Walkers End Long Journeys with Rally in Madison
More than 200 people protest impact of school district revenue controls
Two marches to Madison to protest inadequate school
funding culminated Thursday (June 29, 2000) in a rally at the State Capitol
by more than 200 concerned educators, parents, students and citizens.
The marchers -- who traveled from as far as Butternut Lake in northern
Wisconsin and Racine in southern Wisconsin -- gathered at the University
of Wisconsin end of State Street and marched their final mile together
to the Capitol.
About half of the marchers then met in a Capitol
hearing room with five gubernatorial aides, including state budget director
Richard Chandler and education adviser William Steiger.
One by one, the parents, educators, students and
concerned citizens told the aides how revenue controls were hurting education
in their communities. They talked about a lack of textbooks, deteriorating
facilities, staff layoffs, program cuts in areas including music and art,
the loss of services for special needs students, and much more. Many of
the speakers expressed anger and frustration.
One 8th-grade student left the governor's aides
speechless when he asked: "How are revenue caps helping our schools
and my education?"
At the rally, speakers stressed the importance
of continuing to provide quality education for Wisconsin's children and
expressed frustration that a growing lack of resources is undermining
that quality.
Roxanne Starks, vice president of the Milwaukee
City Council of PTA, said $32 million in forced budget cuts in Milwaukee
Public Schools are affecting programs in every school and every grade.
Cuts affect art, music, reading, library services, counseling programs,
nursing programs, school safety, technology, special needs, driver's education,
school-to-work efforts, speech therapy, and more, she said.
| 
Concerned Racine parents Rose Nelson, Brenda Kerekes, and Robin
Kreiner participate in the southeast Wisconsin march through Milwaukee
on the way to Madison.
|
"I say to the Legislature how can we have
high standards without adequate funding? And we must remember high standards
cost money," she said.
The group presented a thick folder of petitions,
signed by more than 5,000 people, calling for an end to revenue controls.
The signatures were collected by marchers along their routes from Butternut
Lake to Madison and from Racine to Madison over the previous 10 days.
Marchers participated in various segments of the walks, and a few marched
the entire routes.
This is the second year of the Walk on the Child's
Side. It was organized by a group of educators from Phillips. This year,
the second leg from Racine was added through the efforts of the Wisconsin
PTA.
On Monday, June 19, WEAC Vice President Stan Johnson,
Executive Director Michael Butera and Government Relations Director John
Stocks participated in part of the walk from Butternut Lake to show their
support. Lead organizers include Phillips educators Teri Hanson and Randy
Kunsch.
The group had requested a meeting with Governor
Thompson, but he was out of the office Thursday on political business.
Last year, the group met with an aide to the governor and then returned
to Madison several weeks later for a conference with the governor.
The Phillips organizers have created a Web site
at: www.nocaps.org.
Posted June 29, 2000