GOP attack on education

As a veteran public school teacher and father of two enrolled in public school, it is incredibly frustrating for teachers and families to continually have to fight state Republican lawmakers for resources for our kids. As reported by Annysa Johnson on April 15 in her article, “State GOP takes aim at school referendums,” state Sen. Duey Stroebel (R-Cedarburg) and his party colleagues are continuing the assault with ridiculous, anti-education efforts.

State spending on school vouchers has increased from about $146 million in 2011-2012 to about $258 million in 2016-2017. During the same time span, Gov. Scott Walker, with the support of straight party-line support in the Senate and Assembly, have cut state aid to public schools by almost $1.1 billion, according to the state’s Legislative Fiscal Bureau. About three weeks ago, Erin Richards reported in a story, “Tensions rise as vouchers pick up traction across Wisconsin,” that nearly 300 private, mostly religious schools will receive taxpayer funding in 20172018 of about $263 million, according to Walker’s budget proposal.

The bills, votes and money keep pouring in for vouchers. Again, public school families are picking up the tab for a surrogate public school system that does not serve all kids and their families and, as a group, does not educate as well as the public schools of Wisconsin. What is noticeably absent: laws that would put voucher schools on an equal accountability and transparency footing with Wisconsin’s public schools.

The state GOP also continues its anti-democratic efforts in a shameful flip-flop on its campaign pledge to give schools and voters the tools they need to achieve. Eliminating recurring referendums, limiting school boards’ referenda decision-making authority, and the audacity to penalize communities who democratically elect to raise money to fulfill their educational missions are each a direct reversal of GOP claims of empowering local voters. As Johnson reported, voters chose to borrow 10 times more than in 2011 and requests to exceed GOP-set revenue limits almost doubled the average number of requests between 2009 and 2013.

Clearly, voters want to invest in public education. Clearly, GOP lawmakers continue to attack public education.

Aaron Callender

Fox Point