Governor Settles for 'Field Goal,' Not Touchdown
 |
| Governor McCallum signs the state budget at
Westside School in Sun Prairie. Among those at the ceremony were
Westside teacher Allison Monday (right) and children from her
SAGE classroom. McCallum said Monday helped "lead the charge"
to preserve funding for the SAGE class-size reduction program. |
Governor McCallum settled for a "field goal"
when he should have gone for a "touchdown" Thursday (August
30, 2001), in signing the state budget bill, WEAC President Stan Johnson
said.
The governor maintained status quo funding for the
SAGE class-size reduction program and the state's 4-year-old kindergarten
program. Those were positive steps for Wisconsin's children, considering
that the budget at one point would have cut money for those programs,
Johnson said.
However, the governor missed a clear opportunity to
score more points for Wisconsin's children when he vetoed two items
that would have greatly helped Wisconsin schools succeed, Johnson said.
The governor's two destructive vetoes were:
- A provision that would have allowed money-strapped school districts
to exceed state-imposed revenue caps by 0.78%, with a two-thirds majority
vote of the school board.
- A provision that would have protected previously negotiated provisions
in a teacher contract when a school board imposes a Qualified Economic
Offer on its teachers.
“Gov. McCallum had the opportunity to ensure that every kid attends
a great school,” WEAC President Stan Johnson said. “The governor
signed two very important education initiatives that place students
in classrooms that work, but he did not have the courage to sign other
items that are just as important to great schools. Public education
is left with the status quo at a time it is facing an uncertain future.”
Johnson said the governor should be applauded for his actions to fully
fund the SAGE class-size reduction and 4-year old kindergarten programs,
his veto of a delay in aid payments to school districts, and the continuation
of two-thirds state funding of education.
He noted the actions do not change the programs: The budget keeps the
state’s existing commitment to fund SAGE and 4-year-old kindergarten
and to provide aid to school districts.
“The governor’s vetoes of revenue cap flexibility and teacher
collective bargaining rights items are a serious misjudgment, ”
Johnson said. “Revenue controls are devastating many school districts
throughout Wisconsin. The vetoed items would have given districts minimal
relief from this onerous law, which is preventing districts from placing
children in classrooms that work by cutting vital programs and services.
“The fact that the budget contains no extra funding for special
education costs means school districts will be forced to pit special
education against other programs, resulting in decisions that hurt all
students.”
Johnson said schools will have difficulty attracting and retaining
teachers and staff because of the veto of collective bargaining items
in the budget.
“Great schools depend on great teachers and staff,” Johnson
said. “The fact that restrictions on genuine collective bargaining
remain on the books will intensify the existing teacher shortage and
continue a law that unfairly singles out one profession for compensation
restrictions.”
Johnson said the lost opportunities to improve public education will
affect all residents of Wisconsin.
“Schools are training the workers and employers of the future.
Without the resources to provide a quality education, all of society
will suffer.”
Other items included in the final state budget, as signed by the governor,
include:
- Beginning in 2002-2003, school districts are prohibited from starting
school before September 1. The Department of Public Instruction could
only grant a waiver of this requirement if it determines there are
extraordinary reasons for granting it.
- Beginning in 2005-2006, all public and private schools must offer
the Pledge of Allegiance or the National Anthem in grades 1 through
12 each school day.
- Schools may adopt a policy requiring school uniforms.
- Schools that offer human growth and development classes must offer
instruction in marriage and parental responsibility.
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Posted August 30, 2001