- Podcasts
Podcasts - Videos
Videos - Policy Issues
Policy Issues - About
About
Republicans Pushing Education Reform
Republicans in the Wisconsin Assembly are not waiting to move their top priorities for the new year.
Republicans teed-up a series of education reforms on Wednesday, pushing them closer to Gov. Evers’ desk.
The marquee piece of the package is the plan to restore Wisconsin’s learning standards.
“In fact right now [our] test score is the lowest that it's been since 1992, before many kids -- actually many people -- were even born,” Assembly Speaker Robin Vos told reporters on Wednesday. “The results that we have are disappointing. They are really frustrating. But they are also a wake-up call for Wisconsin.”
Those scores show just 31% of Wisconsin school kids can read, write, and do math at grade level. But that’s the statewide average. Wisconsin’s National Report Card scores show just single-digit reading and math scores in Milwaukee Public Schools.
Lawmakers are stepping-in because State Superintendent Jill Underly last fall ordered the tests standards be changed. That pumped-up the local test scores, but also made it impossible for education reformers and parents to track student progress.
Gov. Tony Evers has said he disagrees with Underly’s changes.
Rep. Bob Wittke (R-Racine), said he hopes that means the governor will sign the plan into law.
“I've been hearing since January 6th that this is the ‘Year of The Kid’,” Wittke said. “I hope the governor is listening to us now, and puts kids first.”
The Republicans’ other education reforms include a cursive requirement, a parents’ bill of rights that would let parents know what their kids are learning, a locally-written cell phone ban, and a proposal to require 70% of school money be spent in the classroom.
“Administrator jobs are receiving disproportionate pay raises while teachers are being left behind,” Rep. Benjamin Franklin, R-De Pere, said.
While some of the reforms could become law, others like the parents’ bill of rights, is likely doomed.
Interested in the content of this Article?
Reach out to the MacIver Institute to aquire more information
