Hidden in the cracks of the Wisconsin state budget that the
Republican-dominated legislature is forcing on the people of
Wisconsin, is a provision to give one million dollars to Teach for America.
Teach for America needs another million dollars about as
much as the Koch brothers need another bought-and-paid-for Wisconsin
legislator.
Wisconsin taxpayers should not have to subsidize a national
organization with net assets of over $350 million. The organization is essentially a job-training/ resume-building program for privileged college
students mostly from out of state – most of whom are not likely to make a long-term
commitment to Wisconsin public schools.
Why, when Wisconsin's unemployment remains so high, is the state paying for TFA recruits, the majority of whom are not from the state?
Why, when Wisconsin's unemployment remains so high, is the state paying for TFA recruits, the majority of whom are not from the state?
Why should Wisconsin taxpayers give a million dollars to TFA
when TFA’s most recent public financial statement show that in FY 2011 it had
revenues of over $270.5 million and total expenses of $218.7 million – a net
gain of $51.8 million?
As we attempt to recover from the largest budget cuts to Wisconsin public schools since the Great Depression, I am sure school boards across the state could think of a better use of $1 million dollars then subsidizing a national organization with more than ample corporate backers.
As we attempt to recover from the largest budget cuts to Wisconsin public schools since the Great Depression, I am sure school boards across the state could think of a better use of $1 million dollars then subsidizing a national organization with more than ample corporate backers.
School districts actually pay TFA for their services – two thousand-dollar
finder fees for each TFA recruit are common – and all the salaries and benefits of TFA members
who teach in the public schools are paid by the local school district.
Why does TFA need additional money? Wasn't the $50 million grant from the US Office of Education enough? Perhaps it’s to pay
their many administrative staff six-figure salaries.
An additional pro-TFA provision in the Wisconsin State
Budget (one of the many non-fiscal
provisions) privileges TFA members as they race to leave teaching and move into
administration. The provision allows TFA members to count their two years of TFA teaching as part of the three-year teaching requirement needed to be a school administrator, ignoring the long-standing practice of not counting internships and student teaching as part of the required three years. Moving to the TFA model is a dis-service to students and an insult to school administrators who have graduated from a college of education, have gone through student teaching, and then have moved on to significant teaching
and learning in the classroom.
If the Governor Walker has the interests of the taxpayers
and children of Wisconsin at heart, he would veto this portion of the budget,
as did Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton in May.
From this Pittsburgh teacher: Thank you for exposing this. It's a national threat. Sharing. -- Kipp Dawson
ReplyDeleteI find it funny that your Blog states it's purpose is to promote discussion. I made one question on WEAC fb board about how the unions collected over $100 MILLION dollars from WI teachers every year before Act 10, and they blocked me from posting ever again. Discussion??? I think not. More like "I'll tell you what you should think!"
ReplyDeleteIf I'm not mistaken this is not a WEAC blog. So my question to you is what exactly was your question? It doesn't appear to have anything to do with the post above.
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