saw the film you will remember the ultra-conservative School Board throwing out a popular superintendent and completely shutting out the citizens from all decisions. The situation got so bad that thousands of students walked out.
In the past two years, local citizens organized and worked very hard to recover their school board. In a recent election they did just that. By a vote of ...
PROTECT LOCAL CONTROL OF LOCAL SCHOOL REFERENDUMS
Some state legislators have introduced Senate Bill 355 and Assembly Bill 481 that would tell us when school districts can go to referendum and how often. The bills dictate the financing methods as well.
These bills take away local control. Local public schools need to be kept in the hands of our local citizens. How can state politicians take over our public schools?
Public schools have received the largest funding cuts in state history. Small rural districts are struggling to keep their doors open and the furnace turned on. SB 355 and AB 481 would put more pressure ...
IMPROVING OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS
IMPROVING OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS
By Phil Anderson
The problems facing Wisconsin's public schools are complex. There are no quick or easy fixes. But neither are the problems insurmountable. People of good faith, working together, can find ways to improve our schools.
We should begin by admitting that we are all part of the problem. The problems of our schools reflect American society. The inequality, racism, poverty, and violence common to American culture are reflected in our schools. We cannot blame teachers or schools for the social problems we are unwilling to address ...
TEACHERS DESERVE RESPECT
TEACHERS DESERVE RESPECT
By Phil Anderson
The general public thinks teachers have easy jobs with high pay, good benefits, overly generous retirements, and all summer off from work. But the truth is quite different. Those who think teaching is an easy “part time” job should walk a few steps (a mile is not necessary) in their shoes.
If you talk with teachers you get a different picture. Teachers have a difficult, demanding job, both physically and emotionally. Most teachers work long hours for modest pay. They do not have summers “off;” rather they are unemplo...
SHOESTRING POLITICS
SHOESTRING POLITICS
By Blue Jean Nation and Mike McCabe
Blue Jean Nation will be conducting a workshop called "Shoestring Politics: How to Win Without Being Rich or Mortgaging Your Soul" on Saturday, November 7 from 1 to 4 p.m. in Madison at the Coalition of Wisconsin Aging Groups headquarters at 2850 World Dairy Drive ( map ).
If you are active in a cause, advocating for an issue, engaged in grassroots activism, thinking of running for office or looking to help someone run for office, this workshop is for you.
It is geared to building understanding of the Citizens ...
