Doyle signs education reform bills; awaits action on MPS measure

Gov. Jim Doyle signed a bill Monday allowing teachers to be evaluated - but not disciplined or dismissed - based on student performance.

Madison — Gov. Jim Doyle signed a bill Monday allowing teachers to be evaluated - but not disciplined or dismissed - based on student performance.

The bill, along with others Doyle signed Monday, improves Wisconsin's chances of landing a share of $4.35 billion in federal Race to the Top funds.

Doyle plans to call a special legislative session soon to try to push through two other bills to help land the state that money. One would give the Milwaukee mayor the ability to appoint the superintendent of Milwaukee Public Schools; the other would give the state schools superintendent the power to intervene in chronically failing schools.

"Our work is not done," Doyle said.

Doyle said he thought the Milwaukee measure would pass if it came up for a vote in the Legislature, but it would be a challenge to get leaders to allow the votes.

Doyle's fellow Democrats control the Legislature, but they are divided over the bill. Sen. John Lehman (D-Racine), chairman of the Senate Education Committee, said Monday that he was not enthusiastic about the bill and wanted to instead focus on giving the state superintendent the power to set curriculum and policies in Milwaukee schools that persistently perform poorly.

Doyle signed the bills at James C. Wright Middle School, the Madison charter school President Barack Obama visited last week to talk about the importance of transforming the country's education system.

One bill Doyle signed removes a longstanding ban on using test data to evaluate teachers - a ban U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan has said would make states ineligible for Race to the Top funds.

The other bills Doyle signed will:

•?Require the University of Wisconsin System, the Wisconsin Technical College System and the Department of Public Instruction to establish a system to track student data from preschool programs through postsecondary education.

•?Encourage school boards and other entities that establish charter schools to consider the principles and standards for quality charter schools set by the National Association of Charter School Administrators. This already is a requirement for independent charter schools affiliated with the City of Milwaukee, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, UW-Parkside and Milwaukee Area Technical College.

•?Have MPS apply to the state Department of Public Instruction instead of the Department of Administration for an annual grant to improve student achievement.