September 19, 2006

Green's "plan" is anything but

Republican gubernatorial candidate Mark Green released a “plan” for K-12 education reform today that does not address the needs of public schools or build on what we know about them, WEAC President Stan Johnson said.

Johnson issued the following statement:

“This is not a plan. It is a mish-mash of half-policies - cooked up in Washington, D.C. think tanks - that ignores the most meaningful research on education, does not recognize the importance of local control, and disregards much of what we know about what works for Wisconsin’s great schools.

“Green’s so-called plan calls for the establishment of university-based K-12 charter schools that would not be accountable to local school boards. He calls for lifting the cap on taxpayer-supported private and religious school vouchers even though there is no evidence that this expensive, 16-year-old experiment helps educate children. And he calls for a ‘70% education solution’ that would short-change schools and take decision-making away from local schools.

“Governor Jim Doyle’s Task Force on Educational Excellence was composed of experts from throughout the state who put together a comprehensive list of substantive proposals based on sound research and feedback from local schools and communities. Many of those proposals went directly into Governor Doyle’s last budget and were summarily removed by the same legislative partisans who support Mark Green’s campaign.

“Sadly, Green’s school reform proposals reflect much attention to politics but very little knowledge about our great schools or how to make them better.”

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