School Finance and Education Policy Research
Public education in Wisconsin is a critical element in personal, community and statewide prosperity. Over the past 20 years, public schools have been at the center of significant controversy involving cost, educational achievement, governance and teacher quality. Since IWF’s inception, education-related issues have been at the center of the organization’s research agenda.
School funding has been a priority since 1996 when IWF published an analysis of a Wisconsin policy that revised how state aid to school districts was distributed. Since that time, IWF has published a series of reports on the impact of school budget cuts, problems in the state aid formula and alternative plans for ensuring adequate state aid for schools. Read more...
WAES is driving force in funding reform
Wisconsin Alliance for Excellent Schools
The
Wisconsin Alliance for Excellent Schools (WAES),
was established by IWF in 1998 as a coalition
of parents, teachers, students and education
officials responding to public school budget
cuts eroding the quality of education across
the state. Using research from IWF, WAES organizers
traveled statewide to help citizens and education
stakeholders understand how and why the state
school funding system was failing to work in
the best interest of students and communities.
Read more...
New Wisconsin budget creates
fiscal obstacles for schools, kids
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School District officials and parents from around the state met to let the public know that the state budget cuts are curtailing students’ opportunity to learn. |
School board members, district administrators and parents from across the state gathered in Greenfield on July 20, 2011, to speak about how the $1.6 billion education state budget cut impacts schools, families and communities. Their message was: “It’s not OK.”
According to Bruce Quinton, superintendent of the Pepin School District, Governor Scott Walker’s recent cuts are especially difficult after 18 years of school districts operating under state revenue limits.
“Given year after year of school funding reductions, educators are already working with larger classes, fewer materials and fewer programs and services for students. The most recent budget cuts make things worse, essentially handing the state’s budget deficit to all school districts and municipalities throughout the state. Our young people and our educators didn’t create this mess, but we will be the ones who pay for it."
- Participant list
- See the press release
- About Opportunity to Learn
- DPI data on revenue limit cuts
- Media coverage
- WUWM 89.7FM (July 21, 2011) Different Opinions on how Walker's Budget Affects Schools - text and audio
- Greenfield Patch - July 21, 2011 State's School Funding Policies Place Districts in Dire Fiscal Situations
- Journal Sentinel blog, (July 20, 2011) District officials denounce budget; legislator says next year will be easier
- CBS 58 News (July 21, 2011) Educators say future is in danger - video
- Wisconsin Rapids Tribune(July 24, 2011) District leaders question state cuts to education
Dr. John Jackson, head of the Opportunity to Learn Initiative meets with Wisconsin leaders
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| State Superintendent of Schools Tony Evers meets with John Jackson of the Schott Foundation |
On May 18, 2011, Dr. John Jackson held a workshop and public meeting with state and local leaders concerned about public education. According to Dr. Jackson, it is time to move our focus from the performance gap to the opportunity gap facing students in the United States. This opportunity gap is the failure to ensure all students the resources crucial for learning and academic achievement. President Obama set a goal of ensuring over 60% of American young people complete two years of post-high school education. Currently about 39% of adults have achieved that goal. In order to raise this number to 60%, it is vital that communities’ education systems provide four crucial components:
- Highly effective teacher
- Early childhood education
- College Preparatory curricula
- Equitable instructional resources.
WAES part of press conference offering
better way than devastating school cuts
Wisconsin’s public education community delivered a strong message to the Legislature, April 20: “Budgets are value judgments, and the Governor’s proposed budget doesn’t reflect the values of our state. It’s time to find a better way.”
The message was delivered to a large audience at a press conference in the Senate Parlor by a coalition of education groups, parent, student, and religious groups. While acknowledging the fiscal challenges Wisconsin faces, speakers said the budget should not be balanced on the backs of children. The group also presented a host of funding sources that could be used to finance education if the Governor and Legislator wanted to take a different path than the devastating cuts already proposed.
“There is a better way,” said Beth LaBell, a mom and community leader in the Paris School District. Exploring alternative revenue options will fill potholes created by our crumbling school funding system. Supporting the ability of local communities to raise school revenue through maintaining existing revenue limits will control further damage until comprehensive school funding reform can take place.”
Stand Up for Schools; Sign the Petition for "A Penny for Kids"
For over a decade, the state's proportion of the cost of quality education has declined leading to staff lay-offs, larger class sizes, cuts in programs and services, and rising property taxes. As part of the last biennial budget, things actually got worse when, in an unprecedented move, state aid was cut.
Our school-funding system is in crisis, and that crisis is leading to less education in our schools and higher property taxes on our homes. It is time to say, "Enough is enough.”
The Wisconsin Alliance for Excellent Schools (WAES) is asking you to sign a petition requesting the State to raise Wisconsin's sales tax by one penny. "A Penny for Kids" will put about $850 million a year toward saving programs and services in our schools and holding the line on property tax increases. It only makes sense.
You can be involved in this important effort by going to the "A Penny for Kids" website at http://www.apennyforkids.org and signing the petition to tell your elected officials you want them to do the right thing.