Parental choice program enrollments announced in Watertown

The Department of Public Instruction announced enrollment figures for the Wisconsin parental choice programs for the 2016-17 school year.

Two area schools, Lakeside Lutheran High School and Good Shepherd Lutheran School, take part in the program. Lakeside has 25 students participating in the program out of the school's total 401-student enrollment. At Good Shepherd 9.5 full-time equivalent students are participating in the program.

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Not an adult matter: Students take up the fight for school choice

A student-run advocacy group for educational policies in Vermont is set to continue its fight for school choice through the 2017 legislative session.

“The common misconception is that students don’t care about their education. That’s not true,” said Brennan Murphy, a senior at the The Long Trail School in Dorset, and a member of We The Students.

Nava Crispe, also a senior at The Long Trail School, created We The Students in August to protest Act 46 and the removal of school choice. The group has around 30 participants made up of students from various area schools. They participated in two forums on Act 46 in Montpelier this summer, and are planning to present their message at area schools in the coming months.

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More Wisconsin parents choosing school choice programs

MILWAUKEE –  New enrollment figures released from the state Department of Public Instruction show parental interest in the state’s three private school choice programs continues to grow. 

The Milwaukee Parental Choice Program grew 2 percent over last year, while the Wisconsin Parental Choice Program expanded by 21 percent, according to the data, released earlier this month. Meanwhile, the  Racine Parental Choice Program increased 20 percent.

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More Wisconsin parents choosing school choice programs

MILWAUKEE –  New enrollment figures released from the state Department of Public Instruction show parental interest in the state’s three private school choice programs continues to grow. 

The Milwaukee Parental Choice Program grew 2 percent over last year, while the Wisconsin Parental Choice Program expanded by 21 percent, according to the data, released earlier this month. Meanwhile, the  Racine Parental Choice Program increased 20 percent.

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The Reality of Boys and Bullying

Your child could be dressed in the coolest apparel and be involved in every sport, yet may still be subjected to bullying. Each bullying experience is different because each bully is different. When it comes to gender, in most cases girls tend to use relational aggression while boys are more physical. Boys are often expected to not speak up and to dominate in physical confrontations. Otherwise, they may be called weak and viewed as less of a man.

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Wisconsin Rapids Public Schools considers $23M upgrades, school changes

WISCONSIN RAPIDS - Students and parents could see major changes to Wisconsin Rapids Public Schools in the coming years.

Officials are mulling a plan to spend up to $23 million in facility upgrades, move eighth and ninth grades out of East Junior High and shift Vesper Community Academy to a different building, according to options that district administrators unveiled Monday at a School Board meeting.

“We’re looking at what we think is best for kids,” Superintendent Colleen Dickmann said.

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80,000 Kids Just Replied to a Survey About Bullying. Here’s What Surprised Their Educators Most

“Everyone here is either bullying someone or being bullied. The teachers say if you have a problem, go see them — but they do nothing about it.”

“They say they have a zero tolerance for bullying which is A COMPLETE LIE. People are bullied, they try to get help, and then they get NO HELP and continue to get bullied.”

“I think that the school should be more controlling on cyber-bullying. They are not aware that their students are being bullied or harassed on social media.”

“I wish that the person who sent me those messages knew how much that hurt, and that I would go to sleep crying ... and be so tired at school because of crying at night.”

These are four of thousands of anonymous comments from students about bullying in their schools. The pain and frustration they describe are hard to take — but in some school districts, what the students are experiencing is very different from what their teachers and principals think is going on.

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The Mobile App Helping Kids Make Their Political Voices Heard — Even If They’re Too Young to Vote

They may not be old enough to cast ballots November 8, but thousands of teenagers around the country are tapping into this uproarious political season through a popular and anonymous mobile messaging app.

After School, a two-year-old app with millions of student users at 20,000 high schools, is hosting a mock presidential election during the last few critical weeks before Election Day.

The app’s Election Center feature went live Friday morning, and as of Monday afternoon, 70,000 students had voted in the mock election, a spokesman said. The choices: Democratic Party nominee Hillary Clinton, Libertarian Party nominee Gary Johnson, Green Party nominee Jill Stein or Republican Party nominee Donald Trump. Each student gets one vote.

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Racine Mom Thankful for School of Choice

I support and thank state Rep. Robin Vos, who is a strong advocate of school choice. School choice has been an amazing opportunity for my daughter to attend a school where she can receive a great education, be challenged and learn life skills. Without school choice in Racine, we would not have been able to afford HOPE Via.

HOPE Via has been a tremendous blessing to our child. HOPE Via gives our child a chance to attend a great school and learn about Jesus at the same time. Our family is blessed with HOPE Via knowing we are sending our child to a school with a family atmosphere every day of the week.

All families should have the opportunity to participate in school choice because it gives children and their families a wonderful opportunity to receive a great education.

Without school choice, my students would not have access to receive a Christian education. Rep. Vos is making this possible for more and more students across Racine.

Ashly Cruz, Racine