Republicans in the Wisconsin Assembly are taking swift action on their key priorities for the new year, focusing on education reform.
On Wednesday, Republicans introduced a series of education reform proposals, bringing them closer to Gov. Tony Evers’ desk for approval. The central part of this package is a plan to restore Wisconsin’s learning standards.
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos emphasized the urgency of the reforms, citing the state’s disappointing test scores. “Right now, our test scores are the lowest they’ve been since 1992, before many kids were even born,” Vos told reporters. “The results are frustrating, but they also serve as a wake-up call for Wisconsin.”
Currently, only 31% of Wisconsin students are meeting grade-level expectations in reading, writing, and math. The situation is even worse in Milwaukee Public Schools, where state report cards show single-digit scores in these subjects.
The push for reform comes after State Superintendent Jill Underly made changes to the state’s testing standards last fall. While these changes boosted local test scores, they also made it harder for parents and education reformers to track student progress. Gov. Evers has expressed disagreement with these changes.
Rep. Bob Wittke (R-Racine) expressed hope that the governor would support the new reforms. “Since January 6th, we’ve heard this is the ‘Year of the Kid,'” Wittke said. “I hope the governor is listening and puts kids first.”
In addition to restoring learning standards, the Republican package includes several other reforms, such as a requirement for cursive writing, a parents’ bill of rights to inform parents about what their children are learning, local cell phone bans in schools, and a proposal that would require 70% of school funding to be spent directly in classrooms.
Rep. Benjamin Franklin (R-De Pere) criticized the current pay distribution in schools, saying, “Administrator jobs are receiving disproportionate pay raises while teachers are being left behind.”
While some reforms in the package could become law, others, like the parents’ bill of rights, may face challenges in gaining approval.
