Wisconsin Assembly Passes Education Reform Package to Improve Standards and Focus Funding

On Wednesday, the Wisconsin State Assembly passed a comprehensive education reform package aimed at improving student outcomes and ensuring that state funding is spent more efficiently. The legislation addresses several areas of concern, including raising educational standards, reducing classroom distractions, and ensuring that more funding is directed into direct instruction rather than administrative expenses. Assembly Majority Leader Tyler August highlighted the need for a shift away from inefficiencies, stressing that the state should prioritize tangible improvements in the classroom over blanket funding increases. “Rather than blindly throwing more money at the educational system, we want to ensure we raise standards, improve transparency, and get more funding directly into the classroom,” said August.

The package calls for reversing the Department of Public Instruction’s recent decision to lower state educational standards, a move that has been criticized for leading to deceptive results and harming students. “Education funding is the largest appropriation in the state budget, accounting for nearly 40% of all general purpose revenue (GPR) spending,” August noted. “Since I was first elected in 2010, spending per pupil has increased nearly 40%. The last budget included a whopping $1 billion in new money for schools, making K-12 schools the highest expenditure in the state’s budget. All of this funding comes when our state has actually seen a 6% decrease in the student population. However, despite the large sums of tax dollars sent to schools, there are real problems with our education system that need to be addressed.”

The reforms also include a ban on cellphones in classrooms, a step intended to reduce distractions and help students focus on their lessons. “I believe almost all teachers would welcome a classroom without cell phone distractions. Raising standards and focusing money directly into the classroom will be beneficial to all schools,” said August. The evidence backing the cellphone ban shows a positive effect on students’ engagement and behavior. In Orange County, Florida, where cellphone use was restricted, bullying dropped, engagement rose, and students actually enjoyed face-to-face interactions. “The average high school student spends between 7 and 9 hours per day on their phone, leaving little time for school work and socialization and robbing them of their ability to focus,” August explained.

Additionally, the legislation seeks to shift a greater portion of education funding directly to classroom instruction, rather than allowing excessive administrative costs to eat up taxpayer dollars. August cited data showing that, since 2011-12, student enrollment in Wisconsin has declined by nearly 28,000 students, while the cost per pupil has risen significantly from $12,375 to $17,182. “Since 2011-12, student enrollment has declined by nearly 28,000 students. At the same time, the costs per pupil have increased from $12,375 to $17,182. This shift suggests that more funds are being diverted to administrative costs rather than to the classroom,” he stated.

The legislation also prioritizes the teaching of civics and cursive writing. “Cursive writing holds significant importance in achieving cognitive development goals,” said August. “Unlike typing or printing, cursive actively involves both brain hemispheres, nurturing critical thinking and creativity. Cursive enhances memory recall and refines fine motor skills, offering benefits to students across all proficiency levels, including those with dyslexia.” This reform is supported by growing evidence of the cognitive benefits of cursive, as 24 states now require cursive instruction in schools.

Furthermore, the package ensures greater transparency around school curricula, allowing parents to inspect materials used in classrooms. Under AB 5, school boards must comply with requests to inspect curricula within 14 days. “We need to ensure parents have choices and are informed about what their children are learning,” said August.

With the package passing the Assembly on Wednesday, it now moves to the Senate for consideration. The reforms will be closely monitored for implementation, with August emphasizing that the changes are necessary to address the educational challenges facing Wisconsin’s schools.