Coalition Holds Out Hope for Bipartisan Legislative Fix
January 10, 2008
Wisconsin Coalition of Virtual School Families www.EveryKidDeservesAGreatSchool.com For Immediate Release, January 10, 2008 For further information, contact: Rose Fernandez, Coalition President 262-565-7844 Lehman Bill Kills, Not Rescues, Virtual Public Schools Coalition Holds Out Hope for Bipartisan Legislative Fix "While the Supreme Court decides whether to take up the appeal in the virtual school case, there are several well-intentioned legislators looking for a legislative fix. While we appreciate Senator Lehman's understanding that the current ruling will force 3,000 kids from the public school of their choice, his bill is fatally flawed and continues to jeopardize the future of our children's schools. "It will slash funding for online schools by 50 percent, create enrollment restrictions, and set arbitrary new burdens on our teachers based on no research. Unfortunately, Senator Lehman did not consult with the parents, teachers or administrators from the online public schools when crafting this bill. His bill addresses issues not connected to the court decision and injects controversy that could undermine a bipartisan compromise that would keep virtual schools open. "The Lehman proposal does not save these schools. In fact, it would close them. None of the half dozen quality online public charter schools affected by this lawsuit could operate at the arbitrarily low funding provided by his bill. No quality public school could. If this bill were to pass, thousands of families across this state would be dealt a devastating blow. "By working together, focusing on the issues addressed by the court of appeals decision, we remain hopeful that progress toward a bipartisan, workable rescue of these innovative, tax efficient, exceptional public schools is still possible." ###
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