11 results for tag: Public Education

NO VOUCHERS COALITION

NO VOUCHERS COALITION From their Facebook page The grassroots group was founded by Pam Kobielus in July 2014 in response to the attacks on our quality public schools in Northern Wisconsin communities. In less than a year, the membership has grown, by word-of-mouth only, to more than 500 non-partisan public school parents and supporters. The group has grown so rapidly because members strongly oppose money taken off the top of local public school budgets. This costs $64 million annually. No Vouchers Coalition opposes the siphoning of public taxpayer money to subsidize privately-run, for-profit and/or religious schools. This is estimated to cost ...

Save the Date: Education, Inc. Documentary: “Follow the Money Corrupting Our Schools”

Save the Date: Education, Inc. Documentary: "Follow the Money Corrupting Our Schools"           Friday Aug. 14, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.  AND  Tues. Aug. 18, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.   Marathon County Public Library 300 N. 1st Street Wausau,  WI 54403 3rd Floor Mtg. Rm  (use elevator) Please be aware of the 2-hour parking limit in the Library's main lot, we ask that you utilize the nearby parking ramps instead. This documentary explores the hidden corporate and political interests attempting to take over American public education across the country.  Our very own Wisconsin educational researchers, Dr. Julie Mead and ...

ON THE BOOKSHELF – THE DEATH AND LIFE OF THE GREAT AMERICAN SCHOOL SYSTEM

ON THE BOOKSHELF By Virginia Kirsch THE DEATH AND LIFE OF THE GREAT AMERICAN SCHOOL SYSTEM (How Testing and Choice are Undermining Education) by Diane Ravitch This book is a must-read for all of you concerned with public education. In Ravitch’s recent blog, she reiterated that the aim of legislators across the nation is to privatize public education. To prepare for the fight to protect our public schools, you will want to read this book. Ravitch is the Research Professor of Education at New York University. From 1991 to 1993 she was Assistant Secretary of Education and Counselor to Secretary of Education Lamar Alexander under Presid...

Honk For Public Education

HONK FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION By Middle Wisconsin Editorial Staff Motorists are honking their horn for public education for all, thanks to rallies by concerned people all over Wisconsin. Throughout Wisconsin, many people are organizing and advocating for public education. Local groups are standing on sidewalks and holding signs to let people know what is going on in the state budget and the local schools. They are helping to educate the public on the needs of our public schools. In Wauwatosa SOS (Save Our Schools) has requested open records of their elected officials to determine the support for public education. In West Bend, the advocacy groups ...

Residents and Parents in River Falls Should Know… State Budget proposals impact our schools

School District of River Falls ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE 852 East Division Street, River Falls WI 54022 715-425-1800 phone / 715-425-1804 fax www.rfsd.k12.wi.us June 5, 2015 Residents and Parents in River Falls Should Know… State Budget proposals impact our schools The current state budget and related legislative proposals would have significant and lasting negative implications for the School District of River Falls and all public schools in the state of Wisconsin.  As part of our school district responsibility to the community, it is important for these issues to be brought to your attention. Below is a brief summary of ...

STOP THE TAKEOVER OF MILWAUKEE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

STOP THE TAKEOVER OF MILWAUKEE PUBLIC SCHOOLS WDPI (Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction) has named 55 Milwaukee Public Schools that fail to meet expectations. Senator Kooyenga and Senator Darling have proposed a bill for the future of these 55 schools. It is called OSPP (Opportunity Schools & Partnership Programs). 1) The basic “solution” proposed by Darling and Kooyenga is that their “new governance structure in MPS [is] to free students from nonperforming schools.” The assertion that there is a need to provide “new opportunities” to parents and students ignores the fact that the city of Milwaukee has more school options ...

RE-PURPOSING GOVERNMENT

REPURPOSING GOVERNMENT This commentary is a distillation of Mike McCabe’s keynote speech at the Wisconsin Grassroots Network festival in Mazomanie on March 28. It was first published as an opinion column by the online news site Wistopia on April 3. It is reprinted from the Blue Jean Nation website at: http://www.bluejeannation.com/commentary04-13-2015/ It’s easy to be consumed by what or who we are against rather than what we are for. But if we are going to get Wisconsin and our nation out of the rut we are in politically, we cannot afford to dwell on what we hate. We need to be thinking and talking about what we love and what we hope ...

THE LEGACY OF FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES

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.   Charlie and Willard needed work and a home.  This deep sense of responsibi...

THE WISCONSIN IDEA DEFINES US

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 insists: "Basic to every purpose of the system is the search for the truth."...

WHAT IS BEST FOR CHILDREN IN RURAL WISCONSIN?

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 with poverty comes the state government taking public school funds and giving them ...