Joint Finance Committee Testimony - April 8

Assembly Bill 100
Senate Bill 77

Governor Thompson's
1997-99 Biennial Budget Proposal

By Stan Johnson,
WEAC Vice President

Tuesday, APRIL 8, 1997

MY NAME IS STAN JOHNSON. I AM THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE WISCONSIN EDUCATION ASSOCIATION COUNCIL. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK CO- CHAIRS BURKE AND JENSEN AND MEMBERS OF THE JOINT FINANCE COMMITTEE FOR PROVIDING THIS OPPORTUNITY TODAY TO TESTIFY ON CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF THE GOVERNOR'S BUDGET BILL SB 77/AB 100. I APPEAR BEFORE YOU TODAY ON BEHALF OF THE WISCONSIN EDUCATION ASSOCIATION COUNCIL AND THE WISCONSIN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS.

THERE ARE MANY EDUCATION-RELATED ISSUES THAT THE WISCONSIN EDUCATION ASSOCIATION COUNCIL AND THE WISCONSIN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS WILL ADDRESS IN THE COMING WEEKS AS THE JOINT FINANCE COMMITTEE AND THE LEGISLATURE EXAMINE THE GOVERNOR'S BUDGET PROPOSAL. TODAY, I WOULD LIKE TO FOCUS ON ONE VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE.

CHARTER SCHOOLS PROVIDE SCHOOL DISTRICTS WITH A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO ESTABLISH INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS IN WISCONSIN'S PUBLIC SCHOOLS. WEAC/WFT BELIEVE THAT PUBLIC SCHOOL EMPLOYEES SHOULD BE FULL PARTNERS IN THE ESTABLISHMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF CHARTER SCHOOLS IN WISCONSIN. SB 77/AB 100 CONTAIN PROVISIONS THAT ATTEMPT TO BREAK DOWN THIS PARTNERSHIP.

CURRENTLY, CHARTER SCHOOLS CAN BE ESTABLISHED THROUGH A PETITION PROCESS OR SCHOOL BOARD INITIATIVE. SB 77/AB 100 REPEALS THE PROVISION THAT REQUIRES THOSE PETITIONING TO ESTABLISH A CHARTER SCHOOL TO OBTAIN THE SIGNATURES OF AT LEAST 10% OF THE TEACHERS EMPLOYED BY THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OR AT LEAST 50% OF THE TEACHERS EMPLOYED AT ONE SCHOOL IN THE DISTRICT. THIS CUTS PUBLIC SCHOOL EMPLOYEES OUT OF THE PROCESS FOR ESTABLISHING CHARTER SCHOOLS.

PUBLIC SCHOOL EMPLOYEES SHOULD NOT BE FORCED TO SACRIFICE THEIR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING RIGHTS AND THEIR PARTICIPATION IN THE WISCONSIN RETIREMENT SYSTEM IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A CHARTER SCHOOL. FOR THIS REASON, WEAC/WFT URGE THE JOINT FINANCE COMMITTEE AND LEGISLATURE TO REPEAL PROVISIONS OF THE CHARTER LAW THAT PROHIBIT CHARTER SCHOOLS IN MILWAUKEE FROM BEING INSTRUMENTALITIES OF THE DISTRICT. ANOTHER OBSTACLE TO PUBLIC SCHOOL EMPLOYEE PARTICIPATION IN CHARTER SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT IS THE LANGUAGE THAT MAKES CHARTER SCHOOLS IN MILWAUKEE A PROHIBITED SUBJECT OF BARGAINING. THIS LANGUAGE PREVENTS COOPERATION BETWEEN LABOR AND MANAGEMENT IN THE CREATION OF CHARTER SCHOOLS IN MILWAUKEE.

WEAC/WFT SUPPORT PROVISIONS IN THE CURRENT LAW THAT INSURE A REVIEW OF CHARTER SCHOOL CONTRACTS AT LEAST EVERY FIVE YEARS AS AN IMPORTANT MEASURE OF ACCOUNTABILITY. THIS IS A VERY MINIMAL LEVEL OF ACCOUNTABILITY, AND WE URGE THE JOINT FINANCE COMMITTEE AND LEGISLATURE TO DELETE THE GOVERNOR'S REPEAL OF THIS MEASURE OF ACCOUNTABILITY.

WEAC/WFT ARE OPPOSED TO AUTHORIZING THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MILWAUKEE, THE CHANCELLOR OF THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MILWAUKEE AND THE MILWAUKEE AREA TECHNICAL COLLEGE DISTRICT BOARD TO OPERATE, OR CONTRACT WITH A GROUP OR INDIVIDUAL TO OPERATE, A CHARTER SCHOOL. THAT AUTHORITY SHOULD REMAIN WITH THE LOCAL SCHOOL BOARD.

LOCAL SCHOOL BOARDS ARE RESPONSIBLE TO LOCAL TAXPAYERS FOR SPENDING ON K-12 SCHOOL PROGRAMS. A PERIODIC REVIEW OF CHARTER SCHOOL CONTRACTS ENSURES THAT TAXPAYERS ARE GETTING THEIR MONEY'S WORTH. UNDER CURRENT LAW, LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ENSURING THAT CHARTER SCHOOLS ARE HELD ACCOUNTABLE IN THREE MAJOR AREAS: STUDENT PERFORMANCE, FISCAL MANAGEMENT AND ADHERENCE TO THEIR CONTRACT AND THE CHARTER SCHOOL LAW. THE CHARTER SCHOOL CONTRACT MUST CLEARLY STATE THE SCHOOL'S CURRICULAR GOALS, METHODOLOGY, AND MEANS OF ASSESSING STUDENT PERFORMANCE. THE LOCAL SCHOOL BOARD IS THE APPROPRIATE ENTITY TO EVALUATE THESE CONTRACT PROVISIONS.

FINALLY, THE JOINT FINANCE COMMITTEE SHOULD REMOVE ALL OF THE CHARTER SCHOOL PROVISIONS FROM THE BUDGET AND REFER THEM AS SEPARATE BILLS TO THE ASSEMBLY AND SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEES. THE PRACTICE OF REMOVING ALL NON-FISCAL POLICY WAS ESTABLISHED IN PREVIOUS BUDGET CYCLES AND SHOULD BE MAINTAINED.

AGAIN, THANK YOU CO-CHAIRS BURKE AND JENSEN AND THE MEMBERS OF THE JOINT FINANCE COMMITTEE FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK BEFORE YOU TODAY.

Posted April 12, 1997