Gov. Scott Walker released more details of his Feb. 20 budget plans Sunday, announcing he would allocate $475.6 million to education reforms such as skills development and performance-based initiatives in K-12 and higher education.
Walker’s new announcement expands on one he made last week when he said he would allot at least $132 million to both K-12 and higher education development.
The governor plans to allocate some of the funding to the University of Wisconsin System and state technical schools, but the majority of the it will go to reforming K-12 public education, with $129.2 million to be added over the next two years and money set aside to incentivize high performance, according to the statement.
The funds allocated to the UW System aim to create new programs and initiatives, such as the “Incentive Grant Program,” which would reward schools that focus on teaching workforce skills and work to keep college affordable for students.
Walker also said he would continue to provide the system with “increased flexibility” by maintaining a block grant funding system, which gives state education institutions money with limited restrictions on its use, as well as adds an additional $110.7 million in grant money over the next two years.
Walker’s announcements come two years after his previous budget required the UW System and public schools statewide to cope with massive cuts to funding. Members of the Teaching Assistants’ Association and Madison Teachers Incorporated said Feb. 14 Walker’s proposed focus on skills development will actually hurt students and come at the expense of a broader humanities and liberal arts education. The two groups played a large role in the 2011 Capitol protests that responded to Walker’s previous budget and large restrictions to public employee collective bargaining,
But Walker maintains his proposals will give students increased opportunities to excel.
“We need to reward and replicate success while providing tools to struggling schools to help them improve,” Walker said in the statement. “Our goal is to help each school excel, so all of our kids have access to a world-class education.”
