Proposed Public School Cuts Are A 'War On Education,' Says Policy Expert
Ravitch Speaks Out Against Walker's Proposed Budget
Wednesday, March 18, 2015, 1:00pm
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Diane Ravitch.
The featured speaker at a Wednesday night rally in Milwaukee in support of public schools says proposed cuts in Gov. Scott Walker's budget are nothing short of a war on education.
The proposed budget cuts $127 million dollars in public school aid, while expanding charter and voucher schools statewide. Diane Ravitch — a leading national education expert in accountability, testing and privatization — said those cuts will result in larger class sizes and cuts to the arts.
In his state budget address earlier this year, Walker highlighted his track record on property tax cuts, saying: "Property taxes by the end of 2016 will be lower than they were in 2014. That means lower property taxes for six years in a row."
Ravitch, who also served as assistant secretary of education in the George H.W. Bush administration, believes that those savings aren't worth the cost.
"If you have property tax relief, but your son or daughter is going to a school where the classes have gotten very large and then doesn’t have the opportunity for a public higher education, then that property tax relief came with a very high price tag," she said.
According to her, Wisconsin isn’t the only state seeing significant cuts to education.
"In other states, Republican governors are going right for education funding. You have to wonder, do they not believe that education is important?" she asked.
She added: "I would think that most of them went to public schools, so why are they so eager to defund public schools and take public money and give it to private entrepreneurs? It doesn’t make any sense except as a matter of ideology that is impervious to evidence."
According to Ravitch, more and more states have adopted voucher and charter school programs. But even as these schools are gaining in popularity, Ravitch said evidence shows that they do not outperform public schools.
"All of these programs that have been evaluated — in particular Milwaukee, Cleveland, and D.C. — have found that voucher students don’t do any better in the voucher schools, and they also do much worse," she said.
Hundreds of educators and concerned parents and students are expected at the rally at the MATC Cooley Auditorium in Milwaukee, which was organized by the Milwaukee Teacher's Education Association in advance of Friday's public hearing on the proposed biennial budget at Alverno College.
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Be there! Upcoming Budget Hearings
On February 3, Governor Walker introduced his proposed budget for the 2015-2017 biennium. Walker’s budget misses the mark and is full of bad news for Wisconsin’s working people and communities.
From “drafting errors” that cut the Wisconsin Idea, transportation funding problems, cuts to public schools, and many more concerns for working families – working families will take the brunt of this budget full of shortsighted and backwards priorities.
Starting this week the public will have the chance to provide input and weigh in on the budget directly to legislators at hearings around the state.
Joint Finance Budget Hearing Schedule
March 18 Brillion
Brillion High School (Endries Performing Arts Center, W1101 County Road HR)
10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
March 20 Milwaukee
Alverno College (Pitman Theatre, 3400 South 43rd Street)
10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
March 23 Rice Lake
UW-Barron County (Fine Arts Theatre, 1800 College Drive)
10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
March 26 Reedsburg
CAL Center Auditorium (1100 South Albert Avenue)
9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
March 18 Brillion
Brillion High School (Endries Performing Arts Center, W1101 County Road HR)
10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
March 20 Milwaukee
Alverno College (Pitman Theatre, 3400 South 43rd Street)
10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
March 23 Rice Lake
UW-Barron County (Fine Arts Theatre, 1800 College Drive)
10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
March 26 Reedsburg
CAL Center Auditorium (1100 South Albert Avenue)
9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Can’t make it to one of these four hearings? The Democrats on the Joint Finance Committee believe that the above four hearings are insufficient for receiving public input from all corners of the state. Therefore, they will be holding additional hearings to receive public input:
March 19 Wisconsin Rapids
Common Council Chambers (444 Grand Ave.)
5 p.m. - 8 p.m.
March 21 Rhinelander
Nicolet Technical College (5364 College Dr., Room 207)
10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
March 21 Wausau
UW Marathon (518 S 7th Ave, Room 100- The Terrace Room)
12 noon - 4 p.m.
March 24, 2015 – Green Bay
West High School, The Thune Center
966 Shawano Ave.
4:00-7:00 p.m.
March 28 Menomonie
Menomonie Public Library (600 Wolske Bay Rd., Meeting room)
10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
March 28 Platteville
City Hall, City Council Chamber (75 North Bonson Street)
12 noon - 4 p.m.
Common Council Chambers (444 Grand Ave.)
5 p.m. - 8 p.m.
March 21 Rhinelander
Nicolet Technical College (5364 College Dr., Room 207)
10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
March 21 Wausau
UW Marathon (518 S 7th Ave, Room 100- The Terrace Room)
12 noon - 4 p.m.
March 24, 2015 – Green Bay
West High School, The Thune Center
966 Shawano Ave.
4:00-7:00 p.m.
March 28 Menomonie
Menomonie Public Library (600 Wolske Bay Rd., Meeting room)
10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
March 28 Platteville
City Hall, City Council Chamber (75 North Bonson Street)
12 noon - 4 p.m.
March 30, 2015 – Oshkosh
UW-Oshkosh, Reeve Union, Room 213
800 Algoma Blvd.
4:00-7:00 p.m.
March 31 Dodgeville
Dodgeville Council Chambers (100 E. Fountain St)
5 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Dodgeville Council Chambers (100 E. Fountain St)
5 p.m. - 8 p.m.
April 11 Eau Claire
UW-Eau Claire, Centennial Hall (1698 Park Ave., Room 1614)
10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
UW-Eau Claire, Centennial Hall (1698 Park Ave., Room 1614)
10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Hard working people can clearly see that this budget is a checklist for Gov. Walker’s presidential ambitions and will only further hurt the hard-working men and women of Wisconsin. Make your voice heard at upcoming Budget Listening Sessions.
Workers want to see a budget that supports good job creation and higher wages. Tell your legislators! Attend a public hearing near you!
