Education’s highs (and not-sohighs) in Wisconsin for 2017

Steady as she goes. That seems to have been the overall theme of kindergarten through 12th-grade education in Wisconsin in 2017. There were some highlights and changes, but overall it was a year of sticking with the status quo, for better or worse.

But does that mean we don’t have some annual awards to hand out for great work (or whatever)? Of course not. So let’s get to business.

The Yeah, That’s Nice Award. The new state budget increased school funding about $200 this year and another $200 a year from now for pretty much every child in Wisconsin getting a publicly funded education. This was good news in the eyes of educators — but only up to a point. Some had feared the amount would be smaller, and $200 increases are way better than what was in the last several budgets. But in a lot of schools, it means only that cuts weren’t as bad as they might have been. The increases brought more a feeling of relief than a round of “Happy Days Are Here Again.”

The Great Expectations Award. If “meets expectations” sounds good to you as a rating for your school district, this was a good year. School report cards issued by the state in November found more than 95% of districts in Wisconsin rated as at least meeting expectations. More than 55% were in the higher brackets of “exceeds expectations” or “significantly exceeds expectations.” The grouch in me would add, though, that more than half of all thirdthrough eighth-graders in the state did not rate as proficient or better in reading. I do wonder sometimes what it takes to meet our expectations.

The Midnight Surprise Award. This award goes every two years to a major change stuck in the state budget at the last minute, frequently in the middle of the night, as a result of backroom dealing. This year, the action occurred in the afternoon, but I keep the “midnight” title for sentimental reasons. The winner is rule changes that set the stage for a large expansion of the number of students who will receive special education “scholarships” to go to private and religious schools. I expect by a few years from now, the special ed vouchers (which will be worth $12,000 a year and potentially more) will be used a lot. This is a big deal.

The Help the Not-So-Poor Award. Another school choice winner. The state budget also included an increase in how much money a family could be making and still qualify for private school vouchers anywhere in Wisconsin except Milwaukee and Racine. The income threshold went from 175% of the federal poverty level to 220%. The stage is set for substantial growth in the statewide voucher program. And coming in two years, I bet: Increasing the income level to 300%, which is what it already is for the Milwaukee and Racine voucher programs. Overall, Wisconsin is increasingly a “school choice” state.

The August Is the New September Award: Milwaukee Public Schools, which moved quite a few schools to starting dates before Sept. 1 (and would like to move more). MPS also added a policy urging (but not requiring) all students to wear polo-shirt uniforms to school. But big changes in what MPS is offering academically or in its roster of schools? Not much of that in 2017.

The All Politics, All the Time Award. To summarize a lot of politics, Tony Evers, state superintendent of public instruction since 2009, easily defeated Lowell Holtz in the spring election. Evers then decided to run as a Democrat for governor against Republican incumbent Scott Walker. You weren’t under the impression education is a nonpartisan subject, were you?

Just Your Average Award. Todd Berry, who is retiring as head of the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance, put out an important statement in August: Based on figures from 2015, Wisconsin spending per student was below the national average ($11,375 in Wisconsin, $11,392 nationally). State averages on ACT test scores have also gone down now that almost every high school junior is required to take the test. The messages overall are that Wisconsin is no longer the high-spending, highachieving state we were years ago.

The Big Footprint Award. This goes to business leader Gus Ramirez, whose forceful advocacy (and tens of millions of dollars in donations) led to the opening this fall of the huge St. Augustine Prep private school on Milwaukee’s south side. With the goal of growing to about 3,000 students in a few years, the school is likely to have a big impact on the school landscape across a broad area.

The Worthy Pursuit Award. The picture got better in 2017 for dealing with mental health problems of children. From increases in funding in the state budget to more collaborative efforts by schools and care providers to big attention on the subject in this newspaper, mental health got fresh and needed attention. But the problems themselves have gotten worse and there is a long way to go.

A special farewell. Sister Joel Read died in May. As president of Alverno College for 35 years, Sister Joel was an innovator in widening the spectrum of whom American colleges serve and how they serve them. Deeply determined to find ways to improve people’s lives, she also was a presence on the K-12 education scene in Milwaukee.

Education Person of the Year: Herb Kohl. The former senator and former owner of the Milwaukee Bucks basketball team has substantially increased his philanthropic support of education. That includes increasing the money going to teachers and students who are winners in the longstanding Kohl awards program, picking up the tab for hundreds of requests from teachers for modest-budget ideas that they could use, and an increasing flow of well-chosen larger gifts to Milwaukee schools and organizations. Kohl generally shuns public attention. But education leaders know what’s going on.

Alan J. Borsuk is senior fellow in law and public policy at Marquette Law School. Reach him at alan.borsuk @marquette.edu.