Wisconsin News and Sports
Plans to scrap several humanities majors at UW-Stevens Point have been cancelled because staff have quit.
UWSP spokesperson Nick Schultz said on Wednesday that nearly 90 staff and faculty have left the campus over the last two years.
That’s freed up enough of the budget to keep several language majors, a history and geoscience major, and two art majors.
The campus had been considering more cuts over the past several years due to declining enrollment and budget deficits.
A lecture by Blackwater Worldwide founder Erik Prince at Beloit College was canceled Wednesday night after students piled chairs onto the stage where he was supposed to speak and pounded percussion instruments in protest.
Students draped a banner reading “ERIK PRINCE = WAR CRIMINAL” across the stage about 45 minutes after the lecture was scheduled to begin. The event was canceled shortly after.
Prince is widely known as the founder of Blackwater, a private military company. The company has been heavily criticized for its role in the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In 2007, Blackwater guards shot and killed 17 Iraqi citizens in Baghdad. U.S. military investigations after the incident found the Blackwater guards were at fault in the incident. Four guards were tried and convicted in U.S. federal court on charges stemming from the massacre.
Young Americans for Freedom, a conservative student organization, expected to host Wednesday’s event in Moore Lounge in Pearsons Hall. About 175 people had filled the room for the lecture. Some left visibly upset after more than a dozen students swarmed the empty stage.
After a Beloit College representative announced the cancellation, protesters celebrated by cheering and beating drums. A statement from the college condemned the actions. “As an institution of higher learning, open dialogue on all topics is one of our core principles. Tonight’s events fell unacceptably short of this core principle, and we condemn the behavior of those who disrupted the event. The college will begin an investigation immediately.”
WCLO
Governor Tony Evers WRN image
Governor Tony Evers’ proposed capital budget includes borrowing $2 billion over the next two fiscal years, a plan at least one legislative leader calls “alarming.” A release from the governor’s office says Evers is “recommending historic investments in state-owned vertical infrastructure.”
About half the money from Governor Tony Evers’ proposed building program would be spent on University of Wisconsin campuses. “The University of Wisconsin System ranks very low as it compares to other systems as it compares to repairs and remodeling,” the governor said Thursday at UW Eau Claire. “You can build new buildings but if the buildings next door to it are falling apart, that’s a problem.” Evers told WEAU. “I think we struck the right balance.”
We appreciate that @GovEvers recognizes many of the challenges in repair, renovation and replacement that the UW System is facing. Our challenges are significant as we seek to ensure safety and modern learning environments across our campuses.
— UW System (@UWSystem) March 7, 2019
State Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald said in a statement that the amount of spending and borrowing Evers is requesting is “alarming,” especially when coupled with the increases Evers has proposed in his biennial state budget.
Evers said state agencies submitted approximately $3.4 billion in requests to address deferred maintenance and counter low levels of funding in recent budgets. Evers responded by recommending a $2.5 billion two year plan of investment.
The State Building Commission will meet March 20 to vote on the Governor’s Capital Budget Recommendations. Its recommendations must be submitted to the Joint Committee on Finance by the first Tuesday in April.
Mikiea Price WRN photo
No charges have been filed, in an alleged assault by a white educator on a black Madison middle school student. Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne said police found no probable cause for a charge. He asked to review reports on the February 13 incident at Whitehorse Middle School.
“It is my job to review all the information and render an opinion, based on how the law defines a crime,” Ozanne said Tuesday. “In this case, I do not believe a crime was committed.”
According to the police reports, both the girl and staffer Rob Mueller-Owens alleged the other initiated physical contact after the girl refused a teacher’s directions. Mikiea Price, the mom of the 11 year-old girl, says she’s disappointed for her daughter
“It’s sad, but it also teaches her a lesson that white people are privileged,” Price said following Ozanne’s announcement.
Price’s daughter has since returned to school. A district spokeswoman said information from police reports will be used to “take appropriate action.” Mueller-Owens will remain on leave while the district determines next steps.
The Madison School District is acknowledging a “failure” in the treatment of an eleven year-old middle school student last month.
School officials and police are investigating an administrator accused of pushing the girl, and pulling her hair. Superintendent Jennifer Cheatham says they have to do better.
“I think it is an accurate interpretation that something went woefully wrong. As educators, our job is to protect, uplift, and enrich the lives of children.”
Cheatham tells WKOW-TV THAT “no matter what comes out of the police investigation, there was a failure on our part.”
“We are holding an un-apologetically strong stance, where it comes to rooting out racism in all of its forms.”
The administrator is on leave while the matter is still being investigated by the school district and police.
Central and northern Wisconsin schools are now struggling to make up snow days as the record breaking winter rolls on.
Stevens Point schools spokesperson Sarah O’Donnell says this year has been tough for them. “Seven for us is, certainly we’re getting into some unprecedented territory.”
O’Donnell says they’re dropping staff days from the calendar to make up.
“Those were days that our teachers and staff would have been working in the district, specifically looking mostly at collaboration time. Unfortunately we did have to convert those days to student attendance days.”
Some districts are adding days to the end of the year or even considering cutting into spring break. O’Donnell says Stevens Point isn’t there yet, but they will be discussing plans for make up days at a upcoming school board meeting.
There’s dueling viewpoints from the Assembly over a UW-Madison professor’s modern politics course.
The course syllabus says Trump “gleefully flouts the norms of governing” and describes a number of scandals he’s involved in.
Assemblyman Dave Murphy says the wording could have been better. “The syllabus was somewhat over the top, and I’m somewhat concerned about how it would affect students and their feelings about taking the course.”
Murphy says he’s working for his constituents in raising concerns over the education of students. “They pay taxes that go to the University to fund this. They have a right to be heard and we have a right to say something about this.”
Democrat Assemblyman Jimmy Anderson says this is a perfect example of the sort of protected free speech that Republicans championed last session, and they have no room to complain. “I hope that in the future Representative Murphy and Speaker Vos take more careful consideration when they are selectively applying what they determine to be free speech.”
“[They] made a big showing of saying how important is that we have free speech on campuses, and that we allow our students and professors to be able to speak their minds, and it struck me odd that we were now criticizing a professor for doing exactly that.”
Assemblyman Dave Murphy says his concerns were over the wording of the syllabus, and that he doesn’t have any desire to change the nature or content of the course.
There’s plenty of interest, in being the next mayor of Wisconsin’s third largest city. A crowded field of candidates to be mayor of Green Bay includes former alderman Guy Zima, who’s making his fifth bid for the job.
Zima made the Wednesday deadline to file papers as a candidate, bringing the total to eight.
The others, ougoing state Representative Eric Genrich, Brown County Board supervisors Patrick Evans and Patrick Bradley, former Alderman Joe Moore, City Council President Mark Steuer (stoyer), Nick Mortenson and Paul Boucher. Boucher said he’s ready to be mayor after being unemployed for most of the last 15 years.
WTAQ
Governor Elect Tony Evers has named his successor as State Superintendent of Schools. She’s current Assistant State Superintendent Carolyn Stanford Taylor.
Evers says Stanford Taylor “is a dedicated, thoughtful leader, who puts the best interests of kids before all else.”
“She is known and respected throughout the education community for her commitment to equity and her work to help all students reach academic success. I have known Carolyn for the better part of three decades and know she will be an exceptional state superintendent.”
“It will be an honor to serve the students, teachers, and families of Wisconsin as the next state superintendent,” Stanford Taylor said. “I am blessed to be surrounded by the talented and devoted staff in the department, who care about the work they do to improve the lives of our state’s youth. I look forward to this opportunity, and know that together, we can continue to advance educational equity for all students.”
She’ll hold that position until the end of Evers’ term as Superintendent in 2021 and will be the first African American to be state superintendent in state history.
Baraboo school officials are considering action after an photo of students allegedly performing a Nazi salute circulated on social media.
In a message posted to its Twitter account, the school district says the photo, which allegedly shows members of the class of 2019 performing the Nazi Salute, does not reflect the district’s values.
It was shared under the Baraboo Proud hashtag that the school uses to promote itself on social media.
District officials did not immediately respond to calls for comment, but a posting on their Twitter feed says they are considering all actions, including legal.
this post has since been deleted, but i just want @barabooSD to be aware of the disturbing actions that are represented in this photograph. this is BEYOND sickening. pic.twitter.com/Fer5heTted
— carly sidey (@CarlySidey) November 12, 2018
The Baraboo School District sent the following letter to parents this morning in response to a photo circulating on social media. We are launching an investigation, and as such, are unable to provide additional details at this time. pic.twitter.com/oRxcl82lJT
— Baraboo Schools (@barabooSD) November 12, 2018
