Very, very bad education bill being rushed into law

[lutefisk]

Robin Vos says it will be done in the next few weeks. No time for what the bill really means to be discussed and sink in with the public. The fools who vote Republican will go to battle over keeping a racist school mascot name- now they won't even have a school or a mascot. Tim Slekar exposes this legislation for what it is:

Republicans and their ALEC funded lobbyists have finally [created a penal system] introduced a bill that destroys the hearts of our communities—our public schools. Seriously! Wisconsin Republicans are pushing forward yet another deeply flawed accountability system that when fully realized REQUIRES the state to get rid of OUR public schools. It’s that simple. No more Friday night football. No more first kisses under the bleachers. No more proms. No more kindergarten Halloween parades. No more community based public schools.

Wisconsin Republicans stab at the heart of our communities—Our public schools

Wisconsin Assembly Republicans hope to pass school accountability bill quickly

[TexasMommaWithAHat]

1. geesh

These a-holes need to go away before they finish destroying the entire country.

I could always support charter schools in theory, but NOT in practice. We see what is happening all over the country.

[lutefisk]

5. Just a preview of what's coming for the whole country in two years

If the Republicans control the House, Senate, and White House after the 2016 elections, the rest of the country will get the Wisconsin treatment. If they can do it to a state, they can do it to the nation.

[TexasMommaWithAHat]

6. Absolutely!

nt

[hue]

2. Definitely the worst of the worst! Rammed down WI'ites throats before we know it!!

An excerpt from the Cap Time article:

American Federation for Children, an advocacy group that spends heavily in favor of school choice, spent nearly $1 million on Wisconsin races in 2014 and has spent more than $4.5 million since 2010 to elect pro-voucher candidates. According to data compiled by the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, pro-voucher groups funneled $10 million into state elections between 2003 and 2012.

Most AFC ads didn't mention school choice at all and in the case of the 54th Assembly District, outspent both candidates in the race.

"For far too long, Wisconsin’s children and families have been betrayed by Republican legislators who have let unaccountable private voucher schools run rampant with waste, fraud, and abuse of our money," said Rep. Mandela Barnes, D-Milwaukee, who serves on the Assembly Education Committee. "Given the massive amount of money funneled from the pro-school privatization lobby to Republican legislators, l am afraid that we will see yet another effort to decimate our local public schools and allow unaccountable private voucher schools to play by a substandard set of rules."

The liberal advocacy group One Wisconsin Now pointed specifically to the bill's provisions governing appointments to the academic review board.

The bill requires the DPI and Assembly minority leader to appoint representatives from "2R" private charter schools. OWN executive director Scot Ross said that requirement suggests the measure is designed to benefit pro-voucher interests.

"Republicans are stacking the deck to protect the privatization industry that's spent millions of dollars to get them elected, instead of protecting kids, schools and taxpayers from these unaccountable profiteers," Ross said.

Read more: http://host.madison.com/news/local/writers/jessie-opoien/wisconsin-assembly-republicans-hope-to-pass-school-accountability-bill-quickly/article_25d597ed-b032-5e93-87fd-d9cfa7ea320a.html#ixzz3OFc5Fcxl

[lutefisk]

4. Scott Jensen was instrumental in lobbying for this

Jensen, along with two other former Republican Assembly speakers (John Gard and Jeff Fitzgerald) knew where and how to spread the money around. If not for the new Wisconsin AG giving Jensen a sweet deal back in 2010, convicted felon Jensen wouldn't be allowed anywhere near our Capitol. It's so difficult to see this happening to Wisconsin!

Jensen was convicted of three misconduct in office felonies in 2006, sentenced to 15 months in prison and banished from even stepping foot in the Capitol for five years. He appealed, and in 2010 Jensen agreed to a deal in which those charges were dismissed. His 2006 misdemeanor conviction involving a violation of the public trust remains.

Just weeks after the plea deal in January 2011, Jensen registered as a lobbyist. His only client is the American Federation for Children. The group has tremendous influence.

It spent $1.1 million to help Republican Gov. Scott Walker defeat the 2012 recall effort. Since 2010 the group has spent an estimated $4.4 million on voucher supporters in Wisconsin, based on a tally by the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign.

link to JS article

[AllyCat]

3. Dear God I hate these people and blame he idiots hat vote for them.