Wisconsin school system

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The Wisconsin public school system (prekindergarten-grade 12) operates within districts governed by locally elected school boards members and superintendents. Wisconsin has 426 school districts.

The Wisconsin state constitution requires that the state offer a general and uniform public school system.[1]

[edit] School revenues, expenditures and budget

See also: Wisconsin state budget
Wisconsin's education costs are about 40% of the state budget

As of June 30, 2009 the Gov. Jim Doyle signed a $62 billion budget, of which education accounts for approximately 40%.[2] In light of the state's looming budget deficit, the governor cut about $10 million in spending before signing the final budget.[3]

In the governor's recommendations proposed in February 2009 the governor suggested a $201 million increase in state aids and federal economic stimulus education funding in fiscal year 2009-10 and an additional $24 million increase in fiscal year 2010-11 for a total increase of $426 million over the biennium compared with fiscal year 2008-09 for public education.[2]

[edit] Personnel salaries

  • On June 29, 2009 the Gov. Doyle signed the state budget for 2009-11 and with it the governor eliminated qualified economic offer (QEO) which allows for school districts to cap increases in teacher pay and benefits to 3.8% a year. The governor also decreased the amount of the state's commitment to public schools' operations. Usually the state contributes 2/3rds but for the upcoming fiscal year the state will instead contributed 60%.[4]

[edit] Role of unions

In late June 2009 when Gov. Doyle signed the new state budget it included the elimination of the Qualified Economic Offer rule, created in 1993. The rule allowed school boards to settle contracts by offering 3.8 percent total compensation increase. Additionally, new bargaining laws allow arbitrators to disregard revenue limits and local economic conditions when settling disputes. The new law, said school board members, will lead to an increase in binding arbitration and thus a possible increase in settlement costs. However, Mary Bell, president of the Wisconsin Education Association Council, said "It isn't in employees' best interest to put forward a settlement the district can't afford. It isn't that we don't understand resources. We do."[5]

[edit] Role of school boards

The school board is comprised of a superintendent and "such other officers as the legislature shall direct." The superintendent is appointed by the state legislature in the same manner as members of the Wisconsin Supreme Court. The superintendent can hold office for 4 years.[6] According to the state constitution the board of education may not prevent a non−union teacher from speaking of a bargaining issue at an open meeting, as was ruled in the [[Judgepedia:United States Supreme Court|U.S. Supreme Court case Madison School District v. Wisconsin Employment Commission.[7]

[edit] Taxpayer-funded lobbying

See also: Wisconsin taxpayer-funded lobbying

The main education taxpayer-funded lobbying organization is the Wisconsin Association of School Boards.

[edit] Transparency

A year after the Citizens for Responsible Government launched a transparency spending database for Wisconsin, the Milwaukee Public Schools launched its own database, which will allow searches for school purchases from 2005 to 2009.[8][9][10] There are over 432,000 invoices which archive over $2.2 billion dollars in spending in the database.[11][12]

[edit] Reports

A 2009 study, Leaders and Laggards, conducted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for a Competitive Workplace, Frederick M. Hess of the conservative American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, and the Center for American Progress, gave Wisconsin: "B" in academic achievement; "C" in truth in advertising about student proficiency; "D" in rigor of standards; "B" in post-secondary and workforce readiness; "C" in for its teacher workforce policies; "B" in data quality.[13]

[edit] Audits

  • In 2007, Weyauwega-Fremont School Board lost a suit against Barry Hoerz after he was kicked out of a board meeting in July 2006 "for writing notes." In January 2007, a Waupaca County circuit judge ruled that the board violated the state's open meeting law and ordered the district to pay a $300 fine as well as attorney expenses and other fees totaling $9,133.[14]
  • In fall 2006 the Appleton Post-Crescent newspaper filed suit against the Weyauwega-Freemont School District after requesting and receiving district legal expense documents that were heavily edited. The school district refused to provide more information, after the newspaper made a second request, until a $430 fee was paid. In February 2007, the suit was settled and the district agreed to release the information and pay $10,000 in legal expenses.[14]
    • From 1997-2007, the district has spent approximately an average of $60,000 on legal expenses and has an annual budget of about $9.5 million.[14]

[edit] Academic performance

[edit] Public schools

For the 2008-09 school year, based on the Wisconsin Knowledge & Concepts Examinations (WKCE) and the Wisconsin Alternate Assessment (WAA) administered in Fall 2008, two school districts - Milwaukee School District and Beloit School District - were "identified for improvement." Also, in 2008-09 Wisconsin reported the highest number of schools in need of improvement. In the 2007-08 school year the state saw it's highest number of schools that missed AYP, followed by the second highest in 2008-09.

Every school year student, school and district performance is generated through state performance exams, WKCE and WAA, and through the national No Child Left Behind Program - the Adequate Yearly Progress or AYP.[15]

The chart below depicts the number of public schools "identified for improvement" and the number of schools that "missed AYP" for school years 2002-03 through 2008-09.[16]

School Year Schools Identified for improvement Schools Missed AYP
2008-09 76 144
2007-08 54 146
2006-07 45 89
2005-06 37 87
2004-05 44 47
2003-04 50 103
2002-03 67 99

[edit] Charter schools

For the 2008-09 school year, based on the Wisconsin Knowledge & Concepts Examinations (WKCE) and the Wisconsin Alternate Assessment (WAA) administered in Fall 2008, three charter schools were "identified for improvement" - Academy of Learning & Leadership, Business and Economics Academy and Milwaukee Academy of Science. According to reports, for the consecutive school years 2002-03 through 2005-06 Center City Cyberschool was identified as a school in need for improvement. Wisconsin charter schools had the most number of schools that missed AYP standards in 2007-08, followed by the second highest in 2003-04.

Every school year student, school and district performance is generated through state performance exams, WKCE and WAA, and through the national No Child Left Behind Program - the Adequate Yearly Progress or AYP.[15]

The chart below depicts the number of charter schools "identified for improvement" and the number of schools that "missed AYP" for school years 2002-03 through 2008-09.[16]

School Year Schools Identified for improvement Schools Missed AYP
2008-09 3 3
2007-08 2 7
2006-07 0 3
2005-06 1 0
2004-05 1 2
2003-04 1 5
2002-03 1 3

[edit] School choice

School Choice options include:

  • Charter schools:In the 2008-09 school year, there were approximately 86 school boards with at least 1 charter school and Wisconsin school officials reported a total of 221 charter schools across the state. Charter schools were first authorized in 1993. Although, charter schools are funded by local public school districts, they offer different programs and curriculum.[17][18]
  • Public school open enrollment: Wisconsin's open-enrollment program allows for students to attend school in a school district other than the one in which they reside. Any student from kindergarten through 12th grade may apply. However, through the program students cannot apply for individual schools. Students may request to be placed in a particular public or charter school but the placement is not guaranteed. This program does not allow for intra-district enrollment - transferring from one school to another within the same district.[19] [20]
  • Milwaukee Parental Choice Program:beginning in 1990, Wisconsin allowed for disadvantaged children to receive school vouchers to attend private schools. This program is restricted to the city of Milwaukee. In 2008, the state department of education reported that 18,882 students participated in the program.[21]
  • Online learning:the state of Wisconsin offers a supplemental online program, established in 2008.[21]

[edit] External links

[edit] Additional reading

[edit] References

  1. ↑ Wisconsin Constitution, "Article 10, Section 1," retrieved July 13, 2009
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 State of Wisconsin,"2009-2011 Budget in Brief," February 2009
  3. ↑ Associated Press,"With minor changes, Doyle signs Wisconsin's budget," June 29, 2009
  4. ↑ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel,"School funding getting precarious," June 29, 2009
  5. ↑ The Northwestern,"Budget alters contract talks between board, teachers' union," July 12, 2009
  6. ↑ Wisconsin Constitution,"Article 10, Section 1," retrieved July 9, 2009
  7. ↑ Wisconsin Constitution,"Article 1, Section 3," retrieved July 13, 2009
  8. ↑ CRG Press Release, CRG Network Applauds Milwaukee Public Schools for Publishing Online Spending Database, July 5, 2009
  9. ↑ MPS press release, MPS expense records now available online, July 2, 2009
  10. ↑ JS Online, Quick Hit: A step toward accountability, July 7, 2009
  11. ↑ JS Online, New MPS database wins kudos from taxpayer group, July 6, 2009
  12. ↑ JS Online, More welcome transparency at MPS, July 6, 2009
  13. ↑ U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute,"Wisconsin Education Report Card," retrieved November 17, 2009
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Milwaukee Wisconsin Journal Sentinel,"School District loses 2 suits over lack of transparency," March 14, 2007
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 U.S. Department of Education,"Adequate Yearly Progress," retrieved July 13, 2009
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Wisconsin Department of Instruction,"Office of Educational Accountability," retrieved July 13, 2009
  17. ↑ Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction,"Wisconsin Charter Schools Yearbook 2008-2009," retrieved July 13, 2009
  18. ↑ Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction,"Charter Schools in Wisconsin," retrieved July 9, 2009
  19. ↑ Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, "Public School Open Enrollment," retrieved July 13, 2009
  20. ↑ Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction,"Public School Choice (open enrollment)," retrieved July 9, 2009
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 The Heritage Foundation,"School Choice in Wisconsin," retrieved July 13, 2009
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Wisconsin school system
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