WORKSHOP

Solving Wisconsin's school-funding problem

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Also Available

Adequacy To-Go

"Adequacy To-Go" is a 20 minute pre-recorded PowerPoint presentation that outlines the problem with school finance in Wisconsin and addresses the adequacy model as part of the solution. Included is an information kit to help with the presentation.

»Fill out the order form below and check the box for the CD-ROM

Introduction

The Institute for Wisconsin's Future (IWF) and the Wisconsin Alliance for Excellent Schools (WAES) are offering a free seminar for school and community groups, business and industry, and parent and senior citizen organizations on the public school funding crisis in Wisconsin. This workshop provides a statewide overview of the state's school funding challenge and an alternative method to guarantee educational opportunities for all children.

What is this free workshop about?

Solving Wisconsin's school-funding problem is designed to be short, clear, and relevant to groups across the state. It can be tailored to your community and timeframe, and the presentation is aimed at taking action to reform how we fund our public schools. The presentation reviews:

• The challenges facing Wisconsin's children and schools
• How schools are funded
• How districts are coping with revenue problems
• What we expect from our schools
• A new idea—adequate funding for all children
• Investing in the futures of our children and schools

What does it include?

• Communities throughout Wisconsin have educational values. They expect their children to receive excellent educational opportunities. These values and opportunities are now threatened because of revenue shortfalls.
• The next component of the workshop is a review of how schools are funded. This segment examines concepts such as revenue limits and the myth of 2/3 state funding.
• We look closely at how local school boards are dealing with funding problems, including reducing staff, increasing class size, limiting opportunities, and postponing maintenance.
• We expect a lot from our students and schools, so we'll take a look at the standards and goals of the Supreme Court, the Legislature, parents, the Department of Public Instruction, and the federal government's No Child Left Behind act.
• There is a simple, fair, common-sense way to fund our public schools. Adequacy determines what resources are needed to produce specific academic results.
• If education is a priority in Wisconsin, then it's time to invest in that priority, so let's talk about what you can do make school funding reform a reality.

What is IWF and why are they doing this?

IWF is a statewide policy research and community information center established in 1994 to increase public awareness about key policy issues in Wisconsin. Over the past decade, IWF has completed 30 research reports on wages, welfare, housing, taxes, and education. IWF also coordinated many major conferences, held 300 workshops, and talked to thousands of other Wisconsinites through newsletters and the media. IWF is non-profit and non-partisan.

In the area of education, IWF and WAES work with partners throughout the state to reform Wisconsin's school-funding system based on providing adequate resources to give all children, no matter what their special needs or where they live, the opportunity to succeed.

What do I need to do?

Please arrange for IWF to be on the agenda of regularly scheduled meetings of the school board, parent organizations, business, civic, and religious groups—groups that have a stake in the quality of public education. Fill in the form below or call Tom Beebe at 414-384-9094 (Email: tbeebe@wisconsinsfuture.org) to schedule a presentation.

Whom should I contact?

For more information on IWF's education outreach efforts, see our websites at www.wisconsinsfuture.org or www.excellentschools.org. To arrange for a presentation, contact:

Tom Beebe, Education Outreach Specialist
Institute for Wisconsin's Future
Wisconsin Alliance for Excellent Schools
1717 South 17th Street #203, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53204-3300
Phone: 414-384-9094, Fax: 414-384-9098
Email: tbeebe@wisconsinsfuture.org, Website: www.excellentschools.org

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