February 28, 2008
For Immediate Release, February 28, 2008
Contact: Rose Fernandez, 262-565-7844
Breaking the Stalemate II:
Virtual School Supporters Hope Governor, Senate Will Engage in 'Serious' Negotiations with Assembly Today
Partisan Senate Plan with Lock Out Jeopardizes Virtual Schools in Wisconsin, Bipartisan Compromise Needed
At an event in the Capitol this morning, Governor Doyle dismissed the latest effort to forge a bipartisan compromise to keep Wisconsin's online charter schools open and viable as 'Not a serious offer.' The following statement was issued by Rose Fernandez, President of Wisconsin Coalition of Virtual School Families:
"Rather than simply comment to press inquiries, we'd like to see the Administration sit down with lawmakers today so that agreed upon legislative language can be voted on in the Assembly today, the Senate early next week and signed by the Governor ASAP. I would be willing to personally sit down with them and resolve this stalemate today so that the focus can be placed back on the most important stakeholder in this debate, the thousands of children whose educational future hangs in the balance.
"Where's the Governor's counter offer? Those that are truly interested in a bipartisan compromise that saves these schools will move in a bipartisan manner. The Huebsch/Davis offer was indeed a serious offer that showed a true willingness to compromise; and despite the Governor's casual dismissal of that offer, we hope he is serious when he says he'd negotiate and wouldn't merely stick to the partisan, non compromise passed by the Senate last week. The clock is ticking and the children in these schools, and those who may want to attend in the future, are not well served by the issuance of ultimatums. The Coalition of Virtual School Families hopes that Senate leadership and the Governor will join the Assembly leaders to negotiate in good faith and resolve this issue, today, and we stand ready to help make that happen."
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