Doyle appoints school funding task force


Doyle appoints school funding task force Governor Jim Doyle Friday (August 22, 2003) announced the formation of the Governor’s Task Force on Educational Excellence. Doyle charged the task force with examining Wisconsin’s system of financing education, including how we attract and retain the best teachers, support special education, invest in early education, provide the appropriate level of funding and the right mix of funding sources, and ensure equal opportunity for an excellent education for all of Wisconsin’s children. “How we fund education and support quality schools is one of the most important questions facing our state,” Doyle said. “I have asked this task force to tackle these issues head on, in a thorough and thoughtful manner, and to provide me with concrete recommendations on how we can make our system work better for our schoolchildren and our state.” The governor was joined by Michael Spector, whom he appointed as chair of the task force. Spector is the retired chairman and managing partner at the law firm of Quarles & Brady. He is a former Shorewood School Board member. Also on the panel is WEAC General Counsel Bruce Meredith. Meredith is the school finance expert who litigated the lawsuit that produced the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling establishing a new standard for an equal opportunity for a sound basic education for all children. Justices said the education system should equip students for their roles as citizens, and enable them to succeed economically and personally. Four WEAC members also are on the 27-person panel. They are teachers Kathleen Adee, of Washburn; Thai Lee, of Appleton; Cecilia Millard, of Racine; and Rita Tenorio, of Milwaukee. “This task force, as I promised, reflects the great diversity of our state, and people from all walks of life who support our schools,” Doyle said. “It includes representation from urban, rural, and suburban districts – poorer districts and wealthier districts alike. It includes parents, teachers, community leaders, school administrators, and school board members. And it includes representatives of the business community and organized labor – who depend so greatly on the ability of our schools to produce highly educated workers." WEAC President Stan Johnson said the panel gives renewed hope for Wisconsin developing a system that fosters great schools for every child. "The Governor's Task Force on Educational Excellence is the best chance in many years to create a school finance system that fulfills the constitutional guarantee of an equal educational opportunity for all children," Johnson said. "The current system is not working anymore. Wisconsin has changed since the law was created, and it is time to recognize our new world." Johnson said Wisconsin is more diverse and children have more needs than in the past. "Most children in Wisconsin receive a quality education," Johnson said. "However, some districts are having trouble providing high-quality education programs for typical students while trying to meet increasing demands for programs for special education, limited English-proficiency students, and students raised in severe economic hardship. The commission's task is to balance the needs of all children with the state's ability to pay for these programs. "The task force faces enormous challenges," Johnson said. "Wisconsin is dealing with the biggest budget deficit in history; state-imposed revenue controls will continue to force school districts to make painful cuts to programs and services; the Qualified Economic Offer law will continue to discourage people from entering and staying in the teaching profession; and the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act – which the Bush administration calls the No Child Left Behind law – imposes unrealistic, unfair and unfunded requirements upon states." In announcing the panel, the governor was joined by Superintendent of Public Instruction Elizabeth Burmaster, whom he thanked for her invaluable advice and counsel as he worked to form the task force. Doyle appointed the following individuals to serve on the task force: Michael J. Spector, of Shorewood, will serve as chair of the task force. Spector is a retired chairman and managing partner at Quarles & Brady LLP. He is a former Shorewood School Board member and has represented numerous school districts in southeastern Wisconsin. Kathleen Adee, of Washburn, a 4-year-old kindergarten / early childhood special education teacher. Adee helped develop the 4-year-old kindergarten program in Washburn. William Andrekopoulos, superintendent of the Milwaukee Public School System. Andrekopoulos has worked in Milwaukee Public Schools since 1973, spending seven years in special education. Barbara Arnold, senior academic advisor for the UW-Madison School of Library and Information Studies. Arnold currently serves as the vice president of the Wisconsin Library Association Foundation. Mark Bugher, of Madison, director of the University Research Park. Bugher is a former secretary of the Wisconsin Departments of Revenue and Administration. Judith Crain, who served on the Green Bay Board of Education for 16 years, including five years as president. She is currently the president of the Board of Directors of the Wisconsin Council on Children and Families. Timothy Cullen, of Janesville, Cobalt Corporation senior vice president. Cullen is a former Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Health and Social Services (now DHFS). John Drew, of Milwaukee, autoworker, DaimlerChrysler Kenosha Plant. Drew has been with UAW Local 72 since 1979, and has served as president since 1996. He is member of the Kenosha AFL-CIO Council, the NAACP, and the UAW Wisconsin State CAP Executive Board. Neil Duresky, who serves on the LaCrosse School Board and is the current president of Wisconsin Association of School Boards, representing Region 6. Lois Glover, of Milwaukee, president of WISDOM, a statewide organization of congregations working for justice. Andrew Gokee, outreach specialist for the Native American Center at UW-Stevens Point. Gokee also serves as an adviser for two Native American student organizations at UW-SP. Mark Hanna, of Sheboygan, investment consultant at Ziegler Investment Services. Hanna is a member of the Sheboygan School Board. David Hase, of Mequon, attorney at Cooke & Franke S.C. Hase was a member of the Mequon-Thiensville School Board for 22 years. Pam Johnson, of Oconomowoc, registered nurse at Children’s Hospital. Johnson is a member of the Oconomowoc Area School District Parents Advisory Council. Willie Jude: principal of Custer High School in Milwaukee. Jude has more than 30 years of experience working in Milwaukee Public Schools. Thai Lee, of Appleton, teacher, English as a second language. Lee also teaches Hmong literacy in Appleton. Kim Lentz Grau, of Wausau, court reporter in Marathon County. Lentz Grau is involved in Parent Teacher Organization at two schools in Wausau. Bruce Meredith, WEAC's General Counsel. Meredith was one of the attorneys involved in Vincent v. Voight, a school finance case that established a new set of constitutional standards for Wisconsin public schools. Cecilia Millard, elementary school teacher. Millard is a 3rd-grade teacher at Julian Thomas Elementary School in Racine. Dean Ryerson, district administrator of Wisconsin Rapids School District. Ryerson also served as an assistant principal in Beaver Dam. Vicki Boxer Samson, of Fox Point, attorney. Boxer Samson has served on the Maple Dale-Indian Hill School Board and the Nicolet High School Board. Tim Scobie, of Chippewa Falls, general counsel for Mason Shoe Company. Scobie works with Boy Scouts of America and Big Brothers & Big Sisters. Regina Siegel, principal at Emerson Elementary School in La Crosse. Siegel is the Wisconsin Federal Relations Coordinator for the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP), and is a member of the School Administrators Alliance and the Association for Wisconsin School Administrators. Debra Brown, district administrator for the Bruce School District. Brown served as a member of the Rusk County Transition Advisory Council, which devised an interagency agreement to support the transition of students with disabilities into the community. Jay Smith, of Middleton, former president of the UW Board of Regents. Smith is CEO of JLS Investment Group, which is the owner of Teel Plastics in Baraboo. Jeffrey Smith, of Brunswick, owner of Bob Smith Window Cleaning. Smith founded the Eau Claire Area School District’s parent advisory committee Parents Advocating on Behalf of Children. Smith has two children in the Eau Claire School District and is chair of the Town of Brunswick. Rita Tenorio, teacher at Fratney Elementary School in Milwaukee. Tenorio chaired the Urban Education Task Force under State Superintendent John Benson mid 1990s, which resulted in the creation of the Student Achievement Guarantee in Education (SAGE) small class size program. Posted August 22, 2003

Doyle appoints school funding task force

Governor Jim Doyle Friday (August 22, 2003) announced the formation of the Governor’s Task Force on Educational Excellence.

Doyle charged the task force with examining Wisconsin’s system of financing education, including how we attract and retain the best
teachers, support special education, invest in early education, provide the appropriate level of funding and the right mix of funding sources, and ensure equal opportunity for an excellent education for all of Wisconsin’s children.

“How we fund education and support quality schools is one of the most important questions facing our state,” Doyle said. “I have asked this task force to tackle these issues head on, in a thorough and thoughtful manner, and to provide me with concrete recommendations on how we can make our system work better for our schoolchildren and our state.”

The governor was joined by Michael Spector, whom he appointed as chair of the task force. Spector is the retired chairman and managing partner at the law firm of Quarles & Brady. He is a former Shorewood School Board member.

Also on the panel is WEAC General Counsel Bruce Meredith. Meredith is the school finance expert who litigated the lawsuit that produced the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling establishing a new standard for an equal opportunity for a sound basic education for all children. Justices said the education system should equip students for their roles as citizens, and enable them to succeed economically and personally.

Four WEAC members also are on the 27-person panel. They are teachers Kathleen Adee, of Washburn; Thai Lee, of Appleton; Cecilia Millard, of Racine; and Rita Tenorio, of Milwaukee.

“This task force, as I promised, reflects the great diversity of our state, and people from all walks of life who support our schools,” Doyle said. “It includes representation from urban, rural, and suburban districts – poorer districts and wealthier districts alike. It includes parents, teachers, community leaders, school administrators, and school board members. And it includes representatives of the business community and organized labor – who depend so greatly on the ability of our schools to produce highly educated workers."

WEAC President Stan Johnson said the panel gives renewed hope for Wisconsin developing a system that fosters great schools for every child.

"The Governor's Task Force on Educational Excellence is the best chance in many years to create a school finance system that fulfills the constitutional guarantee of an equal educational opportunity for all children," Johnson said. "The current system is not working anymore. Wisconsin has changed since the law was created, and it is time to recognize our new world."

Johnson said Wisconsin is more diverse and children have more needs than in the past.

"Most children in Wisconsin receive a quality education," Johnson said. "However, some districts are having trouble providing high-quality education programs for typical students while trying to meet increasing demands for programs for special education, limited English-proficiency students, and students raised in severe economic hardship. The commission's task is to balance the needs of all children with the state's ability to pay for these programs.

"The task force faces enormous challenges," Johnson said. "Wisconsin is dealing with the biggest budget deficit in history; state-imposed revenue controls will continue to force school districts to make painful cuts to programs and services; the Qualified Economic Offer law will continue to discourage people from entering and staying in the teaching profession; and the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act – which the Bush administration calls the No Child Left Behind law – imposes unrealistic, unfair and unfunded requirements upon states."

In announcing the panel, the governor was joined by Superintendent of Public Instruction Elizabeth Burmaster, whom he thanked for her invaluable advice and counsel as he worked to form the task force.

Doyle appointed the following individuals to serve on the task force:

Michael J. Spector, of Shorewood, will serve as chair of the task force. Spector is a retired chairman and managing partner at Quarles & Brady LLP. He is a former Shorewood School Board member and has represented numerous school districts in southeastern Wisconsin.
Kathleen Adee, of Washburn, a 4-year-old kindergarten / early childhood special education teacher. Adee helped develop the 4-year-old kindergarten program in Washburn.
William Andrekopoulos, superintendent of the Milwaukee Public School System. Andrekopoulos has worked in Milwaukee Public Schools since 1973, spending seven years in special education.
Barbara Arnold, senior academic advisor for the UW-Madison School of Library and Information Studies. Arnold currently serves as the vice president of the Wisconsin Library Association Foundation.
Mark Bugher, of Madison, director of the University Research Park. Bugher is a former secretary of the Wisconsin Departments of Revenue and Administration.
Judith Crain, who served on the Green Bay Board of Education for 16 years, including five years as president. She is currently the president of the Board of Directors of the Wisconsin Council on Children and Families.
Timothy Cullen, of Janesville, Cobalt Corporation senior vice president. Cullen is a former Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Health and Social Services (now DHFS).
John Drew, of Milwaukee, autoworker, DaimlerChrysler Kenosha Plant. Drew has been with UAW Local 72 since 1979, and has served as president since 1996. He is member of the Kenosha AFL-CIO Council, the NAACP, and the UAW Wisconsin State CAP Executive Board.
Neil Duresky, who serves on the LaCrosse School Board and is the current president of Wisconsin Association of School Boards, representing Region 6.
Lois Glover, of Milwaukee, president of WISDOM, a statewide organization of congregations working for justice.
Andrew Gokee, outreach specialist for the Native American Center at UW-Stevens Point. Gokee also serves as an adviser for two Native American student organizations at UW-SP.
Mark Hanna, of Sheboygan, investment consultant at Ziegler Investment Services. Hanna is a member of the Sheboygan School Board.
David Hase, of Mequon, attorney at Cooke & Franke S.C. Hase was a member of the Mequon-Thiensville School Board for 22 years.
Pam Johnson, of Oconomowoc, registered nurse at Children’s Hospital. Johnson is a member of the Oconomowoc Area School District Parents Advisory Council.
Willie Jude: principal of Custer High School in Milwaukee. Jude has more than 30 years of experience working in Milwaukee Public Schools.
Thai Lee, of Appleton, teacher, English as a second language. Lee also teaches Hmong literacy in Appleton.
Kim Lentz Grau, of Wausau, court reporter in Marathon County. Lentz Grau is involved in Parent Teacher Organization at two schools in Wausau.
Bruce Meredith, WEAC's General Counsel. Meredith was one of the attorneys involved in Vincent v. Voight, a school finance case that established a new set of constitutional standards for Wisconsin public schools.
Cecilia Millard, elementary school teacher. Millard is a 3rd-grade teacher at Julian Thomas Elementary School in Racine.
Dean Ryerson, district administrator of Wisconsin Rapids School District. Ryerson also served as an assistant principal in Beaver Dam.
Vicki Boxer Samson, of Fox Point, attorney. Boxer Samson has served on the Maple Dale-Indian Hill School Board and the Nicolet High School Board.
Tim Scobie, of Chippewa Falls, general counsel for Mason Shoe Company. Scobie works with Boy Scouts of America and Big Brothers & Big Sisters.
Regina Siegel, principal at Emerson Elementary School in La Crosse. Siegel is the Wisconsin Federal Relations Coordinator for the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP), and is a member of the School Administrators Alliance and the Association for Wisconsin School Administrators.
Debra Brown, district administrator for the Bruce School District. Brown served as a member of the Rusk County Transition Advisory Council, which devised an interagency agreement to support the transition of students with disabilities into the community.
Jay Smith, of Middleton, former president of the UW Board of Regents. Smith is CEO of JLS Investment Group, which is the owner of Teel Plastics in Baraboo.
Jeffrey Smith, of Brunswick, owner of Bob Smith Window Cleaning. Smith founded the Eau Claire Area School District’s parent advisory committee Parents Advocating on Behalf of Children. Smith has two children in the Eau Claire School District and is chair of the Town of Brunswick.
Rita Tenorio, teacher at Fratney Elementary School in Milwaukee. Tenorio chaired the Urban Education Task Force under State Superintendent John Benson mid 1990s, which resulted in the creation of the Student Achievement Guarantee in Education (SAGE) small class size program.

Posted August 22, 2003