The Assembly passed Bill 321, nicknamed the “Right to Read Act”, yesterday, which attempts to overhaul how reading is taught, learned and tested in Wisconsin. Because of potential government overreach into choice schools, WCRIS testified in opposition to the Assembly’s reading bill and the Senate’s companion bill last week.
After conferring with other leading organizations on literacy legislation, our testimony laid out 10 fixable issues to the 38-page bill. Read WCRIS’ testimony.
Legislators took some advice, as AB 321 passed with several amendments that addressed some of our concerns, such as easing the requirement for a state curriculum. But not all of them.
It’s moving quickly. The DPI initially opposed the bill, but won a change to the third grade retention requirement.
Instead of requiring a third-grader to be held back for the entire grade, it only requires them to be held back in third-grade-level reading. This accidentally served to eliminate one of the problems WCRIS foresaw of schools suddenly needing more voucher seats in third grade for retained students.
The Assembly version also required the DPI to create a “model retention policy.” The bill requires voucher schools to adopt that policy. There’s no recognition that choice schools may not share the DPI’s worldview about various non-literacy related components of the policy.
The DPI now supports the bill, enhancing chances the governor will sign it.
Stay tuned for updates.
