MADISON - Ranking Assembly Education Committee member Brett Davis, R-Oregon, was an active man Monday.
He spent the morning, along with fellow Assembly Republicans, unveiling a plan to improve student assessment and the school financing system, then made a mid-day appearance on the MSNBC cable news network.
The Republicans' plan calls for the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction to update state standards and performance levels on state assessments for English, math, science and reading by Sept. 1, 2010; a summit on student achievement by November 2010; eliminate the current 10th-grade Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Examination and require all juniors to take a new test; and require state assessment test results be available to school districts and parents within six weeks of taking the exam.
"The question is, what can we do today so 20 years from now we look back and know we did the best we could to accomplish these goals," Davis said.
Davis said another portion of the plan calls for districts to measure the students' development.
"We want to look at where the student was at the beginning of the year and where they were at the end of year. That way we can see how they progressed throughout the year," Davis said.
School districts could share methods that have successfully improved student achievement, he added.
"Our state standards and performance levels aren't aligned to international levels," Davis said. "We have to recognize that we aren't just competing against Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota or Indiana. We're competing on a global scale for jobs against China, Japan and India."
Republicans also want to restore the Qualified Economic Offer (QEO).
The QEO guaranteed teachers an increase in wages and benefits of at least 3.8 percent.
The QEO, which went into effect in 1993, was taken out of the state budget in 2009.
Other aspects of the plan require the state to pay for two-thirds of education funding; and provide state health benefits to teachers. Davis said the state would begin to pay two-thirds of school funding by 2015. He said the state needs to plan ahead to meet its obligation, but said it is possible.
Davis said a sustainable plan to help pay for education is important.
"Throwing more money (at education) doesn't lead to student achievement," he said.
Davis said he knows there will be opposition to some of the ideas but he's optimistic Republicans and Democrats can work together.
"These are ideas that shouldn't be partisan," he said.
Davis hopes to have public hearings to discuss the various aspects of the plan before the end of the year, and he hopes the Assembly Education Committee will debate the proposals early next year.
Davis said he'd like to see the proposals passed before the Assembly adjourns in the spring.
Later that day, Davis appeared on national television, but not to discuss public education.
Davis, was a guest on MSNBC's "Dr. Nancy" television program at 11 a.m.
He was on the show as a member of a panel discussion to voice his opposition to the federal government plan to provide H1N1 vaccinations to prisoners at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility in Cuba.
"I was on the side of not giving it to prisoners either in Cuba or to prisoners in Wisconsin until everyone else has gotten the vaccine," he said.
It was the first time Davis has appeared on national television.
"It was a neat experience," he said.
He spent the morning, along with fellow Assembly Republicans, unveiling a plan to improve student assessment and the school financing system, then made a mid-day appearance on the MSNBC cable news network.
The Republicans' plan calls for the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction to update state standards and performance levels on state assessments for English, math, science and reading by Sept. 1, 2010; a summit on student achievement by November 2010; eliminate the current 10th-grade Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Examination and require all juniors to take a new test; and require state assessment test results be available to school districts and parents within six weeks of taking the exam.
"The question is, what can we do today so 20 years from now we look back and know we did the best we could to accomplish these goals," Davis said.
Davis said another portion of the plan calls for districts to measure the students' development.
"We want to look at where the student was at the beginning of the year and where they were at the end of year. That way we can see how they progressed throughout the year," Davis said.
School districts could share methods that have successfully improved student achievement, he added.
"Our state standards and performance levels aren't aligned to international levels," Davis said. "We have to recognize that we aren't just competing against Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota or Indiana. We're competing on a global scale for jobs against China, Japan and India."
Republicans also want to restore the Qualified Economic Offer (QEO).
The QEO guaranteed teachers an increase in wages and benefits of at least 3.8 percent.
The QEO, which went into effect in 1993, was taken out of the state budget in 2009.
Other aspects of the plan require the state to pay for two-thirds of education funding; and provide state health benefits to teachers. Davis said the state would begin to pay two-thirds of school funding by 2015. He said the state needs to plan ahead to meet its obligation, but said it is possible.
Davis said a sustainable plan to help pay for education is important.
"Throwing more money (at education) doesn't lead to student achievement," he said.
Davis said he knows there will be opposition to some of the ideas but he's optimistic Republicans and Democrats can work together.
"These are ideas that shouldn't be partisan," he said.
Davis hopes to have public hearings to discuss the various aspects of the plan before the end of the year, and he hopes the Assembly Education Committee will debate the proposals early next year.
Davis said he'd like to see the proposals passed before the Assembly adjourns in the spring.
Later that day, Davis appeared on national television, but not to discuss public education.
Davis, was a guest on MSNBC's "Dr. Nancy" television program at 11 a.m.
He was on the show as a member of a panel discussion to voice his opposition to the federal government plan to provide H1N1 vaccinations to prisoners at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility in Cuba.
"I was on the side of not giving it to prisoners either in Cuba or to prisoners in Wisconsin until everyone else has gotten the vaccine," he said.
It was the first time Davis has appeared on national television.
"It was a neat experience," he said.