The South Milwaukee School Board has taken a public stand against the expansion of voucher schools in Wisconsin.
Check out the resolution signed by six board members last week here.
It claims (and I agree) that …
- Vouchers do not improve student achievement.
- Vouchers avoid or eliminate public accountability.
- Vouchers both drain resources away from public schools and increase local property taxes in any community where they are established.
The resolution: “The South Milwaukee Board of Education calls on Gov. Walker, Joint Finance, Sen. Chris Larson and Rep. Mark Honadel to removal all voucher expansion proposals from the state budget bill.”
What do you think of this? Post your comments below!
South Milwaukee Blog 
YES!!!
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I agree with the resolution and encourage our lawmakers to support it as well.
I am against the expansion. It will take money away from kids and our community will suffer.
Will taking a public stand against the voucher program provide more local control of our public school?
Our kids need the public schools. Good teachers and time. The voucher schools are just fly by night. Vote no.
I agree we need great teachers and great schools, but at what cost? I believe their is another agenda playing its part in our schools and it is creating a division not bringing us together. Maybe we need to look into DPI and their agenda on our local schools. http://educationviews.org/wisconsin-teacher-program-treats-thanksgiving-like-alien-invasion-undermines-american-history/
There’s no conspiracy at work here. There is real danger and not going back for four years with what is proposed. It could take up to 15 years to fix this if it goes through.
Here’s another perspective about voucher schools vs. public schools. I believe their definitely needs to be dialogue regarding school reform and finances. There are positives and negatives to public schools and private/charter schools. Each family must choose what is a best fit for their own child. Isn’t the whole idea of the voucher program providing a choice to obtain an education regardless of where they go? Why would any educator be opposed to any child receiving an education despite where they choose to go? Am I wrong in thinking ALL teachers wants an educated society? http://theeducatorsroom.com/2013/03/the-anti-equality-movement/?fb_source=pubv1
First, only certain areas will benefit from this expansion that meet a district size requirement, most districts of our size across the state will not be eligible. So, our kids and kids like ours will be hurt.
Second, you should know that there are lots of charter school organizations chomping at the bit for this money, that are out of state corporations and the money will… go out of state. The charter schools that operate from these businesses hire some professional teachers, some don’t, but for the most part pay low wages. (no, I am not a teacher so it does not benefit me; it just concerns me as if people don’t get paid a professional wage, we will not attract the best and brightest) There are also huge lobbies out of Washington that set up offices in Madison shortly after Governor Walker’s election as they wanted his ear to lobby for a larger charter movement in our state.
What concerns me the most is that lobbyists are pushing an agenda for this major special interest, the public is largely hearing one side of things and is not always properly informed. It is not well known, but somehow we make the news in Arkansas. http://www.arktimes.com/ArkansasBlog/archives/2011/09/19/walton-influence-at-work-in-wisconsin
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20130111/OPINION02/301110314/Will-charter-school-lobby-define-education-reform-our-state-
Who’s really behind vouchers
http://www.susanohanian.org/show_research.php?id=124
There’s a lot of distrust of government right now, but they will hopefully always be there for us. I’m sorry the millionaires don’t care about us.
This is a more recent article link regarding who is behind the vouchers. http://www.thedailypage.com/isthmus/article.php?article=38658
I am sorry, I would like to think they have our best interests at heart, but generally most paid lobbyists don’t.
here’s the best one. http://www.wisdc.org/pr052411.php
I also noticed that our assemblyman Mark Honadel accepts money from the American Federation for Children – (huge lobby as described in the article)
Our public schools are forced to teach their classes based on the Common core Standards. Who sets up these standards? The forces behind them are Achieve Incorporated , an international standard and benchmark organization, the College Board which has 6,000 institution world wide, and ACT. The organizers of CCS is The National Governors Association and CCSSO (Council of Chief State School Officers) All of these organizations are funded through corporate dollars. Lobbyist work both sides of the isle and only benefit the corporations. Don’t believe me? do the research. Here’s a good starhttp://www.achieve.org/contributorst. The sponsors for Common core Curriculum includes McGrawhill, Pearson, Scantron, College Board Pearson Evaluation. The people who sit on the board of directors for these organizations are from the corporate world http://www.pearson.com/about-us/board-of-directors.html If there is a problem with the corporations maybe we need to get them out of all the schools, private and public. Maybe our government leaders need s to stop sleeping with them.
I find it interesting many people don’t like the big corporations support of private and charter schools , but they fail to realize they are a big part of public schools too. http://www.mcgraw-hill.com/site/cr The money is tied into how well a school performs on the assessment tests. If a school performs well on the tests they get money from the corporate government, if they don’t that money will go elsewhere. http://www.scantron.com/downloads/economic_stimulus_bill_and_education.pdf
SM OK, I have no problem with the cease and desist of corporations sleeping with our legislators. I think our single opinions are meaning less and less to our legislators. It costs so much to run campaigns and have marketing today that the legislators seem to pay attention more now to those that help pay for their campaign expenses more than constituents.
I think that there can be a bit of a distinction though between the funding of our local legislators by the American Federation of Children, Center for Education Reform and the Heritage Foundation compared to a business that makes a product such as an assessment or textbook based on evidence based practice. I will agree 100% that our kids today have too many assessments and testing. Unfortunately our Federal legislators made all sorts of unfunded mandates. Some company ultimately needs to be contracted to provide the standardized teaching and assessments so it can be replicated.
Although, I know Government run groups can have their share of issues, I think it is important to also consider, that with government there are more checks and balances. I have a personal issue with the owners of private charter schools and principals to make large sums of money like 400,000.
http://charterschoolscandals.blogspot.com/
Again, it comes down to checks and balances. When we begin de-regulating, there is more volatility, more possibility for gauging, and less quality. We can look at the Airlines, nursing homes, and hospitals for examples. If you can pay more, you’re fine. If you’re an average Joe, you’re up a creek.
I just found a link,
Mark accepted at least 6200 dollars between 2003-2008 from the Waltons, the Devos and another family from Virginia that support school choice. Why do these out of state people have interest in our state politics? http://www.wisdc.org/pro08-104183.php