DPI Primary tomorrow: Don't miss it!
My aunt used to say that when she was a young adult, her father asked her if she'd voted the day before.
"No," she replied, "it was just a primary."
"Just a primary!" replied my shocked grandfather. As a first-generation American, he couldn't believe that someone could take the right to vote so casually. As my aunt tells it, she never missed any election -- even a primary -- again.
So don't miss voting in tomorrow's primary; there's an important race on the ballot for State Superintendent of Public Instruction.
Here's an article from the Journal-Sentinel highlighting the tremendous philosophical differences between the candidates.
The candidates are the incumbent, Elizabeth Burmaster, and challengers Paul Yvarra, Todd Stelzel, and Gregg Underheim.
Elizabeth Burmaster is the candidate recommended by Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC). That's enough to tell me to vote for someone else.
Two other candidates, Stelzel and Yvarra, both are in favor of more regulation of homeschooling. This tells me two things: 1) perhaps they don't realize that homeschools are legally private schools and not subject to the DPI, and 2) they do not realize the vital importance of freedom and choice in education.
That leaves Gregg Underheim. Owen thinks he's the best choice. I think so, too, from his website info, and from the phone conversation I just had with him.
Gregg Underheim thinks it's time that we look at seriously reducing the cost of education, rather than sticking with the current WEAC mantra of "we need more teachers at higher pay." He also thinks it's time to take a good look at curriculum; instead of just saying we're teaching kids to "think critically", we need to give them something worthwhile to learn and think about.
Finally, he is a proponent of school choice, including homeschooling. He doesn't believe we should change existing homeschool law or force homeschools to be more like public schools.
Sounds good to me.
Several BBA posts have discussed this race before, here, here, and here. Here, too.
So do your reading, and then please, get out there and vote tomorrow.
At least the lines won't be long.
"No," she replied, "it was just a primary."
"Just a primary!" replied my shocked grandfather. As a first-generation American, he couldn't believe that someone could take the right to vote so casually. As my aunt tells it, she never missed any election -- even a primary -- again.
So don't miss voting in tomorrow's primary; there's an important race on the ballot for State Superintendent of Public Instruction.
Here's an article from the Journal-Sentinel highlighting the tremendous philosophical differences between the candidates.
The candidates are the incumbent, Elizabeth Burmaster, and challengers Paul Yvarra, Todd Stelzel, and Gregg Underheim.
Elizabeth Burmaster is the candidate recommended by Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC). That's enough to tell me to vote for someone else.
Two other candidates, Stelzel and Yvarra, both are in favor of more regulation of homeschooling. This tells me two things: 1) perhaps they don't realize that homeschools are legally private schools and not subject to the DPI, and 2) they do not realize the vital importance of freedom and choice in education.
That leaves Gregg Underheim. Owen thinks he's the best choice. I think so, too, from his website info, and from the phone conversation I just had with him.
Gregg Underheim thinks it's time that we look at seriously reducing the cost of education, rather than sticking with the current WEAC mantra of "we need more teachers at higher pay." He also thinks it's time to take a good look at curriculum; instead of just saying we're teaching kids to "think critically", we need to give them something worthwhile to learn and think about.
Finally, he is a proponent of school choice, including homeschooling. He doesn't believe we should change existing homeschool law or force homeschools to be more like public schools.
Sounds good to me.
Several BBA posts have discussed this race before, here, here, and here. Here, too.
So do your reading, and then please, get out there and vote tomorrow.
At least the lines won't be long.
posted by M.E. @ 1:37 PM
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