UNDATED (Midwest Communications) Wisconsin may be lagging in its effort to win up to a quarter-billion dollars in federal stimulus money for public schools.
Joe Williams of the Democrats for Education Reform says other states are doing more than Wisconsin to reform its school systems. And he tells the Journal Sentinel it will be hard for the Badger State to make a strong case for the money unless it agrees to let Milwaukee’s mayor take over that city’s school system.
The state Senate Education Committee will hold a public hearing tomorrow on a bill to let the mayor appoint the next Milwaukee school superintendent, and to give the School Board less control over its budget. The Senate panel will also hear testimony on a competing plan to let the board keep more of its power. There will also be a hearing on a bill to let the state superintendent make changes in schools which don’t comply with federal performance standards.
Meanwhile, the superintendent’s office is taking commitments from school districts to make certain changes in exchange for a share of the federal cash. They involve things like teacher training standards. Those commitments are due January 13th.
The Democrats for Education Reform have been keeping track of what the states are doing to win the federal funding in President Obama’s “Race to the Top” education program. Williams said New York has just made a flurry of changes. And Colorado has appointed a “Race to the Top” czar to get opinions from the public, as well as educators and politicians. Wisconsin made four changes in November. The biggest lets schools use test scores to evaluate teachers – but not to punish or fire them.
