Browsing: Education

UW-Madison journalism center and women’s studies major raise some questions — and eyebrows

Principal Julieane Cook of St. Martini Lutheran School on Milwaukee’s south side takes time out twice a day from her administrative duties for “sensory breaks” – where she works with special needs students because no additional staff or resources are available. Private school principals and administrators say in a Badger Institute survey that many special needs children in private schools are left behind because of inequitable allocation of federal resources. Click on the News tab at the top of the page to read the story.

It would seem a simple question to ask of any public agency: How much money do you spend and on what?

Special needs students are left behind because of inequitable allocation of federal resources, administrators say in survey

‘I have to do a lot of paperwork and spend time testing my kids instead of teaching my kids’

Federal requirements in special ed are especially burdensome, educators tell Badger Institute in survey

Early childhood and special education teacher Sheila Noordzy has her hands full teaching a class of 18 3-to-5-year-old children in the Chequamegon School District in Park Falls. She often puts in long hours, partly due to federal paperwork that takes her away from working with the children. Federal requirements in special education are especially burdensome, educators tell the Badger Institute in a survey.

Funding regulations hamper districts and don’t improve education, local officials say in survey

Paperwork takes staff away from daily responsibilities and educating kids, officials say.
By Julie Grace
November 13, 2017

U.S. education secretary also plans to give them more say over federal school dollars

Following institute’s story, Gov. Scott Walker asks Department of Public Instruction to resubmit Wisconsin federal funding plan.

ESSA could offer opportunities for state to involve districts in decision-making

School officials make decisions they wouldn’t make otherwise to comply with funding requirements.
By Julie Grace and Dan Benson
September 12, 2017

Admitting students with little chance to graduate helps no one; tying UW System funding to graduation rates would force change.

Managing federal education dollars is costing Wisconsin taxpayers millions and benefiting children hardly at all.

Washington’s grip on state schools continues to grow.

Institute releases data on the federalization of the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.

Many Wisconsin high school graduates arrive at college unprepared and end up in remedial math and writing classes, which makes completing a degree unlikely.

We need to rethink how we use the faculty at the non-Ph.D.-granting schools in Wisconsin to improve the lot of the state’s students.

“Our philosophy used to be procure (funding) and then figure out how to use (the money),” Director of Business Services Andy Chromy said.