Wisconsin schools are in trouble, big time. Since 1993 we have attempted to function in spite of legislation that (in simplistic terms) caps the amount of revenue that school districts can raise through property taxes without going to referendum. This legislation was pushed through by former governor (and GOP presidential candidate) Tommy Thompson, under the influence of an absolutely small minded, greedy organization -- Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce. What has happened is that every year the cost of educating students goes up, while school districts cannot exceed the caps. The gap gets larger every year. For example, my school district has had shortfalls of 7-10 million dollars almost every year since 1993. This has resulted in massive cuts in programming and permanent teacher lay-offs. (We are going to referendum for the third time this November, in an attempt to avoid another round of major cuts.)
Not surprisingly, the school districts that have suffered the most are the very large urban districts and the very small rural districts. Suburban districts are faring somewhat better because their tax bases are growing, largely as a result of white flight from the urban districts. (Isn't that special?)
The chickens came home to roost in a big way last week, when a majority of the Milwaukee School Board voted to explore the dissolution of the Milwaukee Public School system. In doing so, they stated that "the system is broken." This was big news, even on a national level.
Milwaukee is not the first district in Wisconsin to do this. It may not have made the national news, but the tiny school district of Wausakee in the northeast corner of Wisconsin voted in August to dissolve and send their children to a nearby district. This is significant for me, because a whole branch of my family grew up in that school district. A number of my cousins have taught in Wausakee, and one was even the superintendent of schools for a number of years. This has got to be devastating for their community.
Hard to know where this will lead. It depresses the hell out of me.
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6 comments:
I had not heard. There was other news that was hogging the headlines. I'm off to google this.
More and more schools are shutting down and that is a good reason we home school really. The class is small for Kora and I know what I am teaching her. They tried putting in a 5th High School here last year and it never went through because of what you are talking about. Cuts and such. but the four high schools they have are over crowded esp the one by the house here. Its sad really. Well hope things dont go down hill for you. Tweets..
Oh my... this is stunning.
I have long held - and this is as someone who was single until age 49 and childless to boot, that we have long abandoned the schools.
This is at once a heartbreak and an outrage.
When we abandon our schools, we abandon hope (remember your Dante) and we abandon our future... We truly abandon our children and grandchildren and more.
Heartbreaking. Access to free education was part of what built the American middle class.
We should be ashamed as a nation that we're failing our children in this way.
Tommy Thompson ... He would have made a great Republican president, don't you think?
What is happening with education in your states?
Well I live in rich-whiteville suburbia although we are in the solidly middle class original area of it.
The schools in this district are thought of as the best, but honestly I worry.
There are no layoffs but they teach to test and I can see its impact on my step daughter.
A few miles to the south in Albany proper, the schools are in a giant cluster f*ck... Layoffs and more and crumbling schools with weak programs.
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