provision – The Progressive Midwesterner

The Wisconsin State Assembly education committee, chaired by Republican State Representative Jeremy Theisfeldt of Fond du Lac, held a public hearing today on 2015 Wisconsin Assembly Bill 1 (AB1), a proposed “school accountability” bill that isn’t actually a school accountability bill, but rather a bill to shame, takeover, and privatize public schools in Wisconsin.

The original bill that was brought to the public hearing was so atrocious, the public hearing turned into a total farce and the Republicans that control the committee have gone into full damage control mode. I’ll let the tweets from The Progressive magazine columnist and Madison Common Council candidate Rebecca Kemble and the author of the progressive blog Wisconsin Soapbox, who have been livetweeting today’s public hearing, speak for themselves:

At the hearing on Wisconsin's School Privatization bill #AB1 Over a hundred people here. Hunkering down for a long day. #publiced

— Rebecca Kemble (@rebeccakemble) January 14, 2015

This man would be eaten alive in my classroom as a teacher. But remember, we should trust him because of his experience…

— WI Soapbox (@WI_Soapbox) January 14, 2015

As a teacher, I get to school at 6:50 and routinely leave well after 5pm. If going from 10-5 for a hearing is too much, heaven help me

— WI Soapbox (@WI_Soapbox) January 14, 2015

Rep Thiesfeldt says the committee will vote on #AB1 next week. Likely on the Assembly floor Jan 22.

— Rebecca Kemble (@rebeccakemble) January 14, 2015

.@RepChrisSinicki says #AB1 hearing is not in order since there is no fiscal note. "This is going to have a huge fiscal impact on SDs."

— Rebecca Kemble (@rebeccakemble) January 14, 2015

So, schools will have to declare their standards again? In a new version of this bill? Huh?

— WI Soapbox (@WI_Soapbox) January 14, 2015

So… DPI has to listen to local districts, but the districts have to listen to the legislature? "Strengthen local control"

— WI Soapbox (@WI_Soapbox) January 14, 2015

So… Why in the hell was this bill released if so much is being eliminated or changed, like the Academic Review Board?

— WI Soapbox (@WI_Soapbox) January 14, 2015

Substitute Amendment to AB 1 will be introduced later this week. Apparently the State Senate said, "get your head out of your @$$"

— WI Soapbox (@WI_Soapbox) January 14, 2015

Thiesfeldt announces that the Review Board provision of #AB1 is now removed. New bill out on Fri. @RepSondy finds this "unusual"

— Rebecca Kemble (@rebeccakemble) January 14, 2015

Thiesfeldt: "I know there are a lot of people against this bill, but I want to hear your ideas to improve it." #AB1

— Rebecca Kemble (@rebeccakemble) January 14, 2015

Thiesfeldt says outrageous provisions of the bill that have now been removed were designed to grab public attention. #AB1

— Rebecca Kemble (@rebeccakemble) January 14, 2015

Thiesfeldt says there will be no public hearing on the amended bill. The whole first version of #AB1 was a publicity stunt.

— Rebecca Kemble (@rebeccakemble) January 14, 2015

@RepSondy asks for evidence that charters are solution to failing schools. Thiesfeldt says "I don't have any evidence in front of me." #AB1

— Rebecca Kemble (@rebeccakemble) January 14, 2015

Eliminating the academic reveiew board doesn't change the nature of the bill? He just said that?

— WI Soapbox (@WI_Soapbox) January 14, 2015

Knudson to Thiesfeldt: "How did you write it with the board in it when you yourself don’t believe in the board?" as Jensen & Bender look on

— Rebecca Kemble (@rebeccakemble) January 14, 2015

Shorter Rep. Pope – Do you guys talk on your side of the isle at all?

— WI Soapbox (@WI_Soapbox) January 14, 2015

Knudson to Thiesfeldt: We measure schools and then what? Do we just inform the public? Is there an action step? #AB1

— Rebecca Kemble (@rebeccakemble) January 14, 2015

"I suppose it does" is the answer to Rep. Sinicki's question of whether this bill opens the door to private companies taking over schools

— WI Soapbox (@WI_Soapbox) January 14, 2015

…and that was just the first hour or so of the 11 1/2 hour public hearing.

To summarize all of that, Jeremy Theisfeldt and his fellow Republicans brought the bill to the public hearing and was quickly criticized by Democrats over horrible provisions in the bill and the bill not having a fiscal note despite the bill having a significant fiscal impact on local school districts in Wisconsin. That forced the Theisfeldt to remove a provision from the bill that would have authorized a state panel that would have had the power to take over public schools in Wisconsin and give them to millionaire charter school operators, as well as some of the other more atrocious provisions of the bill, without scheduling a second public hearing for the modified bill. That forced Theisfeldt to go into total damage control mode as he was attacked by both Republican (Dean Knudson of Hudson) and Democratic (Sondy Pope of Verona and Christine Sinicki of Milwaukee) state representatives, with Sinicki pointing out that the modified bill would still allow for public schools in Wisconsin to be taken over by the state and given to millionaire charter school operators. Theisfeldt comes across as a guy who is way over his head and is making a total fool of himself.

In my nearly four years as a political blogger, this public hearing on Wisconsin AB1 has been the single biggest farce I’ve read about.