Stop Special Needs Vouchers Wisconsin Action Alert, State Superintendent Primary Edition: 18 February 2017)

[Stop Special Needs Vouchers]

Greetings from Stop Special Needs Vouchers Wisconsin!  Please feel free to forward widely.

Vote, Vote, Vote!  Wisconsin State Superintendent Primary, Tuesday February 21!

Every four years, Wisconsin elects a State Superintendent of Public Instruction. Tuesday February 21 is this year's primary election, with three candidates on the ballot; the two top vote-getters will then face off in the Spring Election on Tuesday April 4.

The stakes are high for the education of students with disabilities in Wisconsin.

At the national level, Betsy DeVos was confirmed on February 7 as U.S. Secretary of Education, despite her stunning incomprehension of (or antagonism toward) the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the federal law that guarantees students with disabilities the right to a free and appropriate public education.

The state superintendent election gives us a chance to respond at the ballot box, and to speak up for public education for students with disabilities in Wisconsin!

Here are the three candidates on the ballot, and where they stand on Betsy DeVos:

-- Tony Evers (current superintendent): Did NOT endorse DeVos and raised questions about her qualifications.

-- John Humphries: ENDORSED DeVos and PRAISED her confirmation
-- Lowell Holtz: ENDORSED DeVos and PRAISED her confirmation

Wisconsin superintendent candidates praise DeVos (Associated Press, 2/7/2017)
http://www.weau.com/content/news/Senate-confirms-DeVos-as-education-secretary-413048433.html

Evers is the only candidate of the three who opposes special needs vouchers -- see candidate questionnaire answers below.

Finally, both Humphries and Holtz are embroiled in an epic late-breaking scandal of back-room job offers and school take-over schemes:

State superintendent candidates call each other liars (Wisconsin State Journal, 2/17/2017)
http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/state-superintendent-candidates-call-each-other-liars/article_778c297b-2032-5142-9089-097daf932f3f.html

Your vote is your voice -- Wisconsin is counting on you to VOTE on Tuesday 2/21!

THANK YOU for standing up for students with disabilities!

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Superintendent Candidate Responses on Special Needs Vouchers

Tony Evers, John Humphries, and Lowell Holtz were asked to respond to questions about education for students with disabilities, including mental health issues, in a questionnaire by Wisconsin Family Ties.  The full responses are online at http://tinyurl.com/StateSuptResponses2017

Below are the responses to the question regarding special needs vouchers:

Question:  Despite significant opposition from families, leaders, and organizations in the disability community, a special needs voucher program was inserted into the 2015-2017 state budget without opportunity for public comment.  Students with disabilities in private voucher schools are afforded significantly fewer rights and protections than in public schools, so public transparency and accountability measures are essential.  Yet, when special needs voucher enrollment was announced, no data was available to determine how many students had been receiving vouchers previously, versus how many had transferred from public schools.  Are you in favor of special needs vouchers, and how would you ensure transparency and accountability for this program going forward?

If you are in favor of special needs vouchers:

• Why is it preferable to create a competing publicly-funded school option for students with special needs, instead of investing to improve our current public schools?
  
• Given that public schools must compete with voucher schools for students, is marketing/advertising one’s school a worthy use of tax dollars that could otherwise be used for educational programming?
  

TONY EVERS:
The federal IDEA and state constitution ensures that every student receives a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE), which does not extend to students enrolled in private schools. I am committed to maintaining strong, effective public schools that are the first choice for 860,000 students and their families in Wisconsin.

While I have opposed the expansion of voucher programs, the DPI is also responsible for administering the program. As such, I am committed to administering the program fairly, transparently, and in the best interests of students. That includes providing feedback on drafts as well as sharing all available enrollment data with state policy makers as they consider changes to the program in the future, and engaging with stakeholders working to strengthen the quality of our data while protecting student privacy.

Additionally, the DPI has worked to simplify access to public school open enrollment, where families can explore different enrollment options without forgoing their state and federal legal protections.

JOHN HUMPHRIES:
The legislature created special needs vouchers to provide parents of children with disabilities with options for their schooling. I agree with their goal of increasing options for all students. I won’t attempt to re-argue the need for vouchers. With public funding should come public accountability through the same statewide tests and school report cards.

LOWELL HOLTZ:
Did not respond.

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Budget Action Workshops from the Wisconsin Public Education Network

An action opportunity from the Wisconsin Public Education Network (Stop Special Needs Vouchers Wisconsin is one of the many organizations in WPEN):

As advocates for public education, we have a unique opportunity to have our voices heard on the 2017-19 Wisconsin State Budget. Wisconsin Public Education Network has worked with teams around the state to develop a plan that will help us advocate for our students and public schools, and one key element of this plan involves bringing regional teams together at Budget Action Workshops across the state in February and early March. The workshops will take place in the following locations:

Kaukauna: Saturday, February 25th @ 9:30am-2:30pm (Plumbers & Steamfitters UA Local 400, 2700 Northridge Dr.) Coordinator: Carol Lenz - cl...@aol.com
Eau Claire: Sunday, February 26th @ 11am-4pm (Labor Temple, 2233 Birch Street) Cooridnator: Jeff Smith - jeff....@citizenactionwi.org. WPEN liaison: Chris Hambuch-Boyle - chbscho...@gmail.com
Middleton: Saturday, March 4th @ 9:30am-2:30pm (Clark Street Community School, 2429 Clark St) Coordinator: Sandy Whisler - sandyw...@gmail.com and Ellen Lindgren - ellenml...@gmail.com
Milwaukee: Sunday, March 5th @ 11am-4pm (Tripoli Shrine Center, 3000 W Wisconsin Avenue 53208) Coordinator: Jenni Hofschulte - jenni.ho...@gmail.com

Register here for BUDGET ACTION WORKSHOPS!
http://tiny.cc/BudgetActionWorkshop

The purpose of the Workshops is to provide information about current budget issues, the budget process in Wisconsin, and what happens at the Joint Finance Committee public listening sessions. You'll learn how to tell your individual story, you'll be able to connect with other people who want to get involved, and you'll have fun in the process.

This workshop is not just for those who plan to testify: it's for all who wish to make an impact on the budget and beyond, and share with their communities ideas on how to develop a budget that ensures strong schools and thriving communities.

Space is limited; register soon!

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