In June, 2010, Wisconsin adopted the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics and English Language Arts.
Tuesday, 58 people wrote an open letter to Governor Scott Walker to "stop playing games with Common Core" Walker has proposed defunding the Common Core-aligned Smarter Balanced exam in his budget. The activists said the new “Badger Exam” that replaces it would also be aligned with the controversial standards. Walker was said by 2013 to be telling officials to not enforce Common Core standards.
Last week, Wisconsin Education Association Council President Betsy Kippers said they believe in high education standards for all students. She says Common Core was developed to set a strong set of standards...
"....what the Common Core was never intended to be and has ended up being is 'this is the curriculum' and somebody is selling a test that measures Common Core. A cookie-cutter textbook, a cookie-cutter test does not get me there..."
Kippers was not one of the signers of the letter to Governor Walker. The signers of the letter to Walker spanned the political spectrum from Progressives to Tea Party members.
Also, Kippers has a close eye on the Wisconsin legislative budget process and how the bill will fund vouchers for private school children.
She says increasing the voucher program as proposed in the budget will impact public schools...
"....what we want to guarantee excellent opportunities for every student. By pulling money away from the public schools that does not help. I think you've heard from all around the state the impact vouchers are having on small school districts...."
The proposal would increase the amount of per-pupil aid for taxpayer-funded voucher schools to $7,200 per K-8 student and $7,800 per high school student. Voucher proponents claim the state saves money because it costs less per pupil to educate.
But opponents of vouchers say the state cannot maintain two separate funding streams for education and will hurt public education in the long run.
