I am a proud financial supporter of our community's school athletics. I am supposed to be considered a "conservative." I am supposedly a member of The North Shore Republicans. I am definately upset with the waste and horrible decisions I saw our District Administrator and School Board make for Fox Point/Bayside last year and I am definitely upset with what Walker's budget will do for our school athletics and specials.
After supporting the Nicolet High School Annual Golf Outing as the sponsor and seeing a record year, raising almost $20,000 from the great work of Nicolet's Sports and Recreation staff and the team of teachers and residents that helped with the event, I am so sad to see what may happen to our communities athletics and specials because of Walker's budget.
It is abundantly clear that Walker's budget cuts in funding to Wisconsin schools has put every program in every school district up for review. Athletics make up a small amount of our district's budget, but athletics will be an easy target for cuts by school boards because of the mass visibility of athletics and money spent.
As I saw during the last school year, because my children's schools were run by a district administrator and school board that "forced through" programs and potential cuts in arts via curriculum that was not thought out, had no subject plan and could not even be understood by the very teachers themselves, I am afraid that our School Boards will now throw reductions into athletics' budget into any plan so that everyone focuses on that and forgets about all of the fat that does exist in the budget. That way, the administration and School Board doesn't have to focus on decisions like cutting some of their very own over staffing of the district office that would save some serious money. It is clear Walker did not make it any easier for districts and School Boards to make the structural changes and decisions they have already proven to be unable to make. Therefore, we will see that once again, the "easy road" will be taken by our school boards and district administrators to cut the soft and small areas of our budget such as athletics, recreation, and specials.
It is potential district suicide if we continue to cut athletics and specials and it is a process that becomes never ending because the School Board can so simply rationalize that "they have to do it" instead of really "trimming fat."
But, because of Walker's monstrous lack of support for our public schools in his budget, we will see that districts will look for ways to cut programs that are not educational necessities. I saw it with the District Administrator and School Board at Fox Point/Bayside.
What is not seen is that it is sports and specials that keep our schools afloat. If you are looking to a place to move, you are going to move to the area that gives your children the best chance at a well rounded educational experience, which includes sports and other specials. Therefore, since Walker has basically created a "golden gateway" for voucher schools while leaving our great public schools in this state behind, I must say that if these cuts are forced to be made, we will live in a community that has lower morale, less pride, less energy and a weaker overall experience for our children. Sports and specials have proven in study after study to be incredible benefits to the overall educational experience of children and have been proven to increase test scores dramatically.
Walker's budget is "toxic" yet beautifully dressed up by his continued claim that he cut the deficit of the state, etc. Yes, he did. But at what cost? And even with this cut in the deficit the state still ranks very low in job growth and many other fiscal areas in comparison to the rest of the country. But more sadly, Walker's budget has clearly proven that his expansion of the Milwaukee voucher program that gives millions to voucher schools that do not have to abide by basic accountability measures such as releasing test scores to the public or providing data on teacher pay and the voucher schools can also ignore basic democratic safeguards such as open meetings and records laws. Governor Walker, vouchers are great for one thing: KILLING PUBLIC EDUCATION and the well rounded experience our children are supposed to receive that includes strong sports and specials. Walker has made my ongoing battle with the Fox Point/Bayside District Administrators and School Board to actually have some responsibility for a real budget that is not made by the "seat of their pants" and actually conforms to state statutes even harder. So Walker is taking my hard earned tax dollar that I use to provide my children a first rate education with great teachers and a well rounded experience including sports much more difficult. With his voucher expansion, Walker has made voucher schools the second largest school district in the state, just behind Milwaukee. That is forcing Nicolet's students to practice on back fields that get "soaked" with water every time it rains to the point kids can't practice. That is forcing Nicolet to not be able to come close to meeting the expense of getting a new turf field. That will force my two children to most likely have very weakened sports and other activities, as I have already had to jump up and down to keep the great band teacher we have at Bayside and I am so happy she remains.
I have had an interesting summer because I asked for over 400 pages of public records to prove the massive waste of the District Administrator and our School Board as well as ridiculous decisions and a school board that is not even in touch with each other. (You will see an article coming in the near future showing this monstrous waste that has included terminating solid teachers and paying massive severance to avoid legal battles, to monstrous travel expenses and other severe waste.) I also received an email in which Alice Lawton, of the FPB School Board, stated that "people will see that Braeger does not understand finances." When she sees the article coming out which shows the decisions she voted for that caused waste to the amount of $100,000 in one case, she will see that my 25 years of investment banking and 3.97 in my MBA program has actually given me a nice understanding of financial waste.
So, because I certainly cannot count on Walker to protect our schools and the athletics and specials, and I certainly cannot count on the School Board and District Administration that my children are "victim" to, I am once again putting my "money where my mouth is." It is my goal that my company has the ability to donate $100,000 to Nicolet and FPB for their sports and other specials. Maybe this will appease Lawton. I have met with a representative at Nicolet and I plan to do the same with Bayside. If I am able to achieve this goal, I hope Walker and other Wisconsin politicians with his public school belief system will realize that our public schools, and the sports and specials are worth saving for the benefit of our state and communities. We don't have to fear losing sports and specials because of his devastating and other politicians horrid decisions regarding the schools. We have come to a point in which the current state of politics in Wisconsin has proven that if we are to save public schools, great teachers, and a great learning environment for our children, we are going to have to do it ourselves. Otherwise, we will be left sitting in the bleachers of Nicolet, supporting football and soccer and other sports that will either no longer exist or will be such weakened programs we will have no school and community spirit.
In summary, either I have missed something that the party I am "supposed" to be part of is working for, or my party has left me, the education of my children, the teachers, and have severely risked our sports and specials. A great man made this statement: 'There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe nor politic nor popular, but he must take it because conscience tells him it is right,'"
I do not compare myself to this man, but I will do what Walker has no desire to do and my adversaries including the FPB School Board and the wonderful former District Administrator are afraid to do. I will stand by my position vocally and financially. I will take a stance for all of our children and the community that is neither safe nor politic and not popular to some. My conscience has told me that we deserve the very, very best school system we can get for our children. Governor Walker, why doesn't yours?
