Daily Archives: October 3, 2007

by | October 3, 2007 · 8:41 pm

Quote of the Day

State Rep Brett Davis issued a column and a press release yesterday. In both he touts his support for enacting a full state budget and the assembly bill providing for separate k-12 funding.

I am doing everything I can to get a full state budget approved. Since the Conference Committee can’t agree on every part of the budget yet, at a minimum it is important a good faith compromise be reached now on education and aid to local governments.

Leaving aside whatever merits the passage of the Assembly bill may have as policy, only a fool would believe that it did anything but hurt the chances of getting a full budget passed quickly. I don’t think Davis is a fool but apparently he thinks we are fools. Davis wants to be seen as a moderate who is open to compromise and a friend of public education. Let’s review the record.

On On April 20th Davis said he was “crafting legislation” based on UW Professor Alan Odden’s adequacy plan “to overhaul the state’s school-finance system.” He added: “I’m committed to working as hard as I can for that [have the proposal ready and hold hearing in the Fall].” As of September 18th, his office could not give a progress report or timeline for the legislation or hearings.

On July 11th Davis joined with all but one of his Republican Assembly colleagues to pass a budget proposal that was filled with right wing policy initiatives and would have been devastating to Wisconsin’s schools (more here and here).

When on August 9th the GOP JFC members made a new and almost equally devastating education offer, Rep. Davis appears to have been silent.

As the weeks passed with little progress, the GOP realized that in addition to the much heralded defunding of state and local government programs that would occur due to a delayed budget (starve the beast), no budget would also mean increased property taxes. On September 18th they blinked and sought cover by having the Assembly pass a bill on k-12 funding and local government aids. These bills have zero chance of passing the Senate or being signed by the Governor. They are simply a way for the Republicans to save face after their previous games with the budget didn’t work out the way they wanted. They are also “political sideshow” designed to distract from the GOP’s failure to negotiate the full budget in good faith.

Throughout this period Davis, as Chair of the Education Committee, has refused to schedule a hearing on the Pope-Roberts school finance reform resolution, dismissing it as a political tactic. Funny that he didn’t vote against the political tactic of the GOP Assembly budget, didn’t point out the games being played with education funding in the Conference Committee and continues to champion the dead-on-arrival separate education funding bill — they are all transparent political tactics.

If Rep. Davis is sincere in his concern for schools, his embrace of the Odden plan and his desire for compromise then at very least he should schedule a hearing on the Pope-Roberts proposal and use this hearing to pave the way for a long promised introduction of his legislation based on the Odden plan. The Pope-Roberts resolution simply asks for a solution that meets certain criteria; according to Davis his Odden based bill will meet (or come close to meeting) those criteria.

This seems like a perfect opportunity to work together and move toward a solution, the kind of opportunity a moderate who cares about schools would jump at. Too bad Rep. Davis is too busy tying himself in knots by working for a full budget while stumping for means to take the pressure off the Conference Committee; by attacking supposed Democratic political ploys while participating in GOP charades; by playing to moderates while trying to keep the WMC money flowing.

Davis may think that with a few words in a well crafted press release he can paper over the contradictions in his actions and statements. This time the gap between words and actions is too big and the record too clear for him to get away with it. Free advice to Rep. Davis – maybe next time act like the moderate who values education and looks for compromise that you claim to be and you won’t end up in such a twisted mess.

Thomas J. Mertz

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Filed under AMPS, Budget, Gimme Some Truth, Pope-Roberts/Breske Resolution, Quote of the Day, School Finance

by | October 3, 2007 · 12:41 am

We are not alone #17

Things have been bad in Park Falls for a long time. A $850,000 referendum failed in April. After that they announced an unbelievable set of cuts:

  • Reduce staff by one full-time staff member in the district offices.
  • Reduce staff by one half-time staff member in the elementary school office and one half-time staff member in the high school office.
  • Reduce by one maintenance position.
  • Reduce by one transportation position.
  • Reduce by 1-1/2 food service positions.
  • Reduce by one high school history teacher, one elementary and middle school guidance counselor, one high school technical education teacher, one half-time middle school consumer education teacher, one elementary alone.gifmusic teacher, one half-time high school physical education teacher, one half-time high school English teacher, one elementary school teacher, one .6-time middle school music teacher, and one special education aide. Further reduction includes five positions due to attrition/retirements.
  • Eliminate the position of middle and high school disciplinary assistant.
  • Eliminate all middle school [grades six to eight] athletics and other extracurricular activities — club or volunteer activities only.
  • Eliminate the following sports: cheerleading, hockey, gymnastics and golf.
  • There will be varsity and junior varsity sports only, no freshman or “C” teams.
  • Two coaches only per sport, varsity and junior varsity — any others must be volunteers.
  • Only authorized WIAA programs will be funded.
  • Eliminate the summer marching band program.
  • Reduce the FBLA program by disallowing national competition, unless other funding can be found.
  • Eliminate the forensics program.
  • Cut participation in any music competitions beyond the solo and ensemble competitions.
  • Reduce district’s technology budget by $30,000.
  • Reduce building administrators’ budgets by $55,000.
  • Reduce overall maintenance budget by $25,000 – $30,000.
  • Close the swimming pool.
  • It is further recommended that all athletic coaches and extra-curricular advisors be laid off at the end of the 2006-2007 season, including the position of grades seven-12 athletic director. These positions will all be re-evaluated, posted and rehired as necessary, as per collective bargaining agreement, with first consideration being given to employees of the school district.
  • It is also recommended that a system of fees and charges be established for school activities and events to raise additional revenue. A committee has been established to determine fair fees and charges. Such fees and charges would be for all athletic and music events, for use of the building by any profit-making activity [such as drivers’ education, karate, etc.], for special course textbooks and materials, for any non-class-related school computer usage, and for anything else the committee deems appropriate.

    • They are currently working on a consolidation with Butternut (another struggling district). Apparently the consolidation will produce some temporary savings but in the long run the combination of a basic state funding system that is designed to fail, declining enrollments and “sparsity” will take them right back where they are now (unless of course our lawmakers enact real reform).

    Sparsity is used to describe the special issues faced by large geographic districts with small enrollments, for example the need to staff a French or chemistry class for only a handful of students. These sorts of diseconomies of scale along with the need to maintain schools within a couple hour drive of student’s homes create real challenges and our funding system denies districts the resources they need to meet these challenges.

    Meanwhile, (according to the Park Falls Herald) “Impacts of cuts in school district felt”

    This is the part that got to me:

    Elementary School Principal Michael Plemon addressed the board during his administrative report about the “desperate need for a guidance counselor” at the elementary school.

    “I believe strongly that we need this at the elementary level,” Plemon said. “We have got a kindergarten class and a first-grade class, I’m not exaggerating when I say this, where I could already be in a situation of suspending kids from school. We’ve got a few kids in that situation that need guidance. These are children that need help and discussion, and a place for them to go and get some guidance.”

    Plemon said he is able to handle the situations and discipline on a day-to-day basis, but that those students aren’t getting the help they need to change the behaviors, and that the concerns include the other students.

    “Children today come with a lot more social issues than they once did,” Plemon said, noting the need for assistance with issues including grief, loss, self-control and other social skills, especially anger management. “You’re looking at five to maybe 10 kids in the elementary, but they have this anger management issue every day. Other kids are getting hurt because of this.”

    “It is an area I believe is vital for our elementary school,” he said.

    Waller said a good rule of thumb is one guidance counselor for each principal. The district currently has one guidance counselor, working in the high school and middle school. Waller said the item would be on the agenda for the October meeting, but many board members felt the need was important and asked if it could be placed on the agenda for the meeting scheduled for tonight, Thursday, Sept. 27.

    In response to a question from board member Jean Gottwald, Schuchardt said the position was not in the 2007-08 budget but could be added.

    How long can this insanity go on? Make some noise! Call, write, visit any and all legislators and don’t let Governor Doyle off the hook. Come November, let’s work statewide to elect people who will fix this.

    Thomas J. Mertz

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    Filed under AMPS, Budget, Elections, Referenda, School Finance, Take Action, We Are Not Alone