Wisconsin's Joint Finance Committee adjourned for the week without taking action of the education budget, which will be taken up again on Tuesday, June 4, at 10:00 am in room 412 East. See below for a call to action from the Institute for Wisconsin's Future, and below that for my own letter to the JFC, which you're welcome to borrow.
The time to speak up is now. Our schools are at stake.
Write. Share. Come to the Capitol on Tuesday.
As usual, this is a time when most educators are at school and cannot attend - so if there's ANY way you can be there, please make it happen!
Mulitiple sources report that the JFC is considering a deal which would give a modest and insufficient increase to per-public funding for public ed, but increase vouchers statewide (Walker just was asking for certain districts). This is a full-on assault on the public education system and could mean a complete overhaul of our proud tradition of free and equitable public education. They will take up the issue on Tuesday, June 4th, which has been declared a Day of Action.
Here's the urgent call to action for Tues, June 4 from the Institute for Wisconsin's future:
We've been told that the pro-public education, anti-voucher movement needs to have a strong presence at Tuesday's session. It's short notice but we are asking that you do what you can to:
Yes, it is that important.
- Come to Madison on Tuesday. June 4, at 10:00 a.m., in the Capitol, Room 412 East.
- Reach out to other groups and people and ask them to be there
- Talk common-sense and core values to the people you elected.
- Demand accountability from your Senators and Representatives and the Joint Finance Committee.
We have created an event on Facebook for “A Day of Action to Save Our Public Schools.” Advertise and disseminate it far and wide.
We need you at the Capitol, but if you can’t be there─or if you can be and want to do even more─go to the Institute for Wisconsin’s Future website for details. on Wed. March 29.
Here's my letter begging for serious and responsible stewardship of public ed. Feel free to copy/paste freely, and/or send your own asap! Be sure to include your mailing address and phone number so they know you're a real person. Here are those emails again for easy copy/pasting:
To:
Rep.Strachota@legis.wisconsin.gov Rep.Mason@legis.wisconsin. gov Rep.Kooyenga@legis.wiscons in.gov Rep.LeMahieu@legis.wiscons in.gov Rep.Knudson@legis.wisconsi n.gov Rep.Klenke@legis.wisconsin .gov Rep.Nygren@legis.wisconsin .gov Rep.Richards@legis.wiscons in.gov Sen.Darling@legis.wisconsi n.gov Sen.Grothman@legis.wiscons in.gov Sen.Shilling@legis.wiscons in.gov Sen.Leibham@legis.wisconsi n.gov Sen.Olsen@legis.wisconsin. gov Sen.Lazich@legis.wisconsin .gov Sen.Wirch@legis.wisconsin. gov Sen.Harsdorf@legis.wiscons in.gov
cc:
Rep.Vos@legis.wisconsin.gov
Sen.Fitzgerald@legis.wisconsin.gov
Sen.Ellis@legis.wisconsin.gov
govgeneral@wisconsin.gov
and your own representatives if not listed above!
Dear Members of the JFC and other legislators,
I understand that you have reached some kind of deal on the voucher/school funding issue in your closed-door negotiations while the Capitol is teeming with lobbyist from the education privatization industry.
If the reports are correct, you plan to expand vouchers statewide and provide an increase to public school funding of half the amount needed to fully fund our schools.
This is an outrage, as is your refusal to be transparent about the details of the negotiations.
Education experts, economic experts, business owners, taxpayers, parents, teachers, administrators, students and more have all spoken vehemently against any increase to vouchers. Public and professional opinion on this issue is crystal clear. Voters also spoke loudly on this issue when they vehemently rejected the pro-voucher agenda of Don Pridemore in reelecting Tony Evers as Superintendent of the Department of Public Instruction. A vote in favor of vouchers is a vote against the people.
Do the right thing. Restore funding to our schools at the minimum level of a $275 increase per student and say NO to ANY increase of public funds into a voucher system that is already proven to be failing our students, especially in Milwaukee. Further, say NO to statewide expansion of a system whose sole purpose is to undermine public schools.
The lobbyists and those pouring millions in out-of-state money into this policy should NOT have a louder voice than the constituents of this state, even now that they have former Wisconsin Assemblymen on their payroll.
Do the right thing. Wisconsin is begging you. Please listen.
Thank you,
Heather DuBois Bourenane
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Wisconsin Constitution, Article X, SECTION 3: |
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