Racine Education Association

Wisconsin must demonstrate that we value our teachers, Governor Evers writes

Taxpayers’ bill for private voucher schools soars to $350 million

In a column released Wednesday, Governor Tony Evers says Wisconsin must do better in demonstrating that it values its teachers. “We must … recognize that part of supporting our kids in the classroom means supporting the educators who teach our kids,” Evers writes. “Wisconsin pays our public school teachers less than the national average, which makes it harder to recruit and retain talented educators. According to recently-released data, Wisconsin has fallen to 33rd in the nation for average teacher pay. Teacher salaries in our state are some of the lowest in the Midwest. Teachers moving across the border to Illinois or Michigan can see pay bumps of $10,000 or more. That’s just not good enough, folks. As we continue to fight for the resources our schools need to invest in our kids, we must do everything in our power to ensure that educators know the work they do is valued and that they mean something to our kids and the people of our state.”

« October 2019 »

Wisconsin taxpayers will be spending $349.6 million to support private schools this year through the state’s voucher program, up from $302 million last year, according to figures released by the Department of Public Instruction. According to DPI, the taxpayer-funded voucher programs will support a total of 43,450 private school students this year, up from 40,039 students last year.