Call legislators at 800-362-9472 – tell them to vote NO on Walker’s Budget
The state budget coming out of the legislature’s budget writing committee included some improvements over the last three budgets which had effectively slashed funding for public education. However, it has come to light that the budget includes a few poison pills that will undermine the teaching profession and public schools.
As we reported previously, the current budget proposal moves the clock forward on the voucher time bomb which may ultimately bankrupt many school districts. More recently legislators added terrible provisions to expand special needs vouchers which will end up stripping families of special needs children of many federal and state safeguards.
Now it has come to light that the budget creates a backdoor way to lower teaching standards by allowing initial teaching licenses to be granted to individuals certified by online licensing factories that refuse to meet minimum standards set by the Legislature and Department of Public Instruction.
This opens the door to outfits such as the American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence, which operates in Florida, Arkansas and Tennessee, to name a few. The Board’s website promotes its program as a way to earn teacher certification in less than one year, without taking on debt or returning to school. Student teaching is not required as a basis of certification! Note: WEAC and the DPI strenuously objected to this provision, as Wisconsin has existing alternative pathways and also recognizes out-of-state licenses.
Please call your legislators at 800-362-9472 and tell them not to pass a state budget that undermines quality public schools and the education professions.
