National School Choice Week

This week has marked the third annual National School Choice Week. Over the course of this week, school choice advocates – including parents, students, educators and administrators – have joined together to promote educational choice and celebrate the educational option that provides parents the power to choose the best schools for their children.

It is in our best interest, as a nation and as a state, to support educational programs that help improve the educational outcomes of our schoolchildren and to applaud every attempt to involve parents in the decisions relating to their child’s education. It is important to empower parents to provide their children the education that best meets their unique learning needs. It is undeniable, that School Choice makes such empowerment possible by giving every family, regardless of economic standing or background, the ability to forge a new course for their children to succeed academically.
 

Wisconsin's Role in Education Reform

Besides expanding School Choice, there are other educational reforms Wisconsin can pursue that could potentially give our students the edge in being prepared to ultimately graduate, enter postsecondary education, and enter the workforce.

I have three very basic, yet extremely underutilized suggestions that could change the face of education, not only in Milwaukee and other underperforming school districts, but across Wisconsin. The three proposals are as follows:

Academic and Career Plan(s) (ACP): An ACP is an individual roadmap, designed for all students to chart out and achieve their academic and career goals. The goal of an ACP project is to provide every student throughout the state access to the same information regarding their future aspirations. The ACP will bring the best of K-12, postsecondary education and private industry together, in a portal, to help guide the student’s decisions about their future. What will never be taken into account is the student’s background, where they reside, or which school they attend. This program should be made available to all students, providing them the information and ability to choose their most effective postsecondary option.

Enact Dual Enrollment: Dual enrollment is a successful acceleration mechanism that allows students to pursue an advanced curriculum relevant to their individual postsecondary interests. According to the U.S. Department of Education, college credit earned prior to high school graduation reduces the average time-to-degree and increases the likelihood of graduation for the students who participate in these programs. There is also evidence that dual enrollment increases academic performance and educational attainment. Successful dual enrollment programs are already being used by the states of Florida, Tennessee, New Jersey, Utah, Washington, and Minnesota. Currently, the State of Wisconsin uses programs such as Transcripted Credits, Youth Option, and Youth Apprenticeship to bridge the gap between high school and college courses. The goal of Dual Enrollment would be to provide students and parents an understandable mechanism to accelerate course credits and to provide a more transparent transition from high school to college.

Implement programs statewide to involve business/professional instruction: Another mechanism to prepare students for their postsecondary education career is implementing programs that will partner educational opportunities with business interests in their area. Milwaukee, Waukesha, and Green Bay already use a program called Second Chance that is an alternative high school option. I believe something similar could be included in our core curriculum. In such programs, professional experts would provide technical instruction and link knowledge to application in an academic setting provided by a business partner site. The curriculum would be approved by the school district and Wisconsin’s Department of Public Instruction (DPI). Earned credits could be transferred to the Wisconsin Technical College System to accelerate the postsecondary education of enrolled students.

As with these three suggestions, the goal of any reform is to provide an education that extends services to each individual student in a format that engages them academically. It must also give them the best chance for success in their secondary and post-secondary careers and prepare them for a rewarding career in whichever field they decide to choose. It is a shame that education reform has become a wedge issue between the two political parties and has become a struggle between multiple interests for funding. I have found that most reform ideas ultimately have the same goals and aspirations. We must find that common ground and truly reform education in the best interest of Wisconsin’s children.
 

State Surplus of $420 Million

The Legislative Fiscal Bureau is projecting that at the end of the fiscal year, the state will have a $419.7 million surplus. These new revenue projections prove once again that the measures taken over the last two years have worked to create a sounder and stronger fiscal situation in Wisconsin. With this projected increase in revenue we have an opportunity to meet our challenges head-on and concentrate on the priorities of hardworking Wisconsinites.

This is a great place for Wisconsin to be and the legislature is considering several different options. I look forward to working with my colleagues and Governor Walker to implement a significant income tax reduction plan, as well as continuing to make payments to our rainy-day fund that will ensure our fiscal stability for years to come.
 

2013 Senate Scholar Program

I am pleased to announce that the Wisconsin State Senate will be accepting applications to participate in the 2013 Senate Scholar program.

The program is open to academically exceptional Wisconsin high school juniors and seniors who have an interest in the legislative process and representative democracy. Admission to the Senate Scholar program is highly competitive. Each Senate Scholar receives a hands-on, up-close view of the State Legislature’s role in our democracy.

Senate Scholars engage in a variety of experiences during their one week stay in the program. Typical activities may include attending floor debates in the Senate Chamber, committee hearings, seminars conducted by select individuals involved in the legislative process, and seminars by professors from the Robert M. LaFollette School of Public Affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The week culminates with a mock legislative hearing on a bill that the Senate Scholars have moved through the proper legislative process.

I urge all interested students in Waukesha County to visit www.senatescholar.com for additional information regarding the Senate Scholar program. My staff and I will also be contacting area high schools to provide further information regarding the program. Applications for the Senate Scholar program are due April 1, 2013.

Interested students can also contact my office for further information by calling (608) 266-9174 or by email at Sen.Farrow@legis.wi.gov.

Stay Safe and Warm!

Please feel free to contact my office with any thoughts or questions you may have. It is a pleasure serving you in the State Senate.