The U.S. Supreme Court's 2018 decision in "Janus v. American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees" (AFSCME) (referred to as "Janus" hereafter) prohibited state and local government worker unions from negotiating collective bargaining agreements with fair share fee arrangements. In this report, the authors…

The Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) is one of the largest local taxpayer-funded entities in southeastern Wisconsin, ranking fourth in assets and budget behind Milwaukee County, the Milwaukee Public Schools, and the City of Milwaukee. The college's fiscal operations are complex and draw on multiple revenue sources, including nearly $150…

In late 1999, philanthropist Susie Buffett wanted to make the smartest possible investment to improve public education in her hometown of Omaha, Nebraska. She and her then-foundation president, Dan Pedersen, spoke with Superintendent John Mackiel regarding how he would choose to use private funds to enhance opportunities for Omaha's 46,000…

This guide was developed by a Wisconsin Policy Advisory Board for school boards and school administrators to provide a practical and understandable method of hiring, paying, and evaluating school administrators. The manual begins with the premise that clearly stated job descriptions must be developed as the basis for evaluating performance and…

"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) Bush Budget Proposes Spending Freeze for U.S. Department of Education: Title I, Striving Readers, Statewide Data…

Supervision as understood in well-organized city systems has little resemblance to the annual visitation of schools as practiced by many county or other rural superintendents. The majority of these officers are fully conscious of the limitations imposed upon them by the conditions under which they work and they are active in their efforts to…

This report presents the Wisconsin edition of the National Council on Teacher Quality's 2008 "State Teacher Policy Yearbook." The 2008 "Yearbook" focuses on how state policies impact the retention of effective new teachers. This policy evaluation is broken down into three areas that encompass 15 goals. Broadly, these goals…

This Wisconsin edition of the National Council on Teacher Quality's (NCTQ's) 2009 "State Teacher Policy Yearbook" is the third annual look at state policies impacting the teaching profession. It is hoped that this report will help focus attention on areas where state policymakers can make changes that will have a positive impact on…

An average of 33.5 percent of school district expenditures is spent on classroom teachers' compensation in Wisconsin elementary schools. The range varies from a low of 21.4 percent to a high of 45.9 percent. Financial data were analyzed from the survey responses of 110 of Wisconsin's 431 districts. The reasons for the average proportion spent on…

Examines the implications for educational labor relations in the recommendations from "A Nation at Risk." Reviews Michigan's and Wisconsin's employment relations acts and the National Labor Relations Act. (MD)

The literature on collective bargaining in public education typically argues whether such bargaining is good public policy or bad, sound or unsound, and so forth. No studies to date have measured the actual impact of differing kinds of collective bargaining legislation on local school boards' decisionmaking powers. This study examined whether two…

Methods of attracting, preparing, and retaining a solid cadre of dedicated, effective teachers in Wisconsin's schools are considered. Ideas and programs are offered for local school boards, the state legislature, teachers and administrators, and the general public. Specific recommendations are made on: (1) attracting competent individuals to…

The practices and perceptions of Wisconsin employers regarding welfare recipients were examined. First, 500 employers outside the Milwaukee metropolitan area were interviewed by telephone. Those data were merged with data from a survey of Milwaukee-area employers, resulting in a statewide sample of about 1,250 Wisconsin employers (25%, 35%, and…