Daily Archives: October 20, 2007

by | October 20, 2007 · 4:10 am

You Haven’t Done Nothin’

But we are sick and tired of hearing your song
Telling how you are gonna change right from wrong
‘Cause if you really want to hear our views
“You haven’t done nothing”!

Stevie Wonder (listen)

The state budget deal has been announced. There are some good things for the schools, but the basic structure — with all the problems it causes — remains. Madison will have about a $5 million annual gap between allowed revenues and the cost to continue the same services. The kids in Park Falls will still have to do without so much that that they deserve. Glidden will continue to experience “educational amputations.” Districts all over the state will engage in divisive fights about which cuts will do the least harm, while few will be able concentrate on finding ways to do more good.

In my heart I know many legislators and probably the Governor want to do right by the schools, want to give Wisconsin a system that puts education first, a system we can be proud of. However, right now I look at the band aids in the much delayed budget and start humming “You haven’t done nothin.”

Thomas J. Mertz

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Filed under AMPS, Best Practices, Budget, Pope-Roberts/Breske Resolution, School Finance, We Are Not Alone

by | October 20, 2007 · 3:23 am

Budget Agreement!

Announced this evening. Some details:

Initiatives and Tax Cuts Included:

K-12 Education
1) Funding for School Aids and the School Levy Credit of $525 million including:
a) MPS Academic Excellence Initiative – $10 million
b) High-poverty School Districts – $21 million
c) SAGE program – $27 million
d) Aid to Small Rural Schools – $3.7 million
e) Supplemental Special Education – $1.8 million
f) Four-year old Kindergarten – $3 million

Higher Education
1) University of Wisconsin System – Invests $159 million in the university including full funding for the UW Growth Agenda
2) Financial aid – $32 million
3) Veteran’s Tuition Remissions – $12 million

Jobs for the Future
1) Youth Apprenticeship Program – $1.6 million
2) WI Technical College System worker training program – $3 million

Economic Development
1) Renewable Energy Grants – $15 million in 2008-09 – $30 million in the next biennium
2) 2003 Act 255 Venture Capital and Angel Credits – $7.8 million
3) Dairy and Cheese Plant Modernization Tax Credits – $1.3 million
4) WI Development Fund – $1.4 million
5) Economic Development Promotion – $750,000
6) Soybean Crusher – $4 million
7) Paper Mill Energy Independence – $7 million
8) Ethanol and Bio-diesel Fuel Pumps – $750,000
9) Bio-fuel production tax credit – $2.6 million

Health Care
1) BadgerCare Plus – covering all kids
2) Tobacco Use Control Grants -$5 million increase per year
3) Family Care Expansion – $20 million
4) Foster Care Rate increases – $1.6 million

Tax Cuts
1) Health Insurance Premium Tax Deduction – $11.8 million in 2008-09 and $149 million when fully phased-in
2) Retirement Pension Tax Exemption – $2.5 million in 2008-09
3) Child Care Tax Deduction – $16 million per year when fully phased-in
4) College Tax Deduction – $4.8 million Budget Reserve
1) The budget will end with a reserve of $65 million. With a rainy day fund of $55 million, the state will have a total of $120 million in reserve.

More later.

Thomas J. Mertz

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Filed under AMPS, Budget, Local News, School Finance

by | October 20, 2007 · 1:10 am

Principal for a Day

Dave Zweifel was one of the many “principals for a day” in the annual Foundation for Madison’s Public Schools sponsored effort to bring community leaders into the schools. The column he wrote is worth a look. The conclusion emphasizes a truth we don’t hear often enough:

The challenges Marquette and all our other schools face is to do their best with each one of those kids. The goal is to turn them all into responsible adults.

From what I saw on my tour as principal with Andrea Kreft, they’re doing more than their best.

Thomas J. Mertz

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Filed under AMPS, Best Practices, Local News