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| 8/25/2008 11:00:00 AM | Email this article • Print this article | Rep. Brett Davis: The road to education reform
 | By Rep. Brett Davis
R-Oregon
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As families across Wisconsin get ready to send their kids back to school, it is important to focus on how we are going to continue to improve student achievement for all our children. As chairman of the state Assembly Education Committee and having my son Will entering the ranks of pre-school, I understand the need to constantly look to improve our education system in Wisconsin so our kids and grandkids can compete in a competitive global economy and be productive citizens.
To increase student achievement in Wisconsin, I recently announced a comprehensive K-12 education improvement plan that I believe will reduce property taxes, make our school finance system more sensible, modernize student assessments, and direct more resources to classroom instruction. First, however, it is necessary to point out the current financial commitment to K-12 education in Wisconsin.
Wisconsin has 426 school districts educating approximately 868,000 students. The current state budget will spend more than $12.3 billion during the next two years on K-12 education, the most amount of money ever spent on education in our state's history. This amount represents 44 percent of our state's general purpose revenue (our tax dollars) and appropriately is our number one state financial commitment. In 2008-09 it is estimated local school districts, primarily through property taxes, will spend another $5 billion. When all funding is combined, including the $600 million we receive from the federal government, we spend about $12,600 per student. In 2005-2006, our state spending level ranked Wisconsin 14th nationwide, according the US Census Bureau.
Over the past few years, I have had the opportunity to serve on two statewide task forces that examined school finance issues in Wisconsin, and, as chairman of the Assembly Education Committee, have worked with school administrators, business managers, curriculum directors and teachers from throughout the state on a variety of education issues. I continue to listen to suggestions and am ready to advance the discussion forward on a plan that I believe can make positive changes to our education system.
Comprehensive reform will not come easy, though. It will only come about when all interested parties are willing to work on a broad reform plan that will improve the system for property tax payers and students. People will need to agree to some compromises on long-held positions to develop and pass a plan like I am suggesting, but it's time to work together on a serious reform effort.
My comprehensive education improvement plan will strengthen our schools and student achievement by:
• Reforming the school finance system. Address the mismatch between the revenue limits and the Qualified Economic Offer (QEO) provisions under current law by bringing the two into alignment.
• Reducing property taxes. Change the way schools are funded to reduce our over reliance on the property tax. Let the voters decide on specific reforms by approving them in referendums.
• Improving student testing. Eliminate the current Wisconsin Knowledge Concepts Exam (WKCE) and replace it with modern tests that get results to students quickly so parents and teachers can work on improving areas of weakness before students fall too far behind.
• Putting more of our money into the classroom. Save money on things such as health care costs and administrative costs. Seek competitive bids for services such as health insurance and consolidate administrative functions to produce savings. Redirect the savings to core education functions such as teacher salaries and classroom instruction.
I look forward to discussing my comprehensive education improvement plan during the months ahead. Please contact me at (608) 345-8576 or e-mail me at Rep.Davis@legis.state.wi.us if you have any specific questions about this issue or any other state related matter.
- Wisconsin State Rep. Brett Davis, R-Oregon, serves the 80th Assembly District, which includes all of Green County and portions of Rock, Dane and Lafayette counties.
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Reader Comments
Posted: Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Article comment by:
Wondering
First off I applaud the willingness to propose an actual plan, it's risky for someone running for office, it means the others can rip on your plan without presenting one. It makes sense to me that testing that takes more than a few weeks or months to have results is a waste of time. I don't like the constant harping on Property tax , I'm not saying everyone should gladly accept higher Property tax. But it is so political you can get votes by promising a reduction in property tax. And we voters buy it hook line and sinker without questioning how many dollars. If you pay $4000 a year in property tax, how much reduction is needed to make a difference in ones lifestyle? One-percent would equal $40, or $3.33 a month, not enough to change one's life. How about 10%. Can anyone promise a 10% reduction in our property tax? Hardly. Even if, $400. This is 33 dollars a month, $7.75 a week. Can't even buy a 12-pack for that. But we love promises of lower property tax, the amount really doesn't matter, as long as it went down. No party, or body of Government can lower property taxes enough to change anyone's economic standing. But it's great politics. Now, lets' talk about the $240.00 per month I pay for my work-sponsored health care plan. $2,880 a year, and I know I pay less than a lot of people. Plus I pay out of pocket hundreds and hundreds more. Let's talk about getting THAT under control. I'm not sure any funding problem is going to get fixed for education that includes lowering anyone's property tax, unless property tax is taken completely out of the picture. And no one will agree to that in house or Senate.
Posted: Monday, August 25, 2008
Article comment by:
AnotherVoice
Atta Boy, Brett.
Keep going this is long-overdue.
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