The Assembly
Republican Caucus held a press conference last week to unveil their 2015
Legislative Agenda. Included in the proposed agenda are
several educational initiatives. Specifically, Assembly Republicans are
renewing their commitment to school choice, increased school accountability
standards and replacing the Common Core with Wisconsin-specific academic
standards.
The
Rural Schools Task Force is mentioned and the agenda says that Assembly
Republicans will “move forward with options that will make the most
comprehensive and meaningful impact for rural schools, including increasing
access to important classes through a state-funded digital learning portal.”
In the print version
of the “Forward Agenda”, the following summary is provided of the Assembly
Republicans’ plan:
Expand Public School Open Enrollment and
School Choice Reform.
Whether a public or
private education is preferred by a K-12
parent in Wisconsin, the most important component
of the system is making sure there is a
choice. Parents and students across the state have
different goals and expectations for what a
quality educational path needs to be. Choosing a
school is a personal decision and we will put
the control in parents’ hands, not state bureaucracy.
Accountability for All Schools Receiving Tax
Dollars.
Last session, the Legislature took the
first step toward providing meaningful school
accountability for our students and taxpayers.
Incentivizing excellence in growth and
performance, while taking corrective measures against failing
schools is the course toward bringing all
schools above the line for K-12 students in Wisconsin.
Wisconsin-based Model Academic Standards. Wisconsin schools
are better with
Wisconsin-based academic standards. We will
support the creation of state-based model
standards and the continued system of local
control over schools.
Support for Rural Schools. The Speaker’s Task
Force on Rural Schools marked an important
step forward in bringing to light challenges
that are unique to smaller, rural schools.
Through the work of the Task Force, we reached
out to teachers, principals and parents
to develop ideas with informed, practical and
achievable solutions. We will move forward
with the options that will make the most
comprehensive and meaningful impact for rural
schools, including increasing access to
important classes through a state-funded
digital learning program.
