Members Speak Out in Favor of Governor's Budget

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