Press Contact: Jonathan Garber

(608) 843-2729
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Public Schools for the Public Good

www.ps4pg.blogspot.com
I Love My Public Schools
www.ilovemypublicschools.com

PRESS CONFERENCE:
9:40 a.m. Wednesday, March 23rd
Outside Room 411 South
State Capitol

PROPOSED LEGISLATION WILL DEVASTATE

WI PUBLIC SCHOOLS

State-Wide Scheme Seeks to De-Fund Public Schools,

Disempower Elected School Boards and Sell Off Public Assets

Madison, WI: Citizens from across Wisconsin will be rallying at Wednesday’s 10 a.m. public hearing on
Senate Bills 20, 22 and 34 and speaking out against the Republican Party’s attempt to expand independent
charter schools at the expense of public education. If SB 22 passes, a nine-person advisory board
appointed by the Governor, and the Senate and House majority leaders will oversee independent charter
schools across the state without input or oversight from local school districts. This bill also eliminates the
current law that allows each organization to open only one charter school which will open the door to
franchise Charter Management Organizations, many of whom are funded and operate as subsidiaries of
private corporations.

SB 34 removes the residency requirement on Milwaukee Public School Teachers, which will further
exacerbate the flight of middle-income residents from the city. SB 20 will allow the city to sell off
underutilized or unutilized school property to MPS competitors at any price.

This is a blatant attempt to privatize of our public school system by stealing from the resources it needs to
function and bypassing the authority of democratically elected school boards. In combination with
Walker’s proposed budget—which will cut state aid to education by $834 million—these changes will
further decimate public education. Low-income districts, particularly Milwaukee, will be hardest hit. With
our children’s futures at stake we cannot allow these bills to pass.

Public Schools for Public Good is a group of graduate students, parents, educators and concerned citizens
coming together to defend and improve public education.

I Love My Public School is a parent advocacy group to strengthen public schools and make sure that all
of Wisconsin’s children have access to a high quality public education.