Falling education standards, Jay Nordlinger event Celebrating 35 years of advancing freedom in Wisconsin An Epidemic of Decline In response to falling public school standards, former Mequon-Thiensville school board member launches charter school Cheryle Rebholz is the owner of a boutique shooting range in Mequon, an esthetician, a married mother of three and a former school board member in the Mequon-Thiensville School District. She is also in the initial stages of starting a new independent charter school, North Shore Classical Academy. Rebholz sat down with Badger Institute President Mike Nichols this week to explain why a new charter school is needed in her area, why parents are already clamoring to sign up their kids and why the politicians should provide the same amount of funding for students at charter and voucher schools as they provide for students at traditional public schools. I have twin sons. They’re 37. And I have a daughter who is 29. We moved into the Mequon-Thiensville School District when the twins were six in the early 1990s because it had an excellent reputation for general ed and especially special ed. One of the twins needed special education. My twins did attend the Mequon-Thiensville schools, but we said we’re not sending our daughter because it pivoted. It went from being high-quality, from being a family-like environment, everybody lifting the boat, to new policies, watering down a curriculum, especially in the special ed area. We were not going to expose my daughter to a school district whose curriculum and philosophy was turning into a different direction and away from excellence. Continue reading Last chance to register! June 15 Event in Madison with Jay Nordlinger Jay Nordlinger, senior editor of National Review and a fellow at the National Review Institute, joins the Badger Institute to keynote a June 15 luncheon in Madison. A native Midwesterner, Nordlinger will share his thoughts on the issues of the day – from politics to policy, from foreign affairs to freedom – related to the current state and likely future of American journalism. Click here for your last opportunity to register. Register to attend This event is co-sponsored by The Badger Institute and the National Review Institute. Podcast: Wisconsin voters increasingly support school choice COVID school shutdowns and controversial curriculum have dramatically increased support for school choice in Wisconsin, according to pollster Wes Anderson, founding partner of OnMessage Inc. Anderson, who has been conducting school choice surveys for nearly 30 years, says support is particularly strong among those who have had exposure to school choice. His latest Wisconsin survey conducted for School Choice Wisconsin found that a solid majority of voters believe parental choice should continue – and expand. Listen to the podcast At a Glance Weekly Survey: Are you worried about the level of government spending? Answer below! Yes No Last Week's Results What We're Reading American Enterprise Institute: Here’s why all students need agency rather than ‘equity’ Washington Examiner: Schools that shut down during COVID struggle to retain students City Journal: The Empire of Fees Heritage Foundation: Health Care: Time to Go on Offense Wilfred McClay: Can We Become a Serious Country Again? Invest in the Badger Institute For 35 years, the Badger Institute, formerly known as the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute (WPRI), has been at the forefront of the fight for school choice, right to work, welfare reform, tax restructuring, limited government, civil society and so much more. If you appreciate the Institute’s legacy and want to support free markets, opportunity and prosperity, please consider donating $35, $350 or $3,500 today. Your support will help the Institute continue to advocate for conservative principles for the next 35 years – and beyond! The Institute never has, and never will, accept government funding. We gratefully welcome your online donation or email Angela Smith, Vice President of Development. The Badger Institute is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization. Support Freedom Top Picks is our weekly update. To receive more frequent content from the Badger Institute’s experts – or share with us your policy areas of interest – CLICK HERE Badger Institute | 700 W Virginia St, Suite 301, Milwaukee, WI 53204 www.badgerinstitute.org Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by [email protected] in collaboration with Try email marketing for free today!