Editor's Note: Today The Monroe Times is introducing a new weekly column for our Views page. The State Capitol Newsletter is written by long-time state government reporter Matt Pommer for the Wisconsin Newspaper Association. Dan Wegmueller's column will now be published Tuesdays in the Times.
Two decades ago then-Gov. Tommy Thompson floated the idea of a longer school year, calling it a way to improve education.
This year in the wake of the Newtown, Conn., school shooting the National Rifle Association has suggested that armed officers be located in each school building as a deterrent to gun violence.
Thompson retreated from his improve-education idea after being reminded that it would take tens of millions of additional dollars. The NRA idea is likely to fail because it, too, would cost lots of money. The Wall Street Journal has said it would cost $5.7 billion across the 50 states.
Everyone wants to improve education and make schools safe for children, but politicians think the public has absolutely no interest in higher taxes to achieve those goals.
State Sen. John Lehman, D-Racine, a former educator who headed a school-safety committee four years ago, recently suggested exempting security matters from school spending. State Sen. Luther Olsen, R-Ripon, has said he's considering the idea.
Despite that sort of bipartisan talk, the school-safety idea faces an uphill fight. The top politicians seem more interested in property tax issues than increased school safety, even if the powerful NRA is behind the idea.
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, said school districts should use the money they already get from the state for such expenditures.
"School districts can use the money they already receive to address security issues as well as provide an excellent education for our children," Vos said in a newspaper interview.
That might mean using classroom-targeted dollars to pay for the NRA idea of armed guards in the schools. A spokesman for Gov. Scott Walker said exemptions make it difficult to hold down property taxes.
Extending the school year is being discussed in various parts of America as a key to improving education. Proponents note that European and Japanese schools have more classroom time than the average U.S. school district.
Some might suggest that circumstances have changed since Thompson was governor. Two years ago, Republicans maimed collective bargaining in the public sector, effectively allowing municipal employers, including school districts, to do much of what they want in personnel terms.
Republicans say these are the "tools" to hold down property taxes while state aids were scaled back.
But funding additional security from existing revenues could limit educational improvements designed by school districts. Even if districts were to opt to extend the school year while providing little additional compensation for teachers and principals, some costs would increase as a result of additional class days.
For example, districts need bus drivers and gasoline to get the children to school. Electricity is required to operate schools, and meals are an important element of the pupils' school days.
There are other political hurdles to a longer school year. It should be noted that the vacation industry, an important factor in Wisconsin's economy, might not be enthused about shorter vacation periods for families.
The vacation industry decades ago successfully convinced the Legislature to enact a law prohibiting the start of public schools before Sept. 1. The fall term starts in August in much of America.
- Matt Pommer, a 35-year veteran of covering state government in Madison, writes the weekly State Capitol Newsletter for the Wisconsin Newspaper Association. His column is published Monday in the times.
Two decades ago then-Gov. Tommy Thompson floated the idea of a longer school year, calling it a way to improve education.
This year in the wake of the Newtown, Conn., school shooting the National Rifle Association has suggested that armed officers be located in each school building as a deterrent to gun violence.
Thompson retreated from his improve-education idea after being reminded that it would take tens of millions of additional dollars. The NRA idea is likely to fail because it, too, would cost lots of money. The Wall Street Journal has said it would cost $5.7 billion across the 50 states.
Everyone wants to improve education and make schools safe for children, but politicians think the public has absolutely no interest in higher taxes to achieve those goals.
State Sen. John Lehman, D-Racine, a former educator who headed a school-safety committee four years ago, recently suggested exempting security matters from school spending. State Sen. Luther Olsen, R-Ripon, has said he's considering the idea.
Despite that sort of bipartisan talk, the school-safety idea faces an uphill fight. The top politicians seem more interested in property tax issues than increased school safety, even if the powerful NRA is behind the idea.
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, said school districts should use the money they already get from the state for such expenditures.
"School districts can use the money they already receive to address security issues as well as provide an excellent education for our children," Vos said in a newspaper interview.
That might mean using classroom-targeted dollars to pay for the NRA idea of armed guards in the schools. A spokesman for Gov. Scott Walker said exemptions make it difficult to hold down property taxes.
Extending the school year is being discussed in various parts of America as a key to improving education. Proponents note that European and Japanese schools have more classroom time than the average U.S. school district.
Some might suggest that circumstances have changed since Thompson was governor. Two years ago, Republicans maimed collective bargaining in the public sector, effectively allowing municipal employers, including school districts, to do much of what they want in personnel terms.
Republicans say these are the "tools" to hold down property taxes while state aids were scaled back.
But funding additional security from existing revenues could limit educational improvements designed by school districts. Even if districts were to opt to extend the school year while providing little additional compensation for teachers and principals, some costs would increase as a result of additional class days.
For example, districts need bus drivers and gasoline to get the children to school. Electricity is required to operate schools, and meals are an important element of the pupils' school days.
There are other political hurdles to a longer school year. It should be noted that the vacation industry, an important factor in Wisconsin's economy, might not be enthused about shorter vacation periods for families.
The vacation industry decades ago successfully convinced the Legislature to enact a law prohibiting the start of public schools before Sept. 1. The fall term starts in August in much of America.
- Matt Pommer, a 35-year veteran of covering state government in Madison, writes the weekly State Capitol Newsletter for the Wisconsin Newspaper Association. His column is published Monday in the times.
