The following is a press release from Mark Neumann who is running for Wisconsin Governor.
Superintendent at Lake Country School joins Neumann to Support Education Proposal
Neumann: “I will form a Blue Ribbon Panel on Education reform to increase accountability, innovation, parental involvement and local control. Wisconsin should have the best educated children in the world—and we can do it at a lower cost.”
With a goal of having the best educated
children in the world, candidate for Governor Mark Neumann today unveiled a comprehensive plan he will
begin to enact within his first 60 days in office. The plan is to increase accountability, innovation, parental
involvement, and local control. It will reduce state bureaucracy and increase dollars directly into the
classroom.
“A 21st Century economy requires 21st Century job skills,” Neumann said today at news conferences in
Milwaukee, Madison and Green Bay. “Wisconsin’s K-12 system needs serious reforms. The future of our great
state depends on us staying competitive globally.”
Mark Lichte joined Neumann. He added, “I, a Superintendent at Lake Country School District, believe that we
can find more than 10% savings by eliminating state mandates that do not affect the quality of education in
the classroom if we implement Mark Neumann’s plan.”
Neumann proposes the following:
· Form a blue ribbon panel of representatives from throughout the education system and parents
tasked with transforming the educational model in Wisconsin. Neumann will personally chair
the panel, which will be created within his first 60 days in office.
· Define a means of measuring outcomes that will require use of standardized exams with
national norms already established. The most appropriate tests will be selected with local
officials then deciding which one to administer. Any person or school receiving state dollars shall
be required to take one of the selected tests.
· Define a “Performance Bonus System” where, based on the measured outcomes, individual
teachers and individual schools compete for bonuses based on academic growth.
· Develop a system whereby any form of alternative education system, including choice and
charter are encouraged to exist provided the outcomes meet or exceed desired growth rates
and the costs are at least 10% lower than public schools.
· Define a system to grade publically funded schools based on measured outcomes with grades of
A, B, C, D, or F. Successful and failing schools will be identified based on academic growth as
measured by the standardized tests.
· In areas served by schools that are rated as D or F for two consecutive years, the reimbursement
rate for alternative educational systems shall equal the amount being spent on public school
students. The goal is to enhance competition.
· Eliminate state mandates that prevent schools from providing education in a more cost effective
manner without hurting educational quality. The target is the elimination of enough mandates
to allow for a 10% across the board savings in the cost of educating children.
· Eliminate state regulations that impede greater local control by teachers, school administrators,
and school boards.
· Develop a model where the state dollars in education follow the child as opposed to being sent
directly to an institution. The intent is allow for the expansion of school choice, charter, and
other innovative schools, involve the parents more directly in education, and encourage schools
to compete for students by providing the best educational opportunities.
· Define suggested qualifications for school personnel including teachers and administrators, but
include a plan to eliminate state-mandated teacher and administrator certification. The panel
will empower local schools boards to control hiring practices.
· Eliminate the income and enrollment caps for Milwaukee’s school choice program.
· Seek ways to make taxpayer-owned, unoccupied educational spaces available to the private and
public charter schools with a lease rate not to exceed $1,200/student. In the event more than
one non-public school wished to lease the same facility then a bidding process shall be used.
“Through competition and innovation, failing schools will be given incentives to improve, or else be
replaced by successful private choice schools, public charter schools, and other forms of innovative
education,” Neumann said. “It is essential that all publically funded educational systems be held
accountable based on academic outcomes.”
Neumann has an extensive background in education. He earned an \undergraduate degree in
Math/Education, a Masters degree in Education, and did Post Master’s Degree work at UW—Madison.
He has taught in public schools, the UW System and at a private college.
Neumann also co-founded and co-chairs a non-profit organization managing private choice and public
charter schools in Milwaukee and Phoenix, Arizona, with nearly 1,000 students in the system.