Dells Teachers State Their Case
 |
Wisconsin Dells teachers celebrated I See
Red Day October 15. Pictured here are (back row, left to right)
Sarah Connor, Bob Pacl, Gerri Jumbeck, and John Belter; and (front
row) Mike Michalsky, Jim Brancel, and Erin Michalsky. “Something
has to give,” Belter said. “As a state, we should
provide the best we can for our kids. Part of that is to attract
and retain teachers. We want to attract excellent people to go
into the field.” |
State-imposed revenue caps on school districts “are forcing school
districts to make progressively more serious cuts to vital programs
and services, threatening the quality of education our children receive.”
That was the message that Wisconsin Dells Education Association President
Jim Brancel brought to the school board in October, along with a proposed
resolution asking the Legislature to repeal the caps and the Qualified
Economic Offer (QEO) law.
The board tabled the resolution, but Brancel met later with two board
members and the district administrator and jointly developed a new resolution
that states, “The Board of Education of the School District of
Wisconsin Dells believes that the State of Wisconsin must find a new
and more equitable means of funding K-12 public education that reduces
reliance on property taxes, which would then allow the repeal of the
QEO and revenue limits that are currently adversely affecting public
education the the state.” The board will discuss that resolution
at its December meeting.
In his presentation, Brancel said revenue caps have forced the district
to cut $341,000 this year alone, eliminate two staff positions and reduce
classroom budgets by 3%. He cited several statistics on the impact of
revenue controls statewide, including the fact that 52% of districts
have reduced the number of academic courses.
In addition, he said, the QEO has had a negative impact since 1993:
- Wisconsin teachers’ pay has fallen from 15th to 23rd nationally.
- Two years ago, Wisconsin Dells teachers had to take money off their
salary schedule to pay for a 33% hike in health insurance premiums.
- Wisconsin teachers have lost 7% to inflation under the QEO since
1993.
- The average starting pay for a college graduate with a bachelor’s
degree nationally is $10,450 higher than a Wisconsin teacher’s
starting pay.
“This law is unfair,” Brancel said. “We have taken
our most important priority in society (education) and handcuffed it
with unfair funding and removed local control from our school boards.
Our teachers and schools have provided the residents of Wisconsin property
tax relief for 11 years now. No one else in our state has had to make
those personal and financial sacrifices for property tax relief.”
Wisconsin students consistently score at or near the top in the nation
on tests, Brancel said, and in order to maintain great schools, the
state must:
- Change state funding of schools so that it is fair to all residents
and does not penalize any one group.
- Allow school boards and community members to have local control
to retain and strengthen education programs, rather than having to
decide each year what programs and staff to cut.
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Schools Statewide Action Plan Resource Page
Posted November 19, 2004