Contact: Austin Altenburg
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Elementary school teacher applauds governor’s decision to return power to taxpayers, put more money in classrooms
[Madison, Wis.] – Gov. Scott Walker’s campaign on Tuesday launched its next statewide television ad, featuring Anita, an elementary school teacher in Racine. In the ad, Anita highlights the governor’s commitment to students as he works to ensure that families across Wisconsin have access to a quality education – and outlines the reforms that provide necessary local control and helped turn the state around. Throughout his tenure, the governor has empowered families and school districts, and his latest budget includes historic actual-dollar investments into K-12 education. These efforts are a central component of the governor’s forward-looking agenda to help Wisconsin win the 21st century.
Under Gov. Walker’s leadership, we’ve made record investments in education – $200 more per student this past school year, and another $204 more per student in the fall – while increasing Sparsity Aid for rural school districts to ensure student success regardless of zip code. In addition, the governor froze UW System tuition six years running to make college more affordable for students and their families. His latest budget commits $5 million to technical colleges to help train students to fill in-demand jobs, and during his time in office he has invested more than $200 million in workforce training – including the creation of the Wisconsin Fast Forward program in 2013 to help address the skills gap for high-demand fields.
With Gov. Walker leading the way, Wisconsin is on a comeback. As a result of our success, we’ve been able to make historic investments in priorities that will keep our state moving forward and help Wisconsin win the 21st century for all hard-working families.
You can watch the ad, entitled “Students First” here. The ad begins:
Anita: I teach elementary school in Racine, and I can tell you one size does not fit all when it comes to our kids. And Gov. Walker gets it. He gave schools flexibility to put money where it matters most, in our classroom. And his latest budget, adds $200 more per year for every student.
Gov. Walker: With a record investment in schools, more money for our technical college programs, and a six-year tuition freeze for all UW campuses, we’re putting students first.
The spot will run on television as well as on a range of online and social media platforms. It’s the sixth in a series of ads the Walker campaign is running on the governor’s strong record of getting positive things done and his plans for more bold reform to help Wisconsin win the 21st century.
Previous Walker campaign ads include “Helping People Like Me” about building a high-skilled workforce, and “To Save Lives” about Gov. Walker’s bipartisan efforts fighting the opioid crisis and tackling serious problems for hard-working families. In addition, “Providing a Leg Up” is about the good jobs and workforce training the governor has supported as part of Wisconsin’s comeback, and “To Help People” discusses the governor’s support for initiatives to help students with disabilities enter the workforce. And finally, “Lower Premiums for Wisconsin Families” addresses the governor’s efforts to lower health care premiums after Washington failed to get the job done of repealing Obamacare.
Education Reform Fact Sheet
Educators from all corners of Wisconsin support Governor Walker’s most recent budget:
- John Ashley of the Wisconsin Association of School Boards: “This is great news for Wisconsin’s 422 public school districts and the students they serve…The WASB thanks Governor Walker and pledges to work with him to secure support for these investments.”
- State Schools Superintendent Tony Evers: Evers praised Walker’s proposal, describing the plan as a “pro-kid budget” and “an important step forward.” “Overall, his definition of ‘significant’ and mine are really close,” said Evers, who added that Walker’s proposals hit upon the same priorities his budget request sought.
- Justin Moralez of the American Federation for Children, School Choice Wisconsin : “We are pleased with Governor Walker’s major investment in education in his proposed budget…”
- John Forester, School Administrators Alliance: “Budgets are about choices and priorities … we are very pleased that Governor Walker, in his state budget plan, has placed a high priority on the educational needs of Wisconsin’s public school children.”
See below for more information on Gov. Walker’s bold reforms to direct more money into our classrooms, make historic investments in education, freeze UW tuition for 6 years in a row, and increase funding for technical college programs:
- With Governor Walker leading the way, Wisconsin has been a top 10 state for high school graduation rates, and in ACT scores for states where all graduates are tested.
- The governor’s Act 10 collective bargaining reforms put taxpayers and local school districts in charge – giving them more freedom and enabling Wisconsin to balance its budget without raising taxes.
- After Scott Walker balanced the budget and sparked Wisconsin’s comeback, we’ve been able to make record actual-dollar investment in our schools – $200 more per student this past school year, and $204 more per student in the fall.
- Since Governor Walker took office, the number of youth apprenticeship students has more than doubled.
- In the most recent budget, Governor Walker increased funding for Fab Labs, more than doubling the investment in these high technology workshops.
- Governor Walker created the Early College Credit Program to simplify how high school students can earn college credits.
- To give more students and their parents the freedom to choose which school best suits their needs, Governor Walker expanded school choice programs throughout the state – building on previous school choice expansions.
