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WEAC members are turning out in force to stand up
for great schools as the Legislature begins debate on the future of
public education.
The budget-writing Joint Finance Committee is holding
public hearings in a few selected communities this month, and WEAC members
are showing up in large numbers to talk about the importance of public
education.
Fond du Lac Education Association President Hedy Eischeid
and 10 of her colleagues (photo above) were among those who appeared
before the Joint Finance Committee Wednesday (March 9, 2005) in Watertown
to speak in favor of Governor Doyle's budget and repeal of the Qualified
Economic Offer law. Watertown hosted the first of five scheduled hearings
around the state.
"The governor puts education first while still enacting a responsible property tax freeze in his budget," Eischeid said. "Indeed, I would say that the governor is showing true 'compassionate conservatism.' It is apparent there will be some form of property tax freeze. If so, why not support the governor's version, which protects not only the property taxpayer, but schools and local governments as well?"
Wisconsin public schools are among the best in the nation, but their future is threatened, she said. "In light of continued forced budget cuts and teacher salaries falling below the national average, what type of future will there be for public education in Wisconsin?"
Palmyra-Eagle special education teacher Richard Helmick
told legislators at the same hearing that his district is serving an
ever-increasing number of special education students with fewer resources.
"With fixed expenses continually increasing,
coupled with higher enrollments, we continue to lose staffing positions,"
Helmick said. "This is immediately reflected in the reduced quality
of service we can provide."
Helmick told the committee he is now the only certified
teacher providing services to emotionally and behaviorally handicapped
students in the district's two K-6 elementary schools and middle school.
The district formerly had two teachers for those schools. His district
has also reduced the number of school psychologists.
"This presents a number of extremely difficult
obstacles for me to deliver appropriate services to the children,"
he said. "Because of the distances involved between the schools
and the increased number of evaluations I must do, I can only spend
about half of my time in direct contact with the students. Unfortunately,
the needs of these children cannot be addressed in a scheduled, orderly
manner. … If I am unable to create and teach effective adaptations
and accommodations to these children when they are in the early grades,
they will prove to be much more costly when they are older."
Helmick said his school district is expecting a $500,000
shortfall next year. "The only way they can possibly account for
that money is to further lay off staff, increase class sizes, and, effectively,
reduce educational services," he said.
Lakeshore Technical College instructor Ronald Gayhart
asked the panel to support the governor's budget proposal for funding
technical colleges.
"The governor's budget ensures the health of
one of our state's most powerful economic engines - the Wisconsin Technical
College System," he said.
Gayhart, who is an instructor in marketing and supervisory
management programs and directs the activities of the school's Center
for Entrepreneurship, told the committee that the WTCS plays a vital
role in workforce and economic development in Wisconsin.
"A cut to general state aid would have a major
impact upon districts' ability to maintain the programming their communities
have come to rely upon," he said. "Cuts to categorical programs
could result in the dismantling of targeted assistance to fire services
programs, health care education programs, or student services such as
the Minority Participation and Retention program."
Gayhart said the governor's budget proposal contains
incentives to strengthen Wisconsin's economy, such as training assistance
grants. He said funding technical colleges is an investment in Wisconsin's
future.
"The tens of thousands of students graduating
from Wisconsin's technical colleges each year go on to form the backbone
of their communities and our workforce," he said. "WTCS graduates
are our communities' nurses, firefighters, emergency first-responders,
child care providers, police officers, and a cadre of highly skilled,
well-trained workers we rely upon every day."
The committee is holding hearings March 11 in Cleveland,
March 14 in Menomonie, March 15 in Merrill, and March 17 in Madison.
WEAC members are urged to stop in at the hearings and register in favor of the governor's budget proposal.
Another
photo from Watertown hearing
Resource page on the 2005-07 state budget
Posted March 18, 2005