Fewer Layoffs And Fewer Increases In Class Size Under Governor Walker:
The Most Recent District Survey Shows That Overall, Class Sizes Are Not Increasing. Over 70% of elementary districts saw no increase in class size. 75% of the responding districts have the same K-3 class sizes or are decreasing them and 67% of districts for grades 4-6 are keeping the same class size or decreasing them. (DPI, “WASDA Raw Data”)
- The Historical Results Show That Under Gov. Walker, Districts Had Fewer Layoffs And Class Sizes Saw Their Smallest Increase in More Than A Decade. (Matthew DeFour, “Past schools surveys shed new light on ’11-12 results,” State Journal, 4/5/12)
The Survey Showed That Districts That Signed Contracts Made Up For 87 Percent of The Teacher Layoffs, But Made Up Only 74 Percent Of The Student Population Surveyed.
- The Three Districts With The Most Teacher Layoffs (Milwaukee, Kenosha, and Janesville) Didn’t Adopt The Reforms Put In Place By Governor Walker. These districts account for 68% of teacher layoffs for the entire state, but contain less than 13% of Wisconsin students. (DPI, “WASDA Raw Data”)
School Districts Surveyed That Locked Themselves Into Contracts Increased Elementary Class Sizes By A Greater Percentage Than Those That Didn’t. (DPI, “WASDA Raw Data”)
The Savings Have Allowed School Districts To Dedicate More Taxpayer Dollars To The Classroom, And Kept More Public Employees On The Job
- Note: Salary and Fringe Benefits Make Up 75% Of School District Expenditures, The Contributions By Employees Mean That A Greater Percentage Of Taxpayer Dollars Will Go To The Classroom. (Dept. Of Administration, “2011-13 Budget in Brief,” 3/1/11)
- Fond Du Lac School Board Adjusted The Work Schedule, Adding Time For Professional Development And Face Time With Students (Adam Rodewald, “District looking at redefined teacher workweek,” 2/26/12)
- Kaukauna School District Reduced Class Sizes And Hired Additional Teachers (“Kaukauna Area School District projects $1.5 million surplus after contract changes to health care, retirement savings,” Post Crescent, 6/29/11)
- The Alternative To Getting The Act 10 Concessions Was To Lay Off More Than 200 Teachers. (Ian Yakob, “West Allis schools, employees avoid layoffs” West Allis Now, 7/5/11)
- Madison School Board Avoided Teacher Layoffs, Launched A 4-Year Kindergarten Program, Opened A New Middle School (Editorial, “Sky isn’t falling on public schools” Wisconsin State Journal, 12/4/11)
- No Layoffs And No Program Cuts In Chippewa Falls Schools. (Alayne Perrine, “Layoffs averted at Chippewa Falls schools” Chippewa Herald, 3/30/11)
- Brown Deer Laid Off 27 Teachers, Then Called Them Back Because Of the Passage Of Act 10 (John McCormack, “Walker’s Vindication,” Weekly Standard, 8/1/11)
