One Teacher's Perspective: Restore Pride in Wisconsin Schools

One Teacher's Perspective: Restore Pride in Wisconsin Schools:

Restore Pride in Wisconsin Schools

by Imagine Wisconsin

With my teaching schedule, I am unable to attend the public hearings on this year's state budget, so I sent the following letter to Wisconsin state legislators to express my serious concerns about inadequate funding for public schools. 

Wisconsin Legislators:

As you ponder this season's state budget, you should weigh heavily this reporting out of Evansville. This story adds to the mounting accounts of how the recent state cuts to public education are not working for Evansville or Wisconsin. 

Evansville's story is Wisconsin's story. Educators and school leaders in this small community have done nearly everything asked under the state proposals of the past two years. Nevertheless, this tight-knit community is being ripped apart from the outside by the reckless state government policies of the past couple years. 

Community leaders have tried to keep it taped together. Since Act 10, the Evansville Community School District (ECSD) has cut to the bone, drained its reserves, and petitioned for savings from school staff.  The teachers and school staff have negotiated significant savings not once, but twice with thrice in the works for the upcoming school year. Yet, today the community still faces another district budget deficit and rounds of damaging cuts to