DPI to present testimony on 2015-17 state budget tomorrow

The Department of Public Instruction will go before the Joint Finance Committee on Tuesday to discuss the proposed 2015-17 budget and its impact on public education. The full JFC schedule for tomorrow is available below and the hearing can be viewed on Wisconsin Eye.

To read the non-partisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau's summary of the proposed state budget, click here.

Joint Finance Committee Agency Budget Briefings

Tuesday, March 3 (9:00 a.m.)

• Department of Natural Resources
• Department of Workforce Development
• University of Wisconsin System
• Department of Public Instruction
• Department of Health Services

Governor Walker's Proposed 2015-17 state budget

Governor Walker released his proposed 2015-17 state budget February 3, which maintains funding for BadgerLink and Public Library Aid and makes changes to the TEACH program, by broadening existing statutory language, so more schools can request access to multiple data lines and video links. In addition, the proposed budget includes several initiatives related to broadband expansion. For a general overview of what the Governor's proposed budget includes, you can view his executive budget summary or the Budget in Brief. We have provided a few snapshots of the general Department of Public Instruction budget below. 

Now that the budget has been introduced, the powerful Joint Finance Committee (JFC) will begin reviewing the document. JFC will hold hearings with state agency leaders, conduct several public hearings throughout the state and then make modifications to the proposed budget. After JFC finishes its work in May, the bill goes to the Senate and Assembly for approval.

Meanwhile, the State Legislature will continue to work. Representative Michael Schraa (R-Oshkosh) and Senator Rick Gudex (R-Fond du Lac) have introduced Assembly Joint Resolution 5 and Senate Joint Resolution 4, respectively, which eliminate the office of State Treasurer. Under their proposal, the Lieutenant Governor takes the place of the State Treasurer on the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands, which administers the Common School Fund. WEMTA’s Legislative Committee will closely monitor this legislation. 

School Choice Expansion

The Governor's proposed budget removes the enrollment caps on the school choice program and increases funding for school choice. Participation in the program is currently capped at 1,000 students.

Charter School Oversight Board

The Governor recommends creating a charter school oversight board, which would have responsibility for approving new independent charter school authorizers, and increasing funding for independent charter schools to reflect an anticipated increase in enrollment.

School Accountability

The Governor recommends the implementation of new school and district accountability measures and increasing funding for assessments and assessment analysis necessary for the accountability system. The Governor also recommends school and district report cards include letter grades. The Governor further recommends that schools and districts be allowed to choose which assessments are administered to their students.  In addition, Governor recommends that the State Superintendent be prohibited from adopting SMARTER Balanced Assessments and participating in the SMARTER Balanced Consortium. The Governor recommends that school districts notify parents of the school district's and school's report card grades and the academic standards to be used for the upcoming school year. Lastly, the Governor recommends that the department and school boards provide information regarding the educational options available to children between the ages of 3 and 18.

Alternative Teacher License

The Governor recommends creating an alternative teaching license under which any person who has a bachelor's degree, relevant experience and demonstrated proficiency in a subject may receive a license to teach the relevant subject to students in grades 6 through 12.

CESA Participation

This proposed budget makes school board participation in a cooperative educational service agency (CESA) optional.

Common Core State Standards

The proposed budget prohibits the state superintendent from requiring a school district to adopt or implement the common core standards.

Secretary of State Efficiencies

The Governor recommends reducing position and expenditure authority related to the assistant secretary of state. The Governor also recommends moving the office to the state capitol building to be co-located with the Office of State Treasurer. The Governor further recommends reducing the amount transferred to the office by the Department of Financial Institutions from $325,000 to $150,000. Finally, the Governor recommends transferring the authority to record municipal boundary changes to the Department of Administration to consolidate the process in one agency.

Read to Lead

The Governor recommends transferring the Read to Lead Development Council and its appropriations to the Department of Children and Families and appointing the secretary of DCF as chairperson.

Other highlights include:

   Provide $6 million of new funding from the Universal Service Fund cash balance to the Broadband Expansion Grant Program. In addition, increase flexibility for the Public Service Commission in using current funds over the biennium and redirect unused funds from other Universal Service Fund appropriations to the broadband expansion grant program.

·         Tuition freezes for the UW System and high-demand programs at Technical Colleges

·         $300 million cut to the UW System and the creation of a public authority model

·         The budget does not include significant increases to K-12 public education funding and it modifies the way per pupil aid is calculated. It also does not include Superintendent Evers's proposal to create grants for the consortia purchasing of e-publications.

·         State Aid to the public library system is set at roughly $15 million in each year of the biennium

·         The Governor recommends offering a $2,000 annual incentive for employees who opt out of the state health insurance program.

Proposal to Eliminate the Office of State Treasurer Introduced in the Senate

Senator Gudex (R-Fond du Lac) introduced SJR 4 on Wednesday, which proposes to eliminate from the constitution the office of state treasurer.  The proposal would replace the state treasurer’s position on the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands of with the lieutenant governor.  In order to take effect, the joint resolution must be passed by both houses of the legislature in consecutive sessions and then pass a statewide referendum. 

The bill has been referred to the Senate Committee on Labor and Government Reform.

Senator Stephen Nass (Chair) (R-Whitewater)

Senator Van Wanggaard (Vice-Chair) (R-Racine)

Senator Howard Marklein (R-Spring Green)

Senator Bob Wirch (D-Kenosha)

Senator Chris Larson (D-Milwaukee)

State of the State and Budget Address Announced

Governor Walker will hold his State of the State address on Tuesday, January 13 at 7 p.m.  Walker has told reporters that he will announce which state agencies he plans to  merge during the address.

Walker also announced this week that he will unveil his 2015-17 state budget on February 3, which he says will include further property tax cuts. 

New School Accountability Bill Introduced, Public Hearing Scheduled

Representative Jeremy Thiesfeldt (R-Fond du Lac), chair of the Assembly Committee on Education, introduced Assembly Bill 1 Wednesday afternoon which creates a new school accountability system. The Assembly Committee on Education will hold a public hearing on AB 1 on Wednesday, January 14 at 10 a.m.

Specifically, AB 1 creates an Academic Review Board comprised of 13 members, including the state superintendent, 6 members nominated by the state superintendent, two members nominated by the governor, and members appointed by the minority and majority leaders of the Senate and Assembly.  The review board will create an administrative rule that establishes a comprehensive school review system for public, choice, and independent charter schools to take effect in the 2017-18 school year. In addition, the review board will also develop incentives to be given to exceptional schools, consequences for failing schools and a process for schools to administer alternative assessments.

The school review criteria developed by the board must incorporate measures of pupil achievement in reading and math, growth in pupil achievement in reading and math; gap closure in growth in pupil achievement in reading and math and, when available, graduation rates; and rates of attendance or of high school graduation.  The Department of Public Instruction will use these measures to give each school a letter grade from A-F every year. Private schools participating in the school choice program can either receive one letter grade that only uses data for students participating in the choice program or receive two letter grades--one for choice students and one for all students attending the school, if the school chooses to provide DPI with information on non-school choice students.  

Schools that receive grades of “D” or “F” for three consecutive years, will be sanctioned. Public schools and charter schools will first be required to develop goals and implement a reform plan and comply with requirements for either a Focus or Priority school for four years. Choice schools with 20 or more students participating in the school choice program may also comply with the requirements for public schools or instead choose to accept no additional students through the school choice program for two years or withdraw from the choice program completely. To re-apply to the school choice program, the school must complete a reform plan and adhere to the Focus or Priority school standards for four years.

If the review board determines that sanctioned schools have not made adequate progress based on the results of their yearly review of sanctioned schools: public schools will be converted to charter schools, independent charter schools will no longer receive state payments and private schools participating in the school choice program will no longer receive state aid and be barred from accepting new students for four school years.

AB 1 also requires each school board to annually inform parents of school-aged children of their educational options, including public schools, private schools participating in the school choice program, charter schools, open enrollment, youth options and course options.

AB 1 has been referred to the Assembly Committee on Education, and Republican leaders hope to pass the bill by the end of January.  In response to its introduction, Democrats have authored a counter proposal that would require all private schools participating in the school choice program to adhere to the same standards as public schools, such as the requirements for teacher licensure, background checks, reading readiness, and standards for awarding a high school diploma. 

Wisconsin State Journal: Bill would force persistently low-performing public schools to be made into charters

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: GOP bill would make failing public schools charters

 

2015-16 Education Committee Membership Finalized

Membership on the legislature's education committees is nearly finalized. With the exception of Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca (D-Kenosha), all legislative leaders have appointed committee members for the 2015-16 legislative session which begins January 5. Rep. Barca is expected to name Democratic Assembly Committee members within in the next week. 

Chairman of the newly created Senate Committee on Education Reform and Government Operations, Senator Paul Farrow, recently told reporters that his top priorities are expanding the school choice program, passing school accountability legislation and potentially making changes to the state's educational standards and school funding formula. 

Assembly Republicans have identified school accountability and the creation of Wisconsin-based academic standards as top priorities for the 2015-16 session in their Forward Agenda. Assembly Republicans also plan to move forward with recommendations put forth by the Speaker's Task Force on Rural Schools last session, which includes increased access to classes through the state's digital learning portal. 

It is also likely that the legislature will again seek to eliminate the Secretary of State and State Treasurer from the state constitution and replace them with the State Superintendent and Lieutenant Governor on the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands, which oversees the Common School Fund. 

State K-12 school funding levels will be determined as part of the next state budget, which Governor Walker plans to introduce in late January. 

Senate Committee on Education 

Sen. Luther Olsen (Chair, R-Ripon)

Sen. Alberta Darling (Vice-Chair, R-River Hills)

Sen. Leah Vukmir (R-Wauwatosa)

Sen-elect Steve Nass (R-Whitewater)

Sen. Chris Larson (D-Milwaukee)
Sen. Fred Risser (D-Madison)
Sen-elect Janet Bewley (D-Ashland)

Senate Committee on Education Reform & Government Operations

Sen. Paul Farrow (Chair, R-Pewaukee)

Sen. Sheila Harsdorf (Vice-Chair, R-River Falls)

Sen-elect Steve Nass (R-Whitewater)

Sen. Nikiya Harris Dodd (D-Milwaukee)

Sen. Kathleen Vinehout (D-Alma)

Senate Committee on Universities & Technical Colleges 

Sen. Sheila Harsdorf (Chair, R-River Falls)

Sen-elect Steve Nass (Vice Chair, R-Whitewater)

Sen. Rick Gudex (R-Fond du Lac)

Sen. Dave Hansen (D-Green Bay)
Sen-elect Janet Bewley (D-Ashland)

Assembly Committee on Education

Rep. Jeremy Thiesfeldt (Chair, R-Fond du Lac)

Rep.-Elect Joel Kitchens (Vice-Chair, R-Sturgeon Bay)

Rep. John Jagler (R-Watertown)

Rep. Dean Knudson (R-Hudson)

Rep. Jesse Rodriguez (R-Franklin)

Rep.-Elect Robert Brooks (R-Saukville)

Rep.-Elect Cody Horlacher (R-Elkhorn)

Rep. Dave Murphy (R-Greenville)

Rep.-Elect Romaine Quinn (R-Rice Lake)

Rep. Rob Hutton (R-Brookfield)
Rep. Sondy Pope (D-Middleton)
Rep. Christine Sinicki (D-Milwaukee)
Rep. Eric Genrich (D-Green Bay)
Rep. Mandela Barnes (D-Milwaukee)
Rep.-elect Dave Considine (D-Baraboo) 

Assembly Committee on Colleges and Universities

Rep. Dave Murphy (Chair, R-Greenville)

Rep.-Elect Robert Brooks (Vice-Chair, R-Saukville)

Rep.-Elect Mike Rohrkaste (R-Neenah)

Rep.-Elect Romaine Quinn (R-Rice Lake)

Rep. Jessie Rodriguez (R-Franklin)

Rep. Warren Petryk (R-Eleva)

Rep. Joan Ballweg (R-Markesan)

Rep. Scott Krug (R-Nekoosa) 

Rep. Travis Tranel (R-Cuba City)

Rep.-Elect John Macco (R-De Pere) 
Rep. Dana Wachs (D-Eau Claire)
Rep. Terese Berceau (D-Madison)
Rep. Jill Billings (D-LaCrosse) 
Rep. Dianne Hesselbein (D-Middleton)
Rep. Andy Jorgensen (D-Fort Atkinson) 

FCC Approves E-rate Cap Increase

The Federal Communications Commission approved FCC Chairman Wheeler's proposal to increase E-rate funding to meet high-speed broadband needs today.

Chairman Wheeler's proposal calls for increasing the E-rate cap by $1.5 billion, which brings total funding for the program to approximately $3.9 billion per year.

According to a fact sheet released by Wheeler, "63% of public schools--over 40 million students--don't have broadband connections to the building capable of taking advantage of modern digital learning."

The universal service fee, which is included on phone bills, will now increase by $0.16 per month for individual payers with the Commission's approval of the E-rate cap increase..

As you may recall, the FCC voted in July to increase funding for Wi-Fi connections in schools and libraries.