Latest news with #PBSWisconsin
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Wisconsin state superintendent calls for school choice to be 'eliminated'
Wisconsin superintendent Jill Underly, who is running for re-election on Tuesday, says she wants to see school choice eliminated in her state. "So, school choice actually sounds like a pretty nice thing, doesn't it?" Underly said at a school event in mid-March, according to PBS Wisconsin. "Like, who shouldn't have a choice, right? But really, what it is in Wisconsin is, it's privatization of public schools." PBS's Steven Potter pressed Underly on her stance on school choice on Friday, asking, "So where do you stand on the voucher school system? Do you want to see it eliminated?" Underly responded, "Ultimately, yes, I would like to see it eliminated. We are spending so much money on it that it's taking money from our public schools." Three More States Join Trend Of Passing Universal School Choice Underly was first elected to serve as Wisconsin's State Superintendent of Public Instruction in 2021. Read On The Fox News App During her first run, it was discovered that she sent her children to private school from 2013-2015; they subsequently attended the Pecatonica School District when she became its superintendent in 2015. "Like most families, my husband and I have balanced our careers, our child care needs, our transportation needs, and our kids' schools," Underly explained at the time. "I was happy to have my very young children in Catholic school in my own parish when they were in kindergarten, and our district didn't then offer all-day pre-K, and then their needs were better met by public schools as they became elementary-aged." Underly's opponent, Brittany Kinser, a former special education teacher and elementary school principal who continues to work in education, has said she supports school choice. She told the WisconsinEye in an interview, "I believe in our traditional public schools, open enrollment, our private school voucher program, public charter schools, virtual schooling, homeschooling ... all those options for families so they can choose what's best for their child." Linda Mcmahon Says Trump Administration Won't Punish States That Refuse To Adopt School Choice Wisconsin's first school choice program was enacted in 1989 for students in the City of Milwaukee with a family income less than 175% of the federal poverty level and has been expanded throughout the decades. Today, Wisconsin's school choice programs are open to all students, subject to residency, prior year attendance and income limits. Will Flanders, research director at Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty told Fox News Digital that Underly's perspective that school choice is too expensive is wrong. "Wisconsin's school choice programs are all significantly cheaper for taxpayers than public schools in the state," Flanders said. "Choice schools only receive about 75% of the funding per student that public schools do. Dr. Underly is either lying or misinformed." Corey DeAngelis, a senior fellow at the American Culture Project and visiting fellow at the American Institute for Economic Research, told Fox News Digital in a statement that parents have more control over their money with school choice. "School choice doesn't take money from public schools," DeAngelis said. "Public schools take money from families. Wisconsin school choice programs just return the money to the hands of the rightful owners." Fox News Digital reached out to both Underly and Kinser for comment, but did not immediately receive a article source: Wisconsin state superintendent calls for school choice to be 'eliminated'
Fox News
29-03-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Wisconsin state superintendent calls for school choice to be 'eliminated'
Wisconsin superintendent Jill Underly, who is running for re-election on Tuesday, says she wants to see school choice eliminated in her state. "So, school choice actually sounds like a pretty nice thing, doesn't it?" Underly said at a school event in mid-March, according to PBS Wisconsin. "Like, who shouldn't have a choice, right? But really, what it is in Wisconsin is, it's privatization of public schools." PBS's Steven Potter pressed Underly on her stance on school choice on Friday, asking, "So where do you stand on the voucher school system? Do you want to see it eliminated?" Underly responded, "Ultimately, yes, I would like to see it eliminated. We are spending so much money on it that it's taking money from our public schools." Underly was first elected to serve as Wisconsin's State Superintendent of Public Instruction in 2021. During her first run, it was discovered that she sent her children to private school from 2013-2015; they subsequently attended the Pecatonica School District when she became its superintendent in 2015. "Like most families, my husband and I have balanced our careers, our child care needs, our transportation needs, and our kids' schools," Underly explained at the time. "I was happy to have my very young children in Catholic school in my own parish when they were in kindergarten, and our district didn't then offer all-day pre-K, and then their needs were better met by public schools as they became elementary-aged." Underly's opponent, Brittany Kinser, a former special education teacher and elementary school principal who continues to work in education, has said she supports school choice. She told the WisconsinEye in an interview, "I believe in our traditional public schools, open enrollment, our private school voucher program, public charter schools, virtual schooling, homeschooling ... all those options for families so they can choose what's best for their child." Wisconsin's first school choice program was enacted in 1989 for students in the City of Milwaukee with a family income less than 175% of the federal poverty level and has been expanded throughout the decades. Today, Wisconsin's school choice programs are open to all students, subject to residency, prior year attendance and income limits. Will Flanders, research director at Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty told Fox News Digital that Underly's perspective that school choice is too expensive is wrong. "Wisconsin's school choice programs are all significantly cheaper for taxpayers than public schools in the state," Flanders said. "Choice schools only receive about 75% of the funding per student that public schools do. Dr. Underly is either lying or misinformed." Corey DeAngelis, a senior fellow at the American Culture Project and visiting fellow at the American Institute for Economic Research, told Fox News Digital in a statement that parents have more control over their money with school choice. "School choice doesn't take money from public schools," DeAngelis said. "Public schools take money from families. Wisconsin school choice programs just return the money to the hands of the rightful owners." Fox News Digital reached out to both Underly and Kinser for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Wisconsin's tribal nations state their priorities for 2025
This report is in collaboration with ICT's partners at PBS Wisconsin. Erica AyisiPBS Wisconsin + ICT MADISON, Wisconsin — Tribal sovereignty, education, environmental threats and public health were just some of the issues raised in the annual State of the Tribes address on March 18 at the Wisconsin State speech to the full Wisconsin Legislature was given on behalf of the state's 11 federally recognized tribes by Chairman Thomas Fowler of the St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin. 'My grandparents, great-grandparents and ancestors knew that a positive relationship between tribes and the state and federal governments could only strengthen our communities,' Fowler told address brought into sharp focus the concerns of life and land, health, and the future for tribes across Wisconsin, reminding the audience that fully realizing tribal sovereignty and self-governance is possible by working with governments and administrations. Tribal nations seek common-sense policy reforms that strengthen our ability to govern, and protect our own people, and preserve our own cultures, and control our own lands and resources within our own boundaries,' he said, 'because tribes are not children of the government.'Here are some highlights of the speech. EducationAmong the federal government's treaty and trust responsibilities to tribes are education said Native students on tribal lands have unique challenges, and asked for more support for the state's two reservation-based colleges, the College of Menominee Nation and the Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe schools offer options for students, such as those from his tribe, for higher education, he said.'St. Croix is in an educational desert, and our kids won't all find success moving so far from home, away from their support systems and culture,' Fowler said. Fowler also urged passage of bills in the Assembly and state Senate that would permit Native students to wear traditional regalia with feathers and beads during public school ceremonies.'We ask that this body supports legislation that serves our students like AB 98/SB 85, so that school boards and charter schools don't prohibit American Indian students from wearing traditional regalia at a graduation ceremony,' Fowler Danforth, a member of the Oneida Nation who attended the State of the Tribes address, applauded the legislation, saying it's time for Wisconsin to follow the lead of other states.'Many are the first ones graduating from high school in their family, so wearing the traditional regalia really honors that tradition of accomplishment,' she said. Environmental issuesOn the environment, Fowler called for a unified voice between the state and the tribes over the transport of oil and gas through their lands.'Tribes have never been silent on their concern of the environmental hazards that come with pipelines,' he said. 'Our lands and waterways are at risk, putting our food, water, medicine, cultural practices, at risk.'Fowler also spoke to environmental protection, including the need to address climate Hill, Oneida, who also watched the speech from the chambers, said the message was impactful.'Climate change is real. We're seeing the effects,' Hill said. 'Maple season is in full effect right now, and the sap is running slow … because we haven't had a real hard winter hit us for some time. The wildlife and trees all depend on the environment.' Mental health servicesFowler's address also touched on many difficult issues, including opioid addiction in Wisconsin's Native communities. As one prescription, he called for the legalization of medical marijuana.'We need medical marijuana for chronic pain management, epilepsy, post-traumatic stress and addiction,' said Fowler. 'Addiction has left no family untouched in Indian Country.'For her part, Danforth said such legislation should proceed with caution.'I really encourage them to think about our kids when they're looking at legislation and legalizing cannabis in our state, and how they're protecting our children from abusing and using and having access to cannabis,' she said. Missing and murdered peopleFowler called Missing and Murdered Indigenous People a public health crisis.'This is too common for our people and it must stop,' he DeLong, vice president of the Ho-Chunk Nation, echoed the call and beseeched the state task force on the missing and murdered to focus its attention.'There are so many disproportionate numbers to our missing and murdered Indigenous relatives, and that task force needs to be prioritized with funding,' DeLong said. Our stories are worth telling. Our stories are worth sharing. Our stories are worth your support. Contribute today to help ICT carry out its critical mission. Sign up for ICT's free newsletter.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
How UW-Madison's aid for Native students addresses history
This report was first published by PBS Wisconsin in collaboration with ICT. Erica AyisiPBS Wisconsin + ICT Riley Aguirre understands well the importance of education. A citizen of the Oneida Nation, she's attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison at no cost to her or her family using the Wisconsin Tribal Education Promise Program. 'It means a lot to me and my people, my community, the Native community. We are still here. We're still fighting for our right to be here,' said Aguirre, a freshman. 'Education was used as assimilation to get rid of our culture, our language, our traditions. But now it's used as a way of teaching.' How would her family have paid for college otherwise? 'Other scholarships,' said Aguirre. 'Definitely applying for scholarships outside of the school to help me as well, and probably funding through the tribe as well.' The Wisconsin Tribal Education Promise Program provides financial support for students who are enrolled in one of the state's 11 federally recognized tribes. Carla Vigue, tribal relations director of UW-Madison, said the university wants to make the Madison campus more accessible to Native students. 'We worked with tribal leaders from across the state to create the program, and now we're seeing the fruits of those labors,' she said. 'You know, we're seeing our first class. We've got nearly 80 students in this first class, and we're hoping it will grow from here.' Tuition, housing, books and all other school related fees — totaling about $30,000 — are covered for Native undergraduate students through the Promise program, which is funded through private donations. 'It's not a taxpayer-funded program,' Vigue said. 'And, you know, we're pretty proud that people want to support this program.' Vigue said the legal precedent surrounding federally recognized tribes is a specific eligibility requirement for the students applying to the program. 'The federally recognized tribes are sovereign nations who determine citizenship,' she said. 'And so that's a political classification — it's not a race or ethnicity.' Schools in nearly all 50 states offer some type of financial assistance for Native students. The program at UW-Madison is unique, as it includes medical students and law students. 'We are hearing from people across the country, even in particular about that law aspect. There's a lot of excitement around the law school,' Vigue said. 'No worries' Josef Cornelius, Oneida, is an undergraduate at UW-Madison. His father is a University of Wisconsin Law School graduate who was worried about school loans for his son. 'Initially, we were thinking that some of it would probably have to come out of my pockets or his pockets, and the fact that it was just like, 'No worries, you know,'' the younger Cornelius said. 'Now I just have to worry about school, get good grades, and then it's all smooth sailing.' Undergraduate recipients of the tribal promise are reserved one wing of dorms inside the Smith Residence Hall. There's also an Indigenous Student Center close by that hosts tribal student groups like Wunk Sheek. 'I would say the Wunk Sheek house and the Indigenous program have done a really good job at promoting the diversity here,' Cornelius said. Vigue said the university wants to do what's right for Wisconsin's Native people, considering the university is on Native land belonging to the Ho-Chunk Nation, also known as the 'People of the Big Voice.' SUPPORT INDIGENOUS JOURNALISM. 'This is Ho-Chunk ancestral land,' she said. 'And I think there's now some sense of pride in that and wanting to share and celebrate that history. But there's also, you know, with this promise, a chance to give back.' The UW-Madison campus extends over 900 acres of land, including four miles of shoreline along Lake Mendota. Through a series of treaties in the 1800s, Ho-Chunk were forced to cede — or give up — their land to the state of Wisconsin and the federal government. 'The 1837 treaty wasn't a revered treaty at all,' said Jon Greendeer, president of the Ho-Chunk Nation. 'These are forced agreements to cede our land — such as that particular treaty move west of the Mississippi — and, you know, we relinquish our ownership of our historic homes.' He continued, 'We had eight months to vacate. But then we didn't. In the coldest parts of the winter, they shipped us in rail cars across to the neutral ground. And, you know, we suffered a lot for that.' Greendeer said the final treaty in 1865 with the government was also signed under duress. Ho-Chunk were given $1.5 million for their land, but the government put most of it into interest-bearing trusts, leaving the Ho-Chunk people next to nothing. 'I don't think there was anywhere at that particular time that any representatives — any representatives of authority — could walk away from one of those agreements and say they were the beneficiary of something,' Greendeer said. Most of the Wisconsin tribes were forcibly moved to reservations. Ho Chunk people are spread across the state, with over 7,000 currently enrolled members as of 2022. Greendeer said the treaties of the past are significant to their sovereignty of the present. 'The treaties gave way to a lot and substantiated our abilities to negotiate not only with local governments, but also later on with these other governments that were starting up with the education campuses with the UW,' he said. Ho-Chunk had already surrendered the part of their land in an 1832 treaty — paving the way for UW-Madison to be founded in 1848. President Abraham Lincoln signed the Morrill Act in 1862 — selling 1.3 million acres of tribal land in Wisconsin and using the proceeds to create so-called land-grant universities. So, today the UW-Madison tuition promise extends to Native students across the state. Greendeer calls that promise late but fitting. 'I think the Wisconsin promise is a very old promise that is finally getting kept, at least at the UW level, at least at the college level,' he said. More than 100 after the last Ho-Chunk treaty was signed, Robert Powless, an Oneida man, became the first Native to graduate from UW-Madison. Ada Deer, Menominee, was the first woman. 'Do what's right' For Aguirre, a free university education on Native soil is personal. 'Our education is not only for me, but for our community and for the resiliency of my ancestors,' she said. 'We fought so long through so many generations of trauma and abuse and neglect. And being here is like resiliency.' Vigue said the program is an attempt to right some wrongs. 'They were forcibly removed,' Vigue said. 'And this university has spent some time coming to accept and share that story. Part of the reason this promise exists is because there is some recognition that that all happened. But there's also the need and want to do what's right and good for Native people, too.' A heritage marker titled 'Our Shared Future' was erected on the UW-Madison campus in 2019 to recognize the ancestral home of the Ho-Chunk. It's near Bascom Hill, and sits on top of a burial mound built by Native people more than a thousand years ago. In another visual recognition, a series of 12 Ho-Chunk Clan Circle sculptures are outside the Bakke Recreation & Wellbeing Center. 'The promise is intended to be forever, right?' Vigue said. 'I mean, Native American students have been around since the beginning of what is now the United States. It's been around since the inception of what is now this country. And I think the goal is to make sure that they're taken care of forever.' Both Aguirre and Cornelius are looking to use their education to better their communities — and amplify Native voices. 'I kind of want to go into wealth management — or maybe sustainability,' said Cornelius. 'I do want to go into some field where I can be an advocate for possibly my tribe or other people,' Aguirre said, 'but definitely Native people as a whole and getting our voices out there to be heard.' Erica Ayisi is the Indigenous affairs multimedia reporter for PBS Wisconsin's 'Here and Now' and ICT's North Central Bureau. This report is in collaboration with our partners at PBS Wisconsin, a service of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board. Our stories are worth telling. Our stories are worth sharing. Our stories are worth your support. Contribute today to help ICT carry out its critical mission. Sign up for ICT's free newsletter. ICT, formerly Indian Country Today, is a nonprofit news organization that covers the Indigenous world with a daily digital platform and news broadcast with international viewership.
