Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker is currently on a fundraising tour to raise a war chest in the event a recall signature collection effort against him is successful. Wherever Walker goes in Wisconsin he is met with protests and that seems to be the same case for when he leaves the state. Walker has canceled an appearance at an expensive fundraising dinner planned for Wichita, Kansas which featured RNC Chair Reince Priebus and Kansas Governor Sam Brownback.

The Kansas Education Association is claiming victory over Walker's cancellation citing their plans to bring in teachers and education supporters from all corners of the state to protest his visit. In a press release Wichita / Hutchinson Labor Federation president Judy Pierce said "This week, Kansans stood up and sent our own message that we don't want Walker's radical brand of politics in Kansas, just as Ohio voters rejected similar anti-worker initiatives in their state at the ballot-box."

A survey released today by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction shows that Walker's cuts to education have resulted in staff reductions and increases in classroom size across the state. Additional findings of the survey as noted by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel include:

* Nine of 10 students in the responding school districts attend a district that had a net loss of staff "in one of four staffing areas" - teachers, administrators, aides and support staff.
* Four in 10 students attend districts with increased class sizes in the elementary grades.
* Though the state's school districts have experienced staff cuts in most areas over the previous two school years, the cuts are much deeper this year - almost exactly three times as deep as the 2010-'11 school year.
* Two out of three responding districts reported that they expect to have as deep or even deeper cuts next school year.

Jesse Russell

Co-Editor

Jesse was born and raised in Connecticut, began blogging in 1997, and moved to Madison in 2003. In 2005, he co-founded dane101 along with Kristian Knutson and Shane Wealti. In addition to helping nearly a dozen contributors run this website he's helped launch various events in the city including What's Your Damage?!, the MadPubQuiz of Awesomeness, the Fire Ball Masquerade, Dane101's Freakin' Halloweekend, and more.