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Educators say Walker has wrong priorities for Wisconsin
Posted: 1/25/2012 7:56:00 PM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 25, 2012
Contact: Christina Brey, 608.298.2519
Educators say Walker has wrong priorities for Wisconsin
Governor’s State of the State rhetoric out of touch with reality
MADISON – The following statement regarding Governor Scott Walker’s second annual State of the State address can be attributed to Mary Bell, a Wisconsin Rapids teacher and president of the Wisconsin Education Association Council:
“When Governor Walker addressed the citizens of Wisconsin this same time last year, there was a lot he didn’t say. Like how he would balance the budget on the backs of working families and decimate our state’s public schools by cutting $1.6 billion from school funding (more than $800 million less in state aid and a 5.5 percent reduction in school revenue authority). We also never heard from him how he would govern in a way that left the people of this state so divided.
“When it comes to his remarks on education, Governor Walker is not encumbered by the facts. He tells the story he wants us to believe – not what’s true.
“The reality is he’s caused school districts across the state to lay off staff, eliminate programs and raise class sizes.
“We’ve all seen his true colors, and they’re impacting schools of all different sizes all across the state. For instance, Lodi schools have notified their employees that 15 to 20 percent of them will lose their jobs come next fall and Menasha schools have made cuts to music, library and family and consumer education programs – in addition to increasing class sizes. Beloit schools cut about 30 staff positions this year, and may face even more next year because of a $4 million shortfall. The stories and examples are endless.
“And what’s most disturbing is the fact that he’s undermined the very people who work in our schools – unfairly blaming them for the state’s budget problems and further dividing Wisconsin families, friends and neighbors.”
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