This response to my request for information suggests that Wisconsin has the worst, most anti-teacher, anti-public education reforms:

Wisconsin. No more collective bargaining. A line in WI Act 10 that specifically states “No local agency or school board shall enter into any collective bargaining agreement…” So much for local control. After that was passed, Gov Walker easily passed with bipartisan support sb461 which is now WI Act 166 titled “Read to Lead” which makes 50% of teacher evaluation based on test scores, mandates the PALS test out of U of VA to every Kindergarten student in the fall for a cost to the taxpayers here $780,000 with the intent of carrying it up through 3rd grade with an ongoing exploration of public private partnership funding options. If funds are available also PreK. Test will be minimum twice per year and mid year optional. In the bill $400,000 is allocated to Gov. Walker to award in grants as he sees fit with no oversight to (this is the best part) “any agency or organization other than a school board.” (this stuff is impossible to make up) This week the State of WI signed a contract with the people from VA licensed to subcontract the rights of the test to us here. I obtained a copy of the contract and in it the VA folks are given access to our kids’ “education records” and the VA group (defined as a government agency btw) is defined as a “School Official” under FERPA laws. Later in the contract the VA agency is required to do background checks in accordance with federal and state law but explicitly states that the VA agency will not provide those records to the state of WI. So, they have access to my kid’s records(without my permission) but I don’t get theirs. Sounds fair. Read to Lead also creates a Task Force chaired by none other than the Governor himself. On the task force is a member of the Value Added Research Center (VARC). According to VARC website major funding is provided by the U.S. Dept of Ed and the Joyce Foundation (BIG money special interest group). Finally, Wisconsin applied for flexibility to NCLB from King Arne Duncan but was told “not good enough. make changes.” I believe Vermont was given the same feedback. To my understanding Vermont told Arne to keep his waiver. Gov. Walker instructed State Supt. Tony Evers to make the necessary changes which we all know equals Race to the Top, which will cause teachers to Race from the Axe and my kid will suffer.