The Walker-Kleefisch Administration, Of Course.
MADISON, Wis. – The Walker-Kleefisch administration drastically defunded Wisconsin’s public schools and wreaked havoc on our state’s education system. As a candidate for governor, Kleefisch has continued to embrace extreme policies and chooses to use children as pawns in her divisive political battles.
The Democratic Party of Wisconsin released a video highlighting the history of the Walker-Kleefisch administration’s attacks on education.
While the video above is a game, our children’s future is not. Here’s what Wisconsin’s schools looked like under Rebecca Kleefisch:
- In 2011, the Walker-Kleefisch administration made an $800 million cut to public schools.
- Wisconsin’s schools were ranked 18th in the nation.
- The Walker-Kleefisch administration passed laws which led to a historic teacher shortage, to teacher pay cuts, and to local communities raising taxes to pay for basic school supplies.
Kleefisch has continued to support the above policies and worse. Recently, Kleefisch tweeted her support for a package of bills that would raise property taxes for Wisconsinites by as much as $577 million and direct funding towards private education, instead of neighborhood schools. It would be a huge cost to Wisconsin residents already facing rising costs. Kleefisch also supported a radical bill that could jeopardize school safety by allowing loaded guns on school property.
Under Gov. Evers’ leadership, Wisconsin’s schools are stronger and better than they were four years ago. Gov. Evers has increased funding for schools by restoring the state’s two-thirds funding commitment and signing the first special education funding increase in over a decade. Our K-12 schools are now ranked eighth in the nation.
“There’s no question that our education system was worse off in every way under the Walker-Kleefisch administration — they defunded our public schools and passed laws that resulted in teacher shortages,” said Democratic Party of Wisconsin Rapid Response Director Hannah Menchhoff. “That’s just the beginning of what a Kleefisch administration would look like. She’s tried to use our students as political pawns and has continued to support defunding our education system and policies that could lead to an increase in property taxes, at a time when families are facing rising costs. Governor Evers has our schools in the top ten in the nation after being ranked 18th under Walker-Kleefisch — let’s not let Rebecca Kleefisch take us backwards.”
