Unintimidated, by Scott Walker: on Education

Mitch Daniels: Created largest low-income school choice program in US

Just look at what some of our nation's Republican reformers have accomplished at the state level. In Louisiana, Governor Bobby Jindal enacted comprehensive ethics reform-- while at the same time closing a $341 million budget shortfall and giving $1.1 billion back to the hardworking taxpayers across his state over 5 years.

In Indiana, Governor Mitch Daniels inherited a 2-year deficit of $800 million, and left Indiana with a $500 million annual surplus and $2 billion in reserves, without raising taxes. He ended collective bargaining for state employees, privatized Indiana's toll roads, and created the largest school choice program for low-income students in the country.

Rahm Emanuel: Canceled teacher raise; lengthened school day

The situation was unfair and unsustainable. So Mayor Emanuel canceled the teacher's pay raise. "I can't, in good conscience, continue an implicit understanding between parties that left our children on the side of the road," Emanuel declared. "I will not accept our children continuing to get the shaft."

Not only did Emanuel cancel the pay raise, he also demanded a series of reforms, such as lengthening the school day (at 5 hours and 45 minutes, Chicago's elementary schools had the shortest day of any urban district in the country), modest changes in health care, an expansion of charter schools, and merit pay.

Scott Walker: Liberate schools from the grip of the unions

Someone had to pay if we were to close a $3.6 billion deficit. We could take the money from schools and local governments. We could take the money from teachers and public workers through higher contributions to their health care and pensions. Or we could take the money from the unions.

I decided to take from the unions. We would cut about $1.25 billion in state aid, but the school districts and local governments stood to save about $1.5 billion--if they fully used the tools we would give them to control their budgets. By taking on collective bargaining, we had found a way to make everyone whole--everyone, that is, except the union bosses.

Scott Walker: Schools should choose teachers based on merit, not seniority

In June 2010, Ms. Sampson was named the outstanding first-year teacher by the WI Council of Teachers of English. A week later, she received another certificate--a layoff notice. My predecessor, Governor Doyle, had cut aid to schools without giving them any tools to offset reductions in state aid--which meant they had no choice but to lay off teachers.

But why on earth would they get rid of a great new teacher like Ms. Sampson? Well, under the collective bargaining rules, when there were layoffs the last teachers hired were the first to be fired. It didn't matter that she was one of the best new teachers in the state. She did not have seniority, so she was out. Our reforms eliminated these absurd rules. Now schools can choose whom to keep and whom to retain based on merit, not seniority.

Scott Walker: Breaking union monopoly saved schools $10M

News reports showed school districts saving millions thanks to our decision to break the union's near monopoly over the provision of health insurance to local school districts. This one reform saved school districts millions--money they were able to put into classrooms instead of union coffers. One school board official said, "We've pretty much made up most of the [reduced state aid] through the tools that Gov. Walker is giving us."

Scott Walker: Expand options at charter schools and choice schools

I am a strong supporter of expanding options at charter schools and choice schools--and we have done both. But even with those changes, between 80 and 85% of students in our state will still be educated in the traditional public schools for the foreseeable future. The reforms in Act 10 gave us a chance to make those traditional public schools better.

Scott Walker: Expand school choice from Milwaukee statewide

Then we expanded school choice geographically from Milwaukee to Racine, the next most troubled school district in the state, then to a statewide program. Because students get report cards, we established report cards for schools so that parents can see which schools are succeeding and which ones are failing their students. And we expanded charter schools by allowing any University of Wisconsin System 4-year campus to create a charter school.

Scott Walker: Expand vouchers statewide for low-income families

We gave every public school administrator in Wisconsin the same freedom and flexibility that charter schools enjoy. They can now change the curriculum, expand the school day, reward good teachers, and get rid of failing ones.

School choice provides that incentive. If officials at weak or failing schools have to compete for some students, perhaps they will summon the will to change. We gave these officials the tools they need to turn their schools around. Expanding school choice will give them the impetus to use them.

Tom Barrett: Ending collective bargaining saved Milwaukee $25M/year

The paper reported that the city would come out with a net gain of at least $11 million for its 2012 budget, "reducing the spending cuts that Mayor Tom Barrett and the Common Council must impose."

Somehow he failed to mention this during the recall campaign.