Schools Supt Lukewarm On Performance-Based Budget Rewards

State Superintendent Tony Evers is largely unsupportive of Governor Scott Walker’s plan to reward schools based on performance.

Walker wants to spend $64 million in the next two-year budget on performance-based grant funding. $24 million of that would go toward high performing schools, $30 million would go to schools that show improvement, and $10 million would be directed to under-performing schools that have a plan for improvement.

Evers says he supports additional funding for under-performing schools, but not for high performers.

“At this point in time the vast majority of the high performing schools are wealthy school districts. And so the idea of providing additional money to schools districts that already have adequate resources seems to be something that’s counterintuitive. I’d hope the legislature really takes a hard look at that going forward. That money could better be put into the general aid.”

Walker says he wants to “recognize and reward excellence – and replicate it in other places.” He also says districts that earn the incentive funding could use it to reward teachers.