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Milwaukee Dem is vocal supporter as Assembly sends GOP literacy screening bill to Evers

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Students would be screened for literacy skills at least three times each school year in kindergarten through second-grade, under a bill headed to the governor’s desk.

On the Assembly floor Tuesday, Racine Republican Robert Wittke explained the stark realities the bill hopes to address.

“Six-hundred thousand children in this state cannot read to grade level. We have the worst racial achievement gaps in the country,” Wittke said

Representative Don Vruwink of Milton, a retired educator, was critical. “It seems to me here in the Assembly we have continually slapped a band-aid and said ‘this is going to fix the problem.’”

Democrat and educator LaKeshia Myers of Milwaukee supports the Republican authored measure. “I’m tired of the same data, reporting the same thing year after year. It’s time for us to stop making excuses and actually do something,” Myers said. “I don’t care who introduced this bill, whether it was a Republican, whether it was a Democrat, whether it was Jesus himself, I will still go along with this bill.”

Democrats also said it doesn’t make sense to screen every student, and that the bill lacks a long term funding source. The bill is opposed by several groups representing school districts, and it’s not clear whether Governor Tony Evers will sign it.

UW-Madison Chancellor Blank takes leadership position at Northwestern

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Longtime UW-Madison chancellor Rebecca Blank will be leaving the university next year to take over as the president of Northwestern in Illinois.

The transition should happen sometime next year, and Blank says she’s happy to have helped UW-Madison through some tough times, including the pandemic.

“With the actions that we took last year between furloughs and budget cuts and then some money from the federal government, and the state gave back part of its lapse there at the end, we are entering this year without any financial hangover from last year.”

Blank says she’s happy to have helped both the university and the city grow and evolve during her time in office. 

“It’s economically more diverse and stronger now than it was 9 years ago when I came and I think that’s going to continue a lot of that is due to the presence of the university in this community.”

Under the Walker administration, Blank had to contend with major cuts to the UW-System, as well as a change in how the state treats tenure. She says she’s most proud of the creation of the Bucky’s Promise program which has helped over 4 thousand low-income students get a full education.

Assembly Republicans pass bill banning anti-racism messages and efforts in K-12 schools

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Assembly Republicans brought a number of bills related to anti-racism education to the floor on Tuesday.

One of the bills requires that districts be more transparent about what they’re teaching their students. Republican Representative Elijah Behnke says districts would have to put their curriculum on public display on the internet. 

“It doesn’t tell you what to teach it just makes what is being taught available to the public which is I think a great idea.

The measure comes in response to complaints from conservative groups that some anti-racism messages being taught in schools are harmful to white students. Democrat LaKeisha Myers says it’s a republican strategy to divide America and quoted one of the proponents of the push. 

“‘We have de-codified the term and will re-codify it to annex the entire range of cultural constructions that are unpopular with Americans.’ So there you have it, Southern Strategy 2.0. Go back and read Nixon and go to Reagan and here we are today.”

The bill passed the Assembly and is likely to be vetoed by the Governor if it passes the Senate. 

UW System back to pre-pandemic levels of in-person instruction

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The University of Wisconsin System has returned to pre-pandemic levels of in-person instruction for the fall semester.

UW System President Tommy Thompson announced in a Tuesday press release that systemwide, 85 percent of undergraduate courses are being delivered in person. That exceeds the goal of 75 percent Thompson set in February, when more classes than usual were delivered remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Madison, La Crosse and Plattville campuses are all above 90 percent in-person classes, and all but the Superior campus are at or above 75 percent.

Bill would allow parents to opt kids out of sexual orientation curriculum

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At the Capitol on Thursday, a hearing on legislation that would allow parents to remove their K-12 students from any program “related to sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or gender expression.”

State Representative Donna Rozar (R-Marshfield) is a co-sponsor of the bill (AB-562).

“When you have belief systems being subtly introduced to young, developing minds that are in direct opposition to what a belief system is in the home that is detrimental, parents need to know that that is happening,” Rozar told the Assembly Education Committee.

Rozar insisted the Republican measure is not intended to “erase or alienate” LGTBQ youth, but LGBTQ Legislative Caucus chair, Representative Lee Snodgrass said it will run the risk of doing that if it becomes law.

“When children and young people are informed, they’re able to be more tolerant, more inclusive and have a better understanding. And without that you run the risk of their being things that they don’t understand,” Snodgrass said. “And frankly you run the risk of them bullying them this group of already marginalized individuals that they don’t fully understand some of the things that they might be dealing with.”

Snodgrass noted that Governor Tony Evers would be unlikely to sign the bill if it reaches his desk.

Study: alcohol use declines, cannabis use increases among college students

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A new study shows college students reported record high marijuana use, and record low drinking in 2020.
According to the 2020 Monitoring the Future study by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, alcohol use among college students dipped from 62 percent in 2019 to 56 percent.

The percentages reporting being drunk in the past month and reporting binge-drinking also declined. Also according to the report, 44 percent of college students reported using marijuana in 2020, an increase from 38 percent in 2015.

Researchers are unsure whether the pandemic may have driven the record in cannabis consumption.

Eighteen states have legalized recreational marijuana, 37 states have legalized it for medical purposes. Wisconsin allows neither.

Keep an eye on your kid’s mental health as in-person classes resume

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As many kids head back to school for in-person classes, it’s important for parents and teachers to keep an eye on them to see how they’re adjusting.

UW-Health child psychologist Dr. Jason Horowitz says in most cases kids are going to be better off being with their peers, but in some cases that’s not true. 

“Kids who may be prone to anxiety particularly in social situations may have difficulty making the transition from what may be more comfortable for them, doing school at home or doing school virtually.”

Parents should be on the lookout for their kids acting out more or being more withdrawn than usual. Those sorts of behavioral changes could be signs their kid is having a tough time transitioning to school. 

“Teachers are really good at looking for those kinds of warning signs and I’m sure that they will be doing that as school kicks off again!”

Horowitz says it’s up to parents and teachers to help their kids make the adjustments they need to flourish with their peers. 

Drive safely around school zones

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With students back at school in-person around Wisconsin, drivers are urged to remain aware of pedestrians in and around schools. Shawn Koval is schools coordinator with UW Health’s Healthy Kids Collaborative.

“The volume of traffic, and the volume of students and staff on those streets in front of schools and by schools is going to be much increased this year,” Koval said. “It’s especially imperative that those drivers stay off their devices, that they keep their head on a swivel and are aware in these school zones.”

Koval said it’s also imperative to pay attention to crossing guards signs, especially if you’re dropping kids off. “It’s really, really important to pay attention not only to the busses and things like that, but to the crossing guards, and to anybody that’s in yellow and orange, to follow their directions and follow the signage right around school buildings.”

Koval added that drivers and pedestrians alike should stay off their phones in school zones, so they can give full attention to their surroundings.

Tommy Thompson rejects Republican oversight of UW System COVID-19 protocols

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Interim UW System President Tommy Thompson

Interim University of Wisconsin System President Tommy Thompson says he won’t back down, in the face of demands by Republican lawmakers who want to weigh in on any campus COVID-19 protocols.

“I’m not abdicating my responsibility, and I will contest it aggressively,” Thompson said during a call with reporters on Tuesday.

“Even though I don’t want to pick a fight with the legislature, I am going to stand my ground to make sure that we maintain our colleges and make sure that our students are able to get the best education possible, in as safe and a healthy way as possible.”

Majority Republicans on the Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules have directed the UW System to submit its pandemic protocols for approval. Thompson said that’s not going to happen, and predicted the UW will win if the issue ends up in court.

“We will contest it,” Thompson said. “I don’t want to fight with the legislature, but we will contest it aggressively, whether it be in the circuit court, court of appeals or the Supreme Court.”

Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules co-chair, state Senator Steve Nass (R-Whitewater), said he’ll ask legislative leaders to begin legal action against the UW System following a September 2nd deadline to submit those pandemic plans to the committee.

Republicans vote to block UW System COVID-19 fall protocols

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University of Wisconsin System leaders will have to run future COVID-19 rules past state lawmakers. On a 6-4 party line vote, the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules declared Tuesday that the UW System must issue an emergency order to enact pandemic protocols like mandatory testing and masks.

“No public hearing. No opportunity even for the legislators on the committee to discuss the issue at hand,” said Representative Lisa Subeck (D-Madison) a committee member.

The committee voted by ballot on Tuesday. The action comes amid a steady increase in new COVID-19 cases in Wisconsin and across the U.S.

“I think they understand and know that they’re on the wrong side of this one, as they have been throughout this entire pandemic,” said Senator Chris Larson (D-Milwaukee), another committee member.

“The path forward in addressing Covid-19 is not through excessive government mandates, but in the restoration of Americans being able to make voluntary informed decisions based on their individual health circumstances,” said Senator Steve Nass (R-Whitewater) the committee co-chair who introduced the resolution last week.

“If the university proceeds with putting these measures in place, as I think they need to – it’s imperative – I would not be surprised to see the Republicans sue,” Subeck said. “We have seen Robin Vos and Devin LeMahieu perfectly willing to spend loads of taxpayer money on ridiculous lawsuits.”