WI State Teachers Union Won’t Work With Gov Scott Walker

Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin has asked the largest teachers union in his state to participate in discussions over new accountability system

Matthew DeFour, writing in The Wisconsin State Journal, reports that the state’s largest teachers union will not participate in discussions led by Gov. Scott Walker and State Superintendent Tony Evers to develop a new statewide school accountability system.  Instead, starting in September, the Wisconsin Education Association Council will collect input from teachers and communities around the state about their priorities related to school accountability.

WEAC president Mary Bell said in a conference call Friday…her organization supports Evers, but doesn’t trust Walker or Republican legislators on the task force.

“How can we trust the governor to be a credible partner on education issues when they just passed laws to make massive cuts to school funding and silence our voices in schools?” Bell said.

Governor Scott Walker invited 25 people, including Republicans and Democrats in the Legislature, and state leaders from business, colleges and K-12 education. A spokesman for Gov. Walker said the governor is “disappointed” by WEAC’s decision but that the task force would solicit input from teachers.  The group’s first meeting is scheduled for Thursday at UW-Madison’s La Follette School of Public Affairs.  Walker and Evers announced the formation of the task force last week. One of its goals is to help develop an alternative to the current system for assessing schools under the federal No Child Left Behind law.  The current system is considered flawed because it requires all students to be proficient on state tests by 2014.  Almost all schools and districts in the country are on track to fall short of that goal.

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has said states will be able to apply for waivers from the requirements this fall as Congress continues to work on a renewal of No Child Left Behind. The state task force will help develop the state’s waiver application.