New plan may increase likelihood of Race to the Top funding
By Andy Van Sistine and Hannah Furfaro | Apr. 13, 2010The state superintendent may get more control over struggling Wisconsin schools under a new plan proposed by Gov. Jim Doyle Monday. The legislation aims to increase the involvement of parents in their child's education, the use of ""consistent"" curriculums across struggling districts and increased state superintendent power over teacher and principle assignments. The plan follows multiple public school education reform proposals, including a controversial mayoral-takeover plan, aimed at making Wisconsin more viable in the competition for federal Race to the Top dollars. Michael Apple, UW-Madison professor of educational policy studies, said the new proposal is a ""compromise"" but said he is worried about the idea of a consistent curriculum across districts. ""I worry that the notion of consistent curriculum could have a negative effect on those schools' that are willing to take risks of linking their curriculum to students culture,"" he said, noting bilingual schools. He said the proposal is ""by and large about money"" and said he is worried about blaming schools and teachers for larger problems. ""Obviously Wisconsin needs the money; there's no doubt about that, but I don't think we want to sell our soul in the process of doing this … This proposal has a little of that, though again, it's an interesting compromise.""
