The following is a guest post from Ryan Murray, Policy and Legislative Affairs Director for the Office of Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, on why Wisconsin should be considered the reformiest state at our Ed Reform Idol event next week. The other candidates from Florida, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio have already weighed in.
Don't forget to join us for Ed Reform Idol on August 11 at 8:30AM or watch the webcast live to see which state wins!
In the 1990s, Wisconsin led the way as Governor Tommy Thompson produced bold initiatives to dig Wisconsin out of a recession by improving the business climate and leading the charge on welfare reform. While these efforts are remembered nationally, the Badger State's leadership was also felt in education. We created one of the first charter-school laws as well as the nation's first school-voucher program. As a result of these and other reforms, Wisconsin's education system consistently ranked among the best in the nation.
Unfortunately, much of that progress eroded in recent years. While Wisconsin ranked third on fourth-grade reading tests in 1994, it now ranks thirtieth. Meanwhile, school budgets continued to be squeezed by impenetrable union contracts that diverted more and more resources away from students and classrooms and towards employee-benefit costs.
Governor Walker recognized that addressing these troubling trends while also addressing a multi-billion dollar budget deficit would require bold action. Most states have to reduce education spending to balance their budgets. As a result state after state is facing massive layoffs, tax increases, or both. Our neighbor Illinois is struggling to pay its bills despite a tax hike and Minnesota's government shut down for over a week.
In Wisconsin we simultaneously protected students from cuts in the short-term, and set the stage for a new wave of reform and innovation in the long-term. Limits on collective bargaining meant school districts were, in most cases, able to make up for reductions in state spending and then some. It also meant an end to arcane work rules, forced confiscation of dues from teachers, and perhaps most significantly, an end to staffing decisions based solely on seniority.
Districts immediately began to set aside more time for teacher collaboration as well as money for merit pay, and there is no telling what districts will do with their newfound ability to manage their staff and run their schools in a way that is best for students.
We also lifted enrollment caps on virtual and choice schools and expanded the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program to allow middle-class families and additional schools to participate. In the fall, a similar program will open in Racine. We are also developing a new statewide student information system to promote stronger accountability and the ability for teachers to improve instruction with real-time data.
Governor Walker has initiated a bipartisan task force to address third-grade reading proficiency and another to design a twenty-first century school-accountability system to replace portions of the outdated No Child Left Behind law. We are even working with the teacher unions and others to develop a method for measuring educator effectiveness.
Finally, we hope the legislature will finish work this fall on issues ranging from mandate relief for districts to an expansion of open enrollment and independent charter schools, the creation of a special-needs scholarship, and more.
Even after our reforms have been implemented, there will be plenty of challenges to tackle before we can feel confident that we have done everything we can to ensure a great education for every Wisconsin child. Nevertheless, we have made tremendous strides in just a few months and are excited for what lies ahead as Wisconsin returns to its traditional place as a leader in education reform.
? Ryan Murray