Relating to the Creation of the Governor’s Task Force on Educational Excellence

WHEREAS, a high-quality public education system is an essential public good and the pathway to opportunity in a challenging and complex world; and

WHEREAS, the Wisconsin Supreme Court has declared that every child in Wisconsin has a constitutional right to a sound, basic education, and Wisconsin aspires to provide an outstanding education to every child; and

WHEREAS, Wisconsin’s citizens must balance many legitimate competing interests in order to provide our children the greatest educational opportunities possible, including the desire of parents to have the best education for their children, the concerns of taxpayers who fund the public education system, and the need for education to spur economic growth; and

WHEREAS, the most important ingredient of a great education and high student achievement is a great teacher, and, while Wisconsin public schools employ many of the best and brightest teachers in the world, many Wisconsin teachers are leaving the profession, many prospective teachers leave Wisconsin to go to other states, many of our state’s most difficult teaching assignments are being handled by our least experienced teachers, and current Wisconsin laws hinder our ability to attract and retain many more world class educators; and

WHEREAS, the refusal of the federal government to live up to its commitment to fund forty percent of special education costs has created significant financial challenges for all school districts, particularly smaller school districts with smaller budgets and districts that establish outstanding special education programs and attract more families with special needs children; and

WHEREAS, while Wisconsin students are nationally renowned for academic attainment, an unacceptable number of students, particularly those in low income areas, perform below state and national standards and fail to graduate from high school; and

WHEREAS, research clearly demonstrates that high-quality early childhood education yields significant results throughout children’s lives, including improved academic performance, reduced special education placements, higher graduation rates, and reduced involvement with the criminal justice system.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JIM DOYLE, Governor of the State of Wisconsin by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the Laws of this State, and specifically by Section 14.019 of the Wisconsin Statutes, do hereby:

1. Create the Governor’s Task Force on Educational Excellence ("Task Force"); and
2. Provide that the Task Force shall consist of not more than thirty one members appointed by the Governor to serve at the pleasure of the Governor; and
3. Provide that the Governor shall designate one member of the Task Force as chairperson to serve in that capacity at the pleasure of the Governor; and
4. Provide that the Task Force shall have the following mission in reviewing the state of education in Wisconsin and identifying measures to positively reform Wisconsin’s education delivery system:

1. Study and make recommendations regarding the cost of providing a great education to every child in Wisconsin and determine the level at which Wisconsin citizens are prepared to fund that education; and
2. Review how the state funds education through a combination of state and local taxes, and make recommendations regarding what proportion of these two taxes is fair and reasonable to fund public education. In making recommendations, consider the constitutional requirement for equal opportunity, local control in decision making, and the effect of financing systems on property and other tax rates; and
3. Study and make recommendations on how to improve the state’s ability to attract, recruit, train, and retain high quality teachers so that every child and every classroom has a highly qualified teacher, including ways to increase compensation to attract our best young students to the profession, keep our experienced teachers in the profession, and align our best teachers with the toughest challenges; and
4. Consider and recommend ways to adequately fund special education, including ways to share special education costs more evenly across the state, while assuring that public education is available to all; and
5. Review existing barriers to academic achievement in Wisconsin and make recommendations to ensure that every student has an equal opportunity to a great education, regardless of location, disability, language barriers, and economic situation; and
6. Study Wisconsin’s current investments in early childhood education and recommend ways to make other early investments in education to increase student achievement and accomplish other positive long-term results.

5. Direct the Department of Administration, the Department of Revenue, the Department of Public Instruction, and other state agencies to assist the Task Force with administrative and support services; and
6. Direct the Department of Administration to provide the Task Force with such sums of money as are necessary for travel and operating expenses in accordance with Section. 20.505(4)(ba) of the Wisconsin Statutes; and
7. Require the Task Force to submit a final report on its findings and recommendations to the Governor and that the Task Force shall dissolve when its final report is accepted by the Governor.

IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of Wisconsin to be affixed. Done at the Capitol in the City of Madison this twenty-second day of August, 2003.

JIM DOYLE

Governor

By the Governor:

DOUGLAS LA FOLLETTE

Secretary of State