Wednesday, September 29, 2021
Teaching cursive would be required under Wisconsin bill
The bill's sponsors, including former teacher Republican State Rep. Jeremy Thiesfeldt, said teaching cursive will stimulate different parts of the brain and improve the education of students.
MADISON, Wis. (AP) —
All Wisconsin elementary schools would be required to teach cursive writing under a bill passed Tuesday by the state Assembly.
The bill's sponsors, including former teacher Fond du Lac Republican State Rep. Jeremy Thiesfeldt, said teaching cursive will stimulate different parts of the brain and improve the education of students.
"When you're educating students, the more mental gymnastics you can get them to do, the better training it is for their mind," Thiesfeldt said.
But opponents, including groups representing school boards, superintendents and administrators, oppose the measure, saying it could be a costly mandate and that instructional time would be better spent teaching more modern forms of communicating, like keyboarding.
"This is not about cursive writing. This is about allowing our teachers to teach, allowing our teachers to be the professionals that they are and restoring local control," former teacher and Whitefish Bay Democrat State Rep. Deb Andraca said.
Teaching cursive is included in state standards for education set by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.
However, those are a model and not a requirement.
The bill would make the teaching of cursive mandatory.
No one registered in support of the measure, while a host of school-related groups were against it.
The Assembly passed the measure last year but it died in the Senate.
The Assembly passed the new bill Tuesday on a 59-39 vote.
It now heads to the Senate.
It would have to pass the Senate and be signed by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers in order to become law.
Evers is a former state superintendent of schools. The governor's office did not respond to WISN 12 News request for comment.
The state education department which he used to lead said in written testimony that the requirement could prove difficult for students with disabilities.
From: https://www.wisn.com/article/wisconsin-teaching-cursive-would-be-required-under-bill/37773227
Critical race theory ban passes Wisconsin Assembly
MADISON, Wis. - The national debate over critical race theory (CRT) erupted at the Wisconsin Capitol on Tuesday, Sept. 28. The Assembly debated and then voted on a bill to crack down on certain teachings in schools, including that one race or sex is superior.
The bill passed the chamber on a 60-38 party-line vote: Republicans for it, and Democrats against it. The Senate has not picked up the bill, and it is likely Gov. Tony Evers would veto it.
One thing not in the bill – the phrase "critical race theory." The theory holds that racism and oppression can be embedded into systems, including the American founding and society.
"I’ve been a teacher a long time, social studies. (CRT is) not something I taught my students, not something that I observed teachers teaching, because it’s a law school concept," said State Rep. LaKeshia Myers (D-Milwaukee) Critical race theory is just that – a theory that's derived by lawyers.")
"If people on the left say it’s never occurring, it’s a red herring, it’s not happening, what is the harm in ensuring that we make every single person in the state realize that we don’t want sexism, we don’t want racism, we don’t want stereotyping taught in our schools," said Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester).
The bill would ban school districts and charter schools from teaching that a person bears responsibility for past acts committed by people of the same race or sex. It would also ban teaching that a person is inherently racist or sexist by virtue of their race or sex.
"We also have the white supremacy preservation act, which is part of a national movement to create sort of a new boogeyman in the culture wars. And use fear and resentment to motivate base voters," said Assembly Minority Leader Gordon Hintz (D-Oshkosh).
"In the testimonies, they kept saying you are going to prohibit the teaching of history, we can’t say certain words, and (the Wisconsin Legislative) Council said no, the bill does not do that," said State Rep. Chuck Wichgers (R-Muskego).
The bill would make the state superintendent take away 10% of state funds from school districts that break the law. It would also allow parents to sue.
From: https://www.fox6now.com/news/critical-race-theory-ban-passes-wisconsin-assembly
Racine County pot bust; suspect accused of driving 100+ mph
YORKVILLE, Wis. - A 29-year-old man from Minnesota was taken into custody in Racine County on Saturday, Sept. 25 after marijuana was found in his vehicle during a traffic stop. It happened around 8:30 a.m. in the Village of Yorkville.
According to the Racine County Sheriff's Office, deputies were monitoring traffic on I-41 when they observed an SUV "rapidly changing lanes" and swerving between vehicles while traveling 103 mph.
During the traffic stop, a K-9 alerted on the vehicle, and a search of the vehicle yielded a bag containing 499 grams of marijuana. This bag was hidden in a rear compartment of the SUV.
Marijuana found in vehicle during Racine County traffic stop
The driver said that the marijuana must have been left in the vehicle by the previous owner.
He was taken to Racine County Jail where he was held for possession with intent. He was also issued traffic citations for speeding on the freeway, reckless driving, and operating while suspended.
Tuesday, September 28, 2021
Monday, September 27, 2021
Sunday, September 26, 2021
Despite guidance from health officials, Ron Johnson says vaccinating people during a pandemic 'could be dangerous'
MADISON - U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson suggested this week that vaccinated Americans could be perpetuating the coronavirus pandemic and that distributing vaccines during a pandemic "could be dangerous."
But Johnson also said that he hopes the vaccines play a "key role" in ending the pandemic and that he supports them.
The contradictory comments from Wisconsin's highest-profile Republican come as state health officials prepare to distribute booster vaccine shots to help combat the worst effects of a surge of new COVID-19 cases. The new infections are being fueled by a more transmissible variant of the virus that took hold as vaccine rates stagnated.
In a Tuesday appearance on the John Solomon Reports podcast, Johnson suggested vaccinated Americans could be worsening the pandemic though recent data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services show the unvaccinated are more likely to become infected.
It is the latest example of comments from Johnson on COVID-19 that are contrary to advice from health professionals and scientists. His comments have been criticized by some medical professionals and Democrats as undermining efforts to get the pandemic under control.
"If you walk around asymptomatic with 250 times the viral load, are you the super spreader? Is that what's happening here?" Johnson said, referring to a study on vaccinated Americans that has been misrepresented and used to spread misleading information.
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