Earlier this week Jeff wrote about the latest TV ad being run by Republican Gov. Scott Walker’s campaign committee, an ad that featured teacher Jeff Knutson of the Monona Grove School District. In the ad, Knutson talks about how good Gov. Walker’s “budget repair” bill has been for the Monona Grove School District, but here’s the reality behind the rhetoric of that ad.
Thanks to the provisions of the “budget repair” bill and the subsequent biennial state budget signed into law by Gov. Walker, the Monona Grove School District, where Knutson teaches 4th grade, lost $1.21 million in state aid, representing a 10.07% cut. After exhausting a number of one-time fixes, including federal stimulus money, the Monona Grove School District was left with a nearly $500,000 deficit, a deficit that resulted in the district increasing class sizes in Kindergarten through sixth grade, an overall increase in the student to teacher ratio, and a net loss of 6 teachers.
What’s more, while this year saw the Monona Grove School District faced with some tough choices, even tougher choices are in store next year, with Monona Grove School Board President Susan Fox estimating her district will face a $2 million revenue shortfall next year.
Here’s Monona Grove School District Superintendent Craig Gerlach explaining how bad Scott Walker’s cuts to state aid to public schools will negatively affect his school district.
Finding a few Walker supporters in public education (Lacroix is in a charter school) to parrot the company line is no surprise in and of itself.
The surprise is the fact that the Koch-funded Walker recall opponents are using the standard (and boring) “earnest testimonial by common Americans” meme in their main commercials.
This method of political advertising is only useful in the early stages of a political race, before the public has sorted out their preferences. After that, the public has largely made up their minds about the candidate(s) for whom they will not cast their vote. The politician they actually will vote for is a different bird altogether.
Regardless of how many Koch Industry dupes the Walker people may dredge up within the educational community to sing his praises, the People of Wisconsin have made up their minds to boot this butthead from office. (yes, I said butthead)
Their only hope now is to go negative. But they wouldn’t do that, would they?
When you have to lie and deceive, the game is OVER. Kleefisch’s absurd video also shows that the Walker folks know this ‘it’s working’ argument is being roundly rejected, because they wouldn’t have to try to convince us that things aren’t so bad if people really believed it was working.