Niagara Closes Schools for One Day

They closed schools in Niagara Thursday (April 4, 2001) in an attempt to save them.

The small community on the far northeastern border of the state is so concerned about the impact of the governor's proposed state budget on the quality of their schools that they shut down for the day so that about 70 students, parents, teachers, support staff, board members and the superintendent could travel one hour to Peshtigo to plead for their future.

The community representatives spoke passionately to the Legislature's Joint Finance Committee, which is holding hearings on the budget throughout the state.

Send daughter to Michigan?

Patricia Sparapani, the mother of three children, told the committee how she was encouraged to give her sister in Michigan legal guardianship of her 4-year-old autistic daughter Maria, so the girl could get an appropriate education.

"I was stunned," Sparapani said. "I was then informed that this is a growing practice in this area for regular as well as special education students.

"This disturbs me and I hope it disturbs you too," she said.

Sharon S. Antonissen said she feared for the education for all students in Niagara as many classes have had to be cut because of the impact of state-imposed school district revenue controls.

"Presently, a student could not be prepared for the career the way I was as a graduate from Niagara High School because many of the courses are no longer offered," Antonissen said, as the residents of Niagara stood behind her in a show of support.

'Great Schools benefit everyone'

"Great schools benefit everyone," she said. "The gifted child, the average child, the college-bound child, and the child with special needs. We cannot succeed as a school or community with one mainstream, minimally structured curriculum. We need to educate all of our children."

As a gifted and talented student, Kendra Youren, 16, pleaded for more funding for all students and got a round of applause from the crowd of about 200 people.

"One in ten students at Niagara is a recognized gifted and talented young person," Youren said. "This is not to mention those in lower levels whose gifts go unrecognized. I believe that every student is special and that every student has gifts. To deprive these students of a positive educational experience only hurts our future and your future. Give us a chance."

Krista Broullire, 17, described a dismal situation in the classrooms.

"Our school is running on a skeletal staff. There is no position that can be cut, and still enable us to obtain any degree of competitive education," she said. "Many of our books are falling apart, and when we look at the names of the students who had the books before us, many of us can find names of parents," Broullire said.

Fighting to preserve a great education

"Our children deserve a great education, and we are fighting to ensure that is what they get," said Dan Saint Arnauld, a high school social studies teacher.

The Joint Finance Committee is conducting hearings throughout the state on Governor McCallum's 2001-2003 state budget proposal. The proposal has come under repeated attack for its lack of support for public education.

WEAC President Terry Craney, State Superintendent John Benson and State Superintendent-Elect Elizabeth Burmaster have described the governor's budget as a disaster for education and education employees. It expands vouchers and charter schools; gives school boards added power to close schools, reassign staff, select health care providers, and subcontract for educational programs; cuts the Department of Public Instruction's budget; and inadequately funds special education and the highly successful SAGE class-size reduction program.

Superior hearing

At an earlier hearing in Superior, the committee was told that money spent on education should be seen as an investment in a child's future.

"How can we as a society tell them that they 'aren't worth it'?" Spooner teacher Tamra Schindler asked the committee at its first hearing on the governor's proposed state budget.

Schindler was among dozens of speakers - including school board members, administrators, teachers, support staff, and parents - who urged the committee to re-write the budget to make it more supportive of public education.

As a kindergarten teacher in a SAGE classroom at Spooner Elementary School, Schindler focused on the tremendous success she and her students have experienced as a result of the program. SAGE reduces class size to 15 or fewer students in qualifying kindergarten through 3rd grade classrooms.

"This is my first year as a SAGE teacher, and I can't begin to tell you what a difference it has made in my classroom," she said. "I have gone from 'crowd control' and 'skimming the surface' to really teaching! I have gone from just being able to 'present' a topic to really delving into it. ... I have personally seen the gains that my students have made academically, and it is so exciting and rewarding."

Eau Claire hearing

At a hearing in Eau Claire, Paul Hambleton, a teacher in the Baldwin-Woodville School District, said revenue controls, inadequate funding, and the Qualified Economic Offer law are making it increasingly difficult to provide a quality education.

"Our schools are now held together by ingenuity, baling twine, and duct tape," he said. "School districts are running into serious trouble because of the complex and painful interaction the revenue caps, QEO, special education funding, changing enrollment levels, and the many new challenges of educating today's students. We need changes in or removal of revenue caps. We need a new bargaining law."

Eau Claire special education teacher Tom Blount said the governor's budget reduces the state's share of special education funding.

"Our expectations are greater while our resources are less," he said. "These students need and deserve all of our resources to enable them to reach their potential. ... We need to improve, not diminish, our efforts to provide a quality program."