Says Parental Choice is Not an Attack on Pubilc Schools
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker reiterated his support for parental choice in education Friday in remarks to the WCRIS Leadership Conference at the Country Springs Conference Center in Waukesha.
It was the first time in the organization’s 40-year history that a sitting Governor visited the day-long event.
The visit was a follow-up to Walker’s Proclamation of Feb. 15-19, 2016 as Religious & Independent K-12 Schools Week, which he issued in December.
Walker spoke for about 20 minutes to 250 WCRIS K-12 school administrators from across the state and thanked them for their efforts.
He said it is a mistake to view support of the Wisconsin Parental Choice Program as an attack on public schools, noting correctly that there are not enough private schools to educate all of the state’s children.
Many principals nodded in agreement, with some even saying “Amen” to underscore his words.
Walker said that while he personally had chosen public schools for his children when they were in elementary and high school, he did it after a thorough review of his options and the needs of his sons.
Walker said his policy support for educational choice has always been based on the beliefs that parents should have a range of choices when determining the best education for their children, and that being poor or middle income shouldn’t prevent parents from having access to those choices.
Friend of Education Award
The Governor’s visit was the highlight of a day that began with the presentation of the WCRIS 2016 Friend of Education Award to former state Sen. Paul Farrow, who is the new Waukesha County Executive. He was a strong supporter of parental choice when he served in the legislature.
State’s Opiate Epidemic
The private school principals received a report from the Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel on the state’s opiate epidemic and what school leaders can do to help stem the tide of overdose deaths.
Dr. Robert Marzano
That was followed by a presentation on Effective Supervision by Dr. Robert Marzano, a leading author and researcher who spoke to the group via a live interactive web feed.
Cage-Busting Leadership
The WCRIS administrators enjoyed lunch while listening to Dr. Rick Hess from the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, D.C. speak on his new book, Cage Busting Leadership, which encourages educators to break out of the cages they may have created, which hamper creativity and innovation. The Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice sponsored Dr. Hess’ presentation.
60 prizes valued at $4,000
At the end of the conference, a drawing was held to give away nearly 60 prizes valued at $4,000 donated by 32 businesses that support WCRIS’ efforts to strengthen private schools. Many of those businesses were present throughout the day in the WCRIS Marketplace. They provided WCRIS schools with access to products and services that solve administrative problems that take principals away from their time with faculty, students and parents.
Mark Your Calendars
Principals are encouraged to mark your calendars and plan to attend the 2017 WCRIS Leadership Conference at the Country Springs in Waukesha on Feb. 10, 2017.
