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Scott Walker: Every Student Must Learn How to Read Before Entering 4th Grade

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Date: 
Friday, September 3, 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jill Bader (414) 453-2010

Plan Will Reform Failing Schools, Reward Great Teachers

Read Scott Walker's plan HERE
 
Wauwatosa – Scott Walker, Milwaukee County executive and candidate for governor, today released his comprehensive plan to improve Wisconsin’s K-12 education system, focusing on literacy for fourth graders.  The plan would reform failing schools, reward great teachers, and end social promotion to ensure every child can read before entering fourth grade.
 
“Fully one-third of our state’s fourth graders can’t read at even a basic level – this is completely unacceptable,” said Walker. “Once children reach fourth grade they must stop learning to read and start reading to learn.  It’s time for a bit of tough love to make sure our kids have basic skills now so they don’t fall further and further behind later.”
 
Walker continued, “The Doyle-Barrett attempt at the Race to the Top was an utter failure that focused on politically-correct half-measures rather than the tough calls the next governor will be required to make.  We need a plan to recruit, retain, and reward great teachers while implementing a plan that removes burdensome, one-size-fits-all mandates.  This will allow good schools to succeed and help us focus our efforts on turning around failing schools.”
 
Below are highlights of Walker’s plan to provide every Wisconsin child with a great education:
Focus on Fundamentals:
  • End social promotion for students who are unable to read at the end of third grade.
  • Establish benchmarks for success with 21st century evaluation methods paired with a comprehensive data system that allows parents to track their child’s progress and teachers to identify and adjust to learning challenges early.
  • Allow school districts to innovate by eliminating one-size-fits-all mandates
  • Focus on teaching marketable skills such as those offered in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) to prepare the workforce of tomorrow.
Reform Failing Schools:
  • Unlike Tom Barrett and Jim Doyle, Scott Walker will make a real commitment to education reform.
  • Walker will give all schools a grade of A-F based on objective criteria such as graduation rates, standardized test scores, and teacher and administrator evaluations.
  • Persistently failing schools will be required to sign “turnaround contracts.” In exchange for a commitment of resources and support from the state, school boards will select one of four, turnaround models.
Recruit, Retain, and Reward Great Teachers:
  • In every other profession, excellence is rewarded. Scott Walker believes teaching should be no different.
  • Teachers will be rated on five criteria and will be eligible for bonuses based on these evaluations.
  • Scott Walker will also create a new class of highly qualified, well-paid teachers who will be given the opportunity to mentor other teachers, while still devoting most of their time to classroom teaching.
  • Walker’s plan calls for the streamlining of the licensing process to open the door to aspiring teachers with real world experience.
Finding Efficiencies:
  • Allow districts to pool resources and contract out for services to save taxpayers money.
  • Will encourage districts to post expenditures online just as Walker has done in Milwaukee County.
  • Allow school districts to enroll in the sate health care plan to save taxpayers more than $68 million per year.
  • Restore the QEO to help hold down local property taxes.
More Choices for Parents:
  • Expand charter and choice options by removing enrollment and eligibility caps on schools choice and virtual charter schools.
  • Allow more authorizers of independent charter schools.