The Chi-Lites, “(For God’s Sake) You’ve Got to Give More Power to the People” (Click to listen).
From Jackie Cody, Oneida County, Wisconsin.
The school funding formula must be changed to offer a long-term solution to the funding of the K-12 public schools in Wisconsin. The elected school officials must take their fight to the state legislators and the governor…
Neither our legislators nor our governor has had the political will or courage to change the formula. They have gotten away with forcing districts to make hard choices over whether to sacrifice maintenance, cut programs, lay off teachers, and eliminate or contract out custodial, maintenance and food preparation, while districts try to live on the fumes of state aid.
Frederick Douglass said, “Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never has and never will.” The school funding situation has reached the point where I believe Frederick Douglass’ quote is a message we must take to heart.
Legislators and the governor must hear our demand to change the formula and must stop sacrificing this state’s future…which is its children!
It is time for ALL to join together and board the bus and head to Madison! Our children deserve nothing less than this from us.
On the eve of Madison’s Juneteenth Celebration (10:00 AM, June 14, Penn Park) it is an appropriate pleasure to offer a couple additional Frederick Douglass Quotes.
A little learning, indeed, may be a dangerous thing, but the want of learning is a calamity to any people.
If there is no struggle, there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom, and deprecate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground, they want rain without thunder and lightning.
My advice to those who want to join in agitating for school finance reform is to contact the Wisconsin Alliance for Excellent Schools. We need your help!.
Thomas J. Mertz
AMPS 