Letter to the Editor: Maintain Wisconsin’s Teaching Heritage

May 7th marked National Teacher Appreciation Week for 3.6 million teachers throughout the United States and Wisconsin. Recognizing the importance of teachers must also include an awareness of the status of public education. “To ensure Wisconsin is competitive in the future, our schools must have the resources to offer all students a high-quality education” (Wisconsin Budget Project, Jan. 12, 2017).

Since the Recession and the passage of ACT 10 in 2011, Wisconsin has experienced a reduction in resources to public education, teacher shortages, salary and benefit reductions, lowered standards for teacher certification, a rising tide of poverty and an increase in tax dollars designated for private schools via school vouchers. Public schools are the hallmark of a well-educated workforce and economic growth which are vital to community sustainability. Wisconsin has had the largest decline of any state in school spending, moving from 19th in 2005 to 24th in 2017. From 2008 to 2014, Wisconsin per pupil spending decreased to 48th in the nation and declined 14.6 percent compared with Minnesota which was ranked fourth highest. (Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 2014). Expenditures for public schools steadily increased in Wisconsin from 1969 until reaching a high in 2010-2011 of $10 million and declining in 2011 to $9.7 million. Shifting funding from state to local taxpayers has resulted in an increase to local sources of 27 percent. State-imposed revenue and referendum caps have further disadvantaged districts at a time when the need has increased due to aging facilities and increased operating costs. The 2017-2019 Wisconsin budget of a flat per student addition is disadvantageous to districts with a high low-income population.

Since ACT 10, Wisconsin teachers have decreased 4.8 percent and salaries and benefits have declined by 7.4 percent since 2005, resulting in a decline from 18th to 28th in the nation. Nationally, the average has increased 3.9 percent. Benefits decreased 11.3 percent since 2010 and mid-career teachers have lost hundreds of thousands of money in career earnings and salaries that are approximately 10 percent lower. This has resulted in a critical teacher shortage and movement of certified teachers out of teaching and Wisconsin. While student enrollment has increased since ACT 10, the number of teachers in Wisconsin has decreased 4.8 percent.

Major changes in teacher licensing and class size have resulted in a “path toward the bottom” as Wisconsin slides from 18th to 28th in terms of student-teacher ratio and certification requirements are changed to permit less rigorous training for teachers. An increase in voucher utilization for private schools has resulted in a decrease in dollars available to public schools which are already beleaguered as millions are paid from state revenue for vouchers. In the Fox Cities alone, vouchers accounted for $1.6 million for 2016-2017 and are likely to increase with the 2017-2019 state budget.

In Wisconsin, public education is a proud heritage but this heritage is at risk. I plan to vote for Caleb Frostman, a supporter of public education,  June 12 in the Special Election for the 1st Senate District on June 12, 2018 to increase the possibility that this heritage can be maintained.

Sherry Mutchler

Sturgeon Bay, Wis.