Our letter writing campaign is focused on harnessing the energy needed to revitalize the Bipartisan Public Virtual School Rescue Plan. By writing these letters, we’re sharing our stories with our friends and neighbors, and encouraging them to request that the Governor and the State Senate redeem themselves the next opportunity they get.

And they will get that opportunity.

The State Assembly announced that they will advance a new bill next week that reflects the bipartisan compromise announced last month, includes the Governor’s requested audit of public virtual schools, but does not include the onerous, arbitrary enrollment cap lock out provision.

Support for these efforts continues to grow. Today the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel editorializes , in part: 

There is still time to save Wisconsin's virtual schools, but the clock is ticking after a state Senate vote this week that unwisely capped enrollment and blew up a bipartisan compromise.

In a letter to legislators on the eve of the vote, Gov. Jim Doyle called for a cap on enrollment and recommended a study to determine how well virtual schools were serving students and what their fiscal impact was on existing public schools and property taxes.

The request for a study is sensible enough, but the cap is a solution looking for a problem. And now, despite exceptions for siblings of existing students and for students who signed up during the current open enrollment period, some children may be denied the opportunity to learn in an environment that is best suited to their needs.

Legislation was needed after a state Court of Appeals ruled in December that the Wisconsin Virtual Academy, operated by the Northern Ozaukee School District, was not eligible for state aid. That ruling threatened the existence of all 12 online schools in the state, which serve more than 3,000 students.

The compromise plan was a good one that balanced the need to legalize virtual schools while imposing new standards on them. It had the support of the state Department of Public Instruction.

The Senate vote sends the measure back to the Assembly, where Rep. Brett Davis (R-Oregon) said Thursday he would draft new legislation that includes a financial audit but not a cap. He also planned to send a letter to Doyle inviting the governor or his staff to a hearing on Monday to explain why a cap is necessary.

With your help, we’ll hear similar calls from across the state.

Keep those letters coming, folks.

The hearing next Monday will not be a repeat of the two marathon committee hearings earlier last month. The committee chair tells the Coalition that he does not intend on covering issues that have already been discussed. The committee is expected, however, to examine the rationale behind the Senate’s lock out provision. The Coalition has been asked to provide summary testimony that reflects the concerns of our membership, and we’ll provide you with an update Monday night on the developments.

This means that in short order the Senate will get a chance for a ‘Do over.’

Let’s continue to push for them to get it right.

Our efforts to educate our lawmakers are not confined to the Capitol Building. Please let us know if your State Senator is holding office hours or is expected to appear in your community over the next few weeks. We can’t ignore opportunities to get our message across. And check back to the Coalition website for regular updates and further ideas on how to make a difference.

As we head into the weekend, please be sure to get your letters to the editor submitted.

You can rest assured new assignments await next week.

Keep the faith and keep up the good work!