It’s time to Hold Lawmakers Accountable for Votes on Education
SOS Wauwatosa calls on legislators to provide adequate school aids.
Wauwatosa public schools are the heart of our community. Our schools connect us to our community and each other, and our excellent educators strive to provide every child with the care and instruction needed to become productive members of our society. Our walkable community places schools in the middle of our residential neighborhoods, making that connection between schools and citizens even closer. Wauwatosa wouldn’t be the close-knit village it is without its vibrant public schools.
Our schools also face significant challenges: unpredictable and often insufficient state aid, frequently changing and often unfunded state mandates, and growing student needs that require significant investments. All students in Wauwatosa and throughout Wisconsin deserve the education they need to succeed, and the underfunded special education programs are a specific area of need.
Instead of working together to ensure our schools have the supports they need to thrive, our state has created a complex system of “accountability” that blames schools for things they cannot control. We believe communities should hold lawmakers accountable for the one thing they can control: their votes.
Wauwatosa is represented in our state government by several members of the Assembly and Senate. Assembly members LaKeshia Myers (District 12) and Robyn Vining (District 14), and Senator Lena Taylor (District 4) “Significantly Exceeds Expectations” with their votes on the 2019-2021 budget. Assembly member Rob Hutton (District 13) and Senator Dale Kooyenga (District 5) “Fails to Meet Expectations” with their votes. That budget failed to provide essential and much-needed resources that could have put local students in a better position to thrive. Wisconsin Public Education Network’s Legislative Report Cards shine a flashlight on the performance of our lawmakers, and reveal that the majority of them do not meet the high expectations we must hold if we are to ensure every child has equal opportunity to succeed.
We expect the best from our students, and we expect the best from the lawmakers who represent them.
It takes a village to raise a child. Wisconsin needs to be a better village.
About SOS (Support Our Schools) Wauwatosa
Support Our Schools (SOS) Wauwatosa is a parent-powered, nonpartisan, grassroots non-profit that believes public education is the heart of every community. All board members are parents of current and former students of the Wauwatosa School District. We advocate with similar groups statewide for adequate funding for public education for all students in Wisconsin. www.soswauwatosa.org.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.
