>> THE FOLLOWING PROGRAM IS A PBS WISCONSIN ORIGINAL PRODUCTION.

>> IT'S THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS, BUT FOR EDUCATORS AND LAWMAKERS, THERE'S MORE WORK TO BE DONE.

THE STATE LICENSING BACKLOG HAS IMPROVED, BUT REINFORCEMENTS ARE STILL NEEDED, AND THE STATE'S PRIDE MONTH KICKS OFF AT THE CAPITOL.

I'M FREDERICA FREYBERG.

TONIGHT ON "HERE AND NOW," STATE READING SCORES LEAD TO A RENEWED EMPHASIS ON PHONICS, AND LOW-PERFORMING DISTRICTS COULD BE LIMITED FROM REQUESTING NOW CAPITAL.

ZAC SCHULTZ REPORTS ON ITS BOTTLENECKS AT THE STATE LICENSING AGENCY AND A PREVIEW OF WISCONSIN PRIDE, A PBS WISCONSIN DOCUMENTARY ON LGBTQ TRAILBLAZERS.

IT'S "HERE AND NOW" FOR JUNE 2.

>> FUNDING IS PROVIDED BY THE FOCUS FUND FOR JOURNALISM AND FRIENDS OF PBS WISCONSIN.

>> THE STATE LEGISLATURE IS CONSIDERING A BILL PROMOTING TEACHING CHILDREN TO READ WITH PHONICS.

THAT'S WHERE STUDENTS LEARN TO BLEND LETTERS OR GROUPS OF LETTERS WITH THE SOUNDS THEY MAKE.

A TRAINING TAPE FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION SHOWS HOW PHONICS WORKS IN PRACTICE.

>> "YOU" H YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN DN AMAZING JOB BLENDING THOSE SOUNDS TOGETHER TO READ THE WORDS.

>> CAN WE FIX.

FIT IS ONE OF THE WORDS WE PRACTICED BLENDING THIS WEEK.

FIT.

FIT.

>> COMPONENTS OF THE BILL WOULD SCREEN FOR READING SKILLS STARTING IN KINDERGARTEN.

ADD NEW PHONICS-BASED CURRICULUM, TRAIN TEACHERS OR THAT CURRICULUM AND DEPLOY READING COACHES, ESPECIALLY TO STRUGGLING SCHOOLS.

THE DISCUSSION COMES AS JUST 37% OF THIRD THROUGH EIGHTH GRADE READERS IN WISCONSIN WERE RATED PROFICIENT OR ADVANCED IN 2022, AND JUST 14% TESTED AT THOSE LEVELS IN MILWAUKEE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

BILL AUTHOR REPRESENTATIVE JOEL KITCHEN SAYS THIS CHANGE IS NEEDED NOW.

>> WISCONSIN ALWAYS HAD A GREAT TRADITION OF BEING A LEADER AND NOW, WE ARE NOT ANYMORE.

SO I THINK IT'S PAST TIME.

WHENEVER YOU CHANGE THINGS, AND ESPECIALLY IN EDUCATION, THEY DON'T WANT TO BE TOLD BY POLITICIANS ESPECIALLY HOW THEY SHOULD BE TEACHING IN THE CLASSROOM, WHICH IS WHY WE REALLY NEEDED D.P.

D.P.I.

TO BUO THIS.

IT'S A BILL THAT IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT AND I THINK WILL HAVE BROAD SUPPORT AND I THINK IT IS NICE THAT THIS SESSION WE ARE GETTING MORE -- WE'RE NEGOTIATING MORE, CERTAINLY, THAN WE DID DURING THE FIRST TERM, AND IT'S TOUGH FOR PEOPLE TO TRUST THE OTHER SIDE AND TO TRUST D.P.I.

WHEN YOU ASK ABOUT PUSH-BACK, THAT'S PROBABLY THE BIGGEST PUSH-BACK, ON MY SIDE NOT TRUSTING D.P.I.

TO FOLLOW THROUGH, BUT THEY HAVE TO BE INVOLVED.

INITIALLY, WE WERE NOT GOING TO BE INVESTING IN THE CURRICULUM VERY MUCH AND THAT WILL PRETTY MUCH WE'RE GOING TO BUY THE CURRICULUM, SO THERE'S A PRETTY BIG EXPENSE.

WE'RE GOING TO PAY FOR THE TRAINING.

SO IT IS GOING TO BE A BIGGER FISCAL IMPACT THAN WE ORIGINALLY THOUGHT, BUT THANKFULLY THE LEADERS IN MY CAUCUS HAVE RECOGNIZED THAT REALLY IN EDUCATION, WHAT CAN BE MORE IMPORTANT THAN TEACHING KIDS TO READ.

BUDGETS ARE REALLY TIGHT FOR SOME OF THESE DISTRICTS, IT'S GOING TO BE TOUGHER FOR THEM TO DO IT, BUT AGAIN, I THINK THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING I'VE EVER WORKED ON IN THE CAPITOL AND I THINK, AGAIN, WHAT COULD BE MORE IMPORTANT.

IF WE DON'T TEACH KIDS TO READ EARLY, IT JUST SO HANDICAPS THEM FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES.

>> WE'RE JOINED BY RICH HALVERSON, PROFESSOR AT THE UW MADISON SCHOOL OF EDUCATION IS FOR MORE ON HOW READING IS TAUGHT.

THANKS VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.

>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

>> SO IF WE NEED A LEGISLATIVE BILL TO REINTRODUCE PHONICS, WHAT HAPPENED TO IT?

WHEN DID IT FADE FROM FASHION?

>> WELL, I DON'T THINK IT'S EVER REALLY FADED FROM FASHION.

IT'S ALWAYS BEEN A PART OF LITERACY INSTRUCTION.

I THINK WHAT HAPPENED IS DURING COVID TIME, THERE'S PART OF LEARNING TO READ AND TEACHING READING THAT'S PRETTY TECHNICAL THAT REQUIRES A LOT OF SKILL ON THE PART OF TEACHERS AND THEN THERE'S PART THAT RELIES ON USAGE AND HAVING KIDS BE ABLE TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES, AND I THINK THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED DURING COVID TIME IS THAT THE TECHNICAL PARTS OF READING THAT REQUIRE A LOT OF ONE-ON-ONE INTERACTION BETWEEN TEACHERS AND YOUNG READERS, THAT'S WHAT FELL APART, AND I THINK WE'RE SEEING THAT IN OUR TEST SCORES AND I THINK THE FOCUS ON BRINGING PHONICS BACK TO THE FOREFRONT OF OUR INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAM IS REALLY IMPORTANT.

>> SO WHICH IS BETTER?

WHAT'S CALLED THIS SCIENCE OF READING OR PHONICS OR THE TECHNICAL ASPECTS, AS YOU REGARD IT?

OR BALANCED LITERACY, SOMETHING I'VE READ ABOUT, WHICH PERHAPS HAS LESS EMPHASIS ON PHONICS?

>> WELL, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT READING IS PART OF BECOMING A LITERATE PERSON.

SO IN ORDER TO BE LITERATE IN SOCIETY, YOU HAVE TO LEARN TO DECODE, YOU HAVE TO HAVE VOCABULARY, YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO INTERACT WITH FOLKS, AND PART OF THE LEARNING TO READ PART IS THAT TECHNICAL ASPECT OF UNDERSTANDING LETTER PATTERNS, UNDERSTANDING HOW THEY FIT TOGETHER, UNDERSTANDING VOCABULARY.

I THINK OF THIS A LOT LIKE LEARNING TO DRIVE.

SO SOME YOUNG PEOPLE COME TO THEIR DRIVING LESSONS, THEY KNOW HOW TO DRIVE AND NEED PATRIARCHS BUT SOME PEOPLE REALLY RELY ON THE TECHNICAL SKILLS THAT DRIVING INSTRUCTORS GIVE IN ORDER TO LEARN THE RULES OF THE ROAD, TO LEARN HOW TO INTERACTED WITH OTHER DRIVERS, AND THAT'S I THINK THE ROLE THAT PHONICS PLAYS IN OUR READING CURRICULUM.

>> AND YOU'VE SAID THAT PEOPLE WHO HAVE LEARNED TO READ WITH THESE TECHNICAL SKILLS, PHONICS, TEST BETTER.

>> WELL, THE TESTS THAT WE HAVE ARE -- THAT WE HOLD AS IMPORTANT ARE THIRD GRADE READING TESTS.

THEY REALLY FOCUS ON THE KINDS OF SKILLS THAT PHONICS TEACHES.

SO THERE'S A TRANSITION THAT HAPPENS IN LITERACY FROM LEARNING TO READ TO READING TO LEARN, AND THAT HAPPENS AROUND THE FOURTH OR FIFTH GRADE, WHERE THEN YOU TAKE YOUR TECHNICAL SKILLS AND YOU USE THEM TO EXPLORE OTHER DOMAINS, AND WHAT WE REALLY NEED IS YOUNG PEOPLE WHO CAN MASTER THOSE TECHNICAL SKILLS SO THEY CAN GO ON TO APPLY THEIR READING SKILLS TO BECOME MORE LITERATE FOLKS.

>> BECAUSE IF YOU CAN'T READ BECAUSE YOU HAVEN'T LEARNED THOSE TECHNICAL SKILLS, YOU KIND OF CAN'T DEVELOP A LOVE OF READING, WHICH IS WHAT PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR.

RIGHT?

>> I THINK THAT'S RIGHT.

I THINK THE DRIVING ANALOGY IS REALLY PERFECT HERE.

LIKE YOU CAN LEARN THE RULES OF THE ROAD DOWN THE ROAD, SO TO SPEAK, BY DRIVING AND THEN MISTAKING MISTAKES, BUT IT'S BETTER TO HAVE AS A SENSE OF HOW THINGS ARE CONSTRUCTED ON THE ROAD, WHAT IS GOOD BEHAVIOR ON THE ROAD, AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT THE BASIC SKILLS FOR READING REALLY HELP YOUNG PEOPLE DEVELOP.

>> AND SO IF YOU ARE A KINDERGARTENER OR A FIRST GRADER AND YOU ARE BEING TAUGHT WITH PHONICS THESE TECHNICAL SKILLS, I THINK YOU CALLED IT DECODING, IS IT SINGULAR TO THAT?

OR IS OTHER STUFF KIND OF INTRODUCED AT THE SAME TIME TO DEVELOP THIS KIND OF BROADER RANGE OF LITERACY.

>> WELL, MOST PEOPLE WHO TALK ABOUT THE SCIENCE OF READING, THERE'S NINE DIFFERENT PARTS OF IT.

THERE'S VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT, THERE'S PATTERN RECOGNITION, THERE'S SYMBOL DECODING AND THEN THERE'S USAGE AND THEN THERE'S THE PRIOR KNOWLEDGE THAT YOU BRING TO YOUR ABILITY TO INTERACT WITH OTHER PEOPLE, AND I THINK IN KINDERGARTEN AND IN FIRST GRADE, THE SCIENCE OF READING APPROACH REALLY FOCUSES ON SOME OF THOSE MORE TECHNICAL SKILLS TO PREPARE YOUNG PEOPLE FOR THE USAGE-BASED SKILLS, COMPREHENSION-BASED SKILLS.

>> EXP AND ARE WE SAYING THAT NW THAT HAS FALLEN OFF THE TABLE FOR TEACHERS BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC?

>> I THINK THAT THE IDEA OF BALANCED LITERACY IS IMPORTANT FOR A SCHOOL.

A SCHOOL NEEDS TO HAVE INSTRUCTORS THAT CAN REALLY WORK ON THE TECHNICAL SKILLS WITH YOUNG PEOPLE, BUT ALSO REALLY WORK ON USAGE AND DEVELOPING A LOVE OF READING, AND SO YOU HAVE TO HAVE A SCHOOL THAT HAS SKILL IN ALL THOSE AREAS, AND I THINK WHAT THIS BILL DOES IS IT BRINGS RESOURCES INTO SCHOOLS TO BOLSTER THEIR ABILITY TO PREPARE TEACHERS TO USE THOSE TECHNICAL SCHOOLS WITH YOUNG PEOPLE.

>> LOOKING AT WISCONSIN TEST SCORES, THERE ARE MAJOR GAPS BETWEEN WHITE AND BLACK STUDENTS.

HOW ARE THOSE GAPS, THOUGH, ABOUT MORE THAN HOW READING IS TAUGHT IN GRADE SCHOOL?

>> WELL, READING IS A CORE ASPECT OF THE SKILLS THAT ARE IMPORTANT ON STANDARDIZED TESTS.

IF YOU CAN'T INTERPRET AND DECODE THE TEST, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO DO -- HAVE AN EFFECTIVE RESULT SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT ALL OF THE CHILDREN IN WISCONSIN ACQUIRE THOSE BASIC READING SKILLS.

HOWEVER, THE TESTS ARE ONE MEASURE OF HOW YOUNG PEOPLE INTERACT IN THE WORLD.

THERE'S THEIR ABILITY TO MIKE THINGS, THEIR ABILITY TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES, THEIR ABILITY TO ENGAGE IN POLITICAL DISCOURSE, IN INTERACTION WITH ONE ANOTHER.

ALL OF THOSE ARE IMPORTANTLY INDICATORS AS WELL.

SO I THINK WHILE IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO LOOK AT THE TEST SCORES, WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL NOT TO EXCLUSIVELY FOCUS ON TEST SCORES AND TEST CORE GAPS WHEN WE MEASURE THE SUCCESS OF EDUCATION.

THE IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER IS THAT TEST SCORES LARGELY REFLECT SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS.

SO THEY REFLECT THE SKILLS AND THE ABILITIES TO PARTICIPATE IN SCHOOL THAT YOUNG PEOPLE BRING INTO THE SCHOOL AND SO WE HAVE TO ALSO THINK ABOUT HOW OUR SCHOOLS HELP KIDS WHO DON'T HAVE THOSE SKILLS COMING IN TO ACQUIRE THEM SO THEY CAN BE SUCCESSFUL IN SCHOOLS.

>> RICH HALVERSON, THANKS VERY MUCH.

>> THANK YOU.

>> DISTRICTS ACROSS WISCONSIN ARE INCREASINGLY RELYING ON VOTERS TO APPROVE ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR THEIR SCHOOLS BECAUSE OF STRICT REVENUE LIMITS AND STAGNANT STATE FUNDING.

OVER THE LAST THREE ELECTIONS, THERE WERE 249 REFERENDUM ON LOCAL BALLOTS SEEKING TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, 179 OF THEM PASSED.

NOW, A NEW LEGISLATIVE BILL WOULD PROHIBIT A SCHOOL BOARD FROM GOING TO REFERENDUM FOR BORROWING OTHER THAN FOR MAINTENANCE EXPENSES IF THE DISTRICT HAS LOW READING AND MATH TEST SCORES.

FOR LARGER DISTRICTS, THE SCORES COULD BE NO LOWER THAN 60 OUT OF 100.

FOR SMALLER DISTRICTS, NO LOWER THAN 50.

THE SMALL DISTRICT OF TRI-COUNTY IN PLAINFIELD, WHICH HAS FEWER THAN 600 STUDENTS, WENT TO REFERENDUM THIS SPRING FOR $1.45 MILLION.

IT PASSED.

BUT TRI-COUNTY IS RIGHT ON THE CUSP OF THE TEST SCORE CUT-OFF.

WE CHECK IN WITH ITS SUPERINTENDENT ABOUT HIS TAKE ON THE PROPOSED BILL AND THE NEEDS OF HIS DISTRICT.

JAMIE DELKOWSKI JOINS US.

>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

>> WHAT IS YOUR TAKE ON THE PROPOSED BILL PROHIBITING REFERENDUM AND THEN TYING IT TO TEST SCORES?

>> HONESTLY, FREDERICA, IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFICULT FOR ME TO UNDERSTAND.

IN OUR DISTRICT, A RECENTLY DOCUMENT FROM THE LEGISLATIVE FISCAL BUREAU SHOWED THAT OUR DISTRICT, OUT OF 421 DISTRICTS IN THE STATE OF WISCONSIN, HAS ONE OF THE LOWEST REVENUE LIMITS PER STUDENT IN THE STATE.

WE'RE ABOUT TENTH FROM THE BOTTOM, WHICH MEANS THAT I GET ABOUT $10,149 PER STUDENT, WHERE MY NEIGHBOR 20 MILES DOWN THE ROAD GETS CLOSER $13,000 PER STUDENT.

WHY IS THAT?

BECAUSE THEY PATH REFERENDUM.

THEY'VE GONE TO THEIR TAXPAYER AND ASKED FOR THAT SUPPORT.

IT'S A LITTLE HARD TO UNDERSTAND HOW, WHEN WE ARE ASKED TO BUILD THE SAME PRODUCT, THE SAME SUCCESSFUL STUDENT WITH FAR LESS DOLLARS PER STUDENT, WHY THEY WOULD WANT TO LIMIT US IN THIS WAY.

IT KIND OF JUST MAKES SENSE TO ME, FREDERICA, THAT IF YOU'RE LIMITING OUR REVENUES EVEN FURTHER, IT'S DIFFICULT TO EXPECT A MORE SUCCESSFUL PRODUCT, AND IT WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY DETRIMENTAL FOR US.

>> BECAUSE YOU'RE MOST RECENT TEST SCORES SIT AT 50.3 OUT OF THAT 100, ACCORDING TO THE D.P.I.

DO YOU VIEW THIS KIND OF TEST SCORE CUT-OFF AS MORE OF AN INCENTIVE TO BOOST THOSE?

OR MORE PUNISHMENT?

>> OH, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.

JUST OFF THE CUFF, IT I.E.D.

FEELS MORE LIKE A PUNISHMENT TO US.

I MEAN, LET'S BE HONEST.

WE WANT HIGHER TEST SCORES.

WE WANT OUR STUDENTS TO SUCCEED.

AND ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT STATE TESTING, IT DOESN'T MEASURE THE SUCCESS OF OUR DISTRICT IN EVERY WAY.

WE HAVE ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL DISTRICTS AS FAR AS DIVERSITY IS CONCERNED IN THE STATE OF WISCONSIN.

IT IS EXTREMELY RARE TO HAVE A DISTRICT WITH 30 TO 35% FIRST AND SECOND GENERATION LATINO AND HISPANIC IMMIGRANTS THAT ARE EXTREMELY SUCCESSFUL SOCIALLY.

SUCCESSFUL ACADEMICALLY.

I MEAN, OUR GRADUATES ARE GOING TO UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO, UNIVERSITY OF MADISON.

WE HAVE OVER HALF A MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR IN DONORS WHO SUPPORT OUR CHILDREN GOING OFF TO FOUR AND TWO-YEAR COLLEGES.

IT'S AMAZING, BUT IT DOESN'T SHOW IN OUR TEST SCORES, AND NOW THAT WE'VE PASSED THE REFERENDUM, A REFERENDUM THAT HAS NEVER PASSED IN OUR DISTRICT BEFORE, WE'RE ABLE TO PURCHASE THE MORE MODERN CURRICULUMS IN MATH AND READING THAT OUR DISTRICT NEEDS TO BRING THOSE TEST SCORES UP.

>> I WAS GOING TO ASK, WHY DID YOUR DISTRICT GOES TO REFERENDUM?

WHY DID YOU NEED THE $1.45 MILLION THAT WAS PASSED?

>> YEAH, AND THE ANSWER IS, TO SUPPORT THE GROWTH OF OUR STUDENTS AND THE SUCCESS OF OUR STUDENTS.

WE HAVE -- MY BOILER, MY HEATING SYSTEM IS NEARLY 70 YEARS OLD.

OUR ROOF THAT IS SUPPOSED TO LAST 10 TO 15 YEARS IS IN ITS 32nd YEAR.

WE HAVEN'T BEEN FRIVOLOUS WITH OUR TAXPAYER DOLLARS.

WE'VE BEEN EXTREMELY COGNIZANT OF BEING CAREFUL WITH OUR COMMUNITY FUNDS, BUT WE'VE ALSO HAD TO SAY, LET'S WAIT ON THAT LATEST AND GREATEST MATH CRICK, LET'S HOLD OFF ON THE NEWEST READING CURRICULUM BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE THE FUNDS TO DO IT THE STATE SET UP A SYSTEM IN THE EARLY '90s IN WHICH THEY SAID SCOOKS SCHOOL BOARDS CAN NO LONR SIMPLY RAISE THE REVENUE LIMIT PER STUDENT.

THEY MADE A FAIR ASSESSMENT.

YOU CAN DO THAT, BUT YOU NEED TO GO TO EVERY TAXPAYER.

THAT'S CALLED A REFERENDUM.

THIS DISTRICT DIDN'T DO THAT FOR 30 SOME YEARS, BUT WHEN WE DID, OUR COMMUNITY SAID "YES," WE WANT THAT FOR OUR STUDENTS AND WE UNDERSTAND OUR TAXES ARE GOING TO GO UP FOR IT.

I CAN'T THINK OF -- I CAN THINK OF SEVERAL WAYS THAT MIGHT BE MORE FAIR WHEN ONE DISTRICT GETS 20% MORE THAN ANOTHER DISTRICT IN THE STATES OF WISCONSIN TO BUILD THE SAME PRODUCT, BUT WE NEEDED THIS MONEY, WE HAD A 950,000-DOLLAR DEFICIT ON A 10-MILLION-DOLLAR BUDGET.

THIS YEAR THAT WE CUT DOWN BY INCREASING COLLABORA CLASS SIZET REPLACING RETIRING STAFF.

IF WE HAD NOT PASSED THIS REGISTERED SEX OFREGISTEREDCOMMF GENERATIONS WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO SURVIVE FOR MORE THAN PROBABLY ABOUT A YEAR TO TWO YEARS, HAD WE NOT HAD THIS OPPORTUNITY.

>> WITH LESS THAN A MINUTE LEFT, ASIDE FROM THE MONEY RAISED FROM THE REFERENDUM, HOW OPTIMISTIC ARE YOU THAT BUDGET RIDERS WILL BOOST K THROUGH 12 FUNDING TO HELP GOING FORWARD?

>> WELL, AFTER THE LAST FEW YEARS, MY OPTIMISM IS WANING.

WE'RE VERY HOPEFUL THAT THE BUDGET MODELS IS THAT HELP US RECOVER FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS OF ZERO DOLLARS PER YEAR IN THE LAST BIENNIUM FOR SCHOOLS, WE'RE HOPING AND PRAYING THAT THERE WILL NOT ONLY BE AN ASSESSMENT THAT IS FAIR FOR THIS YEAR BUT HELPS US RECOVER FOR THOSE LAST TWO YEARS.

AND LISTEN, FREDERICA.

WE PATH A REFERENDUM.

WE'RE A SMALL RURAL AGRICULTURAL DISTRICT.

WE WENT TO OUR TAXPAYERS AND HONESTLY TOLD THEM, WE'RE NOT GOING FOR A FOOTBALL STADIUM.

WE ARE LITERALLY MAKING UP A LITTLE BIT OF LOSS, BUT WE ARE VERY HOPEFUL THAT THE LEGISLATURE AND THE GOVERNOR WILL SEE THE NEEDS OF THE SCHOOLS.

>> ALL RIGHT.

WE LEAVE IT THERE.

THANKS VERY MUCH.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.

>> NEXT WEEK, REPUBLICANS ON THE JOINT FINANCE COMMITTEE WILL TAKE UP BUDGET PLANS FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF SAFETY AND PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.

THE AGENCY THAT GARNERED HEADLINES DURING COVID FOR LONG DELAYS IN ISSUING PROFESSOR LICENSES TO WORKERS.

REVENUE FOR D.S.P.S.

COMES ENTIERLT FROM THE FEES PAID -- ENSTYLER FROM THE FEES PAID FOR SERVICES, BUT IN THE PAST, REPUBLICANS HAVE SIPHONED OFF SOME OF THOSE DOLLARS INTO THE STATE'S HISTORIC SURPLUS, AND DEMOCRATIC GOVERNOR TONY EVERS HAS REQUESTED THE AGENCY BE ALLOWED TO KEEP AWESOME THEIR FEE REVENUE AND USE IT TO HIRE ADDITIONAL WORKERS TO SPEED UP THE PROCESS, AN EXTRA $12 MILLION TO HIRE 80 EMPLOYEES.

NEARLY HALF OF WHICH WOULD BE HIRED FOR THE CALL CENTER TO PROCESS CREDENTIALS.

"HERE AND NOW" SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER ZAC SCHULTZ HAS THE STORY.

>> DAN HERETH WOULD LIKE HIS STATE AGENCY TO BE LESS VISIBLE EXPERCHTION THE WAY TO DO THAT IS TO SHOW UP MORE OFTEN.

>> LET'S JUST START OFF WITH SOME INTRODUCTIONS.

>> WE'VE BEEN DOING ROUND TABLES ALL OVER THE STATE.

I THINK WE'VE DONE NEARLY A DOZEN.

>> HE IS THE DESIGNEE OF DEPARTMENT OF PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, OR D.S.P.S.

FOR THE FIRST 10 YEARS OF ITS EXISTENCE, THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO THOUGHT ABOUT IT WERE THE WORKERS THAT NEEDED TO SEND IN THEIR C.D.C.

TO BECOME PROFESSIONALLY LICENSED IN WISCONSIN, EVERYONE FROM ACCOUNTANTS TO WELDERS, NURSES, BASHBARBERS AND NURSES.

>> YOU DIDN'T KNOW WHO WE WERE AND THAT'S HOW WE LIKE IT.

>> BUT THE PANDEMIC EXPOSED THE FAULTS IN THE OLD LICENSING PROCESS AND SENT CHAOS INTO PLACES LIKE THE HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY, WHERE NEARLY HALF OF ALL WORKERS NEED SOME SORT OF PROFESSIONAL LICENSE SPERRAZZA WE WERE EXPERIENCING DELAYS ABOUT AID YEAR AGO THAT WERE AT LEAST TAKING SIX MONTHS TO 12 MONTHS BEFORE THEY WERE RECEIVING THEIR WISCONSIN LICENSE.

>> JENNIFER WATERS-PLEMON WORKS IN BEAVER DAM.

SHE'S THE ASSISTANT MANAGER OF RECRUITMENT FOR ADVANCED PRACTICE CLINICIANS, SO SHE FELT IT WHEN TRYING TO GET NEW HIRES LICENSED DURING A PANDEMIC.

>> WITH COVID, WE HAD MORE PEOPLE COMING IN HERE THAT WE NEEDED THEM TO HAVE A LICENSE YESTERDAY, SO I THINK THAT DEFINITELY IMPACTED WHY IT TOOK A LONGER PROCESS FOR WISCONSIN LICENSE.

>> WITH NEW STATE EMPLOYEES TRYING TO WORK REMOTELY, AN INFLUX OF NEW LICENSE REQUESTS AND AN OUTDATED SYSTEM THAT RELIED ON FAX MACHINES AND PAPER COPIES, IT'S IS NO SURPRISE THERE WAS A SURGE IN STORIES ABOUT THE DELAYS.ú>> FRUSTRATIOG POINT.

>> I CALLED THE D.S.P.S.

AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK, ON HOLD FOR AN HOUR OR LONGER.

>> SHE FINALLY GOT HER LICENSE SIX MONTHS AFTER BICYCLE.

>> IT WAS KILLING SOME OF THESE RADIOLOGY DEPARTMENTS.

>> IMREAND GRISWOLD SERVES ON A COMMITTEE FOR THE WISCONSIN SOCIETY OF RADIOLOGICAL TECHNOLOGISTS.

HE SAYS MOST NEW TECHNICIANS GRADUATE IN MAY AND USED TO BE ABLE TO GET THEIR STATE LICENSE SHORTLY AFTER PASSING A NATIONAL EXAM.

INSTEAD OF TURNING IT AROUND IN 15 TO 25 DAYS, SOME OF THESE GRADUATES WERE WAITING UPWARDS OF 90 TO 120 DAYS UPON GRADUATION.

>> THE ISSUE BECAME POLITICAL WITH REPUBLICANS BLAMING GOVERNOR TONY EVERS FOR NOT SENDING STATE EMPLOYEES BACK TO THE OFFICE, AND DEMOCRATS BLAMING REPUBLICANS FOR UNDERSTAFUNDERSTAFFING THE AGEN.

>> THE GOVERNOR NEEDS TO FIX THAT AGENCY.

IT'S JUST UNACCEPTABLE, THE AMOUNT OF TIME PEOPLE ARE WAITING FOR LICENSES.

UNFORTUNATELY, WE HAVE BEEN KIND OF HAMSTRUNG BY LEGISLATION IN THE PAST WHERE IT GINT ALLOW TO US LOW-LYING AREA MORE PEOPLE.

>> I'M SPEAKING FOR RAIDOLOGY, BUT I THINK I CAN SPEAK FOR ANYBODY ELSE.

>> HE ATTENDED A BUDGET MEETING LAST NOVEMBER WHERE THE GOVERNOR AND STAFF WERE ON HAND TO TAKE NOTES EXPERT LICENSING PROCESS IN WISCONSIN IS JUST SIMPLY CONFOUNDED.

SO IF YOU DIDN'T GET A MESSAGE TO THE LEGISLATURE, I NOTICE THAT THE GOVERNOR IS SITTING THERE LISTENING.

>> BY THAT POINT, TO THE EAST OF US HAD ALREADY CHANGED LEADERSHIP AT D.S.P.S., APPOINTING DAN HERETH TO SPEED UP THE PROCESS.

>> TECHNOLOGY IS SAY BIG PART OF OUR STORY AND SUCCESS.

>> D.S.P.S.

INTRODUCED A NEW WEB PLATFORM AND HERETH SAYS ROUND TABLES HAVE LED TO CHANGES IN THE SYSTEM.

>> THERE HAVE BEEN REALLY INTERESTING INSTANCES WHERE, WITHIN A MATTER OF WEEKS, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO TAKE IDEAS AND EITHER AUGMENT EXISTING SOLUTIONS OR CREATE NEW SOLUTIONS.

>> JENNIFER WATERS PLEMON SAYS THE NEW SYSTEM ALLOWS EMPLOYERS AND APPLICANTS TO MONITOR THE LICENSING PROCESS.

BECAUSE IN THE OLD SYSTEM, A LOT OF DELAYS WERE CAUSED BY MISSING PAPERWORK.

>> THEY WOULD TELL US THAT THEY HAVE SUBMITTED EVERYTHING AND WE COULDN'T CHECK TO VERIFY IF THEY HAVE OR HAVE NOT SUBMITTED THAT SO NOW HAVING THAT TRANSPARENCY WHERE WE'RE ABLE TO SEE THAT WAS SOMETHING REALLY IMPORTANT TO US TO VERIFY THAT THEY SHOULD BE RECEIVING THEIR LICENSE MORE TIMELY.

>> RANDY GRISWOLD SAYS HE'S HEARD OF IMPROVEMENTS IN HIS INDUSTRY AS WELL.

>> THE TURNAROUND TIME, WHICH USED TO BE RUNNING INTO 90 DAYS, IS NOW BACK TO JUST UNDER 30 DAYS NOW.

SO THINGS HAVE GOTTEN BETTER.

>> BUT THAT'S NOT THE END FELT STORY FOR D.S.P.S.

CHANGES IN THE WORKFORCE FROM BABY BOOMERS RETIRING AND AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF TRAVELING NURSES AND TECHNICIANS MEANS THEY WILL ALWAYS BE TESTED ON TURNAROUND TIME.

>> THE CERTIFICATION PROCESS IN WISCONSIN, THE LICENSING PROCESS IN WISCONSIN NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND THE DRAMATIC CHANGE I AND THE LABOR FORCE THAT'S COMING INTO IT RIGHT NOW AND IN THE FUTURE.

>> WE'RE ISSUING MORE LICENSES MORE QUICKLY THAN AT ANY POINT IN THE LAST SEVEN YEARS IN OUR AGENCY.

THAT'S AS FAR BACK AS MY DATA GOES, BUT THAT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH.

THAT'S NOT HOW WISCONSIN WINS THE BATTLE FOR WORKERS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY AND, QUITE FRANKLY, IN THE GLOBAL ECONOMY.

>> REPORTING FROM BEAVER DAM, I'M ZAC SCHULTZ FOR "HERE AND NOW."

>> TO MARK THE START OF PRIDE MONTH, GOVERNOR TONY EVERS THURSDAY RAISED THE PRIDE FLAG AT THE STATE CAPITOL.

EVERS HAS FLOWN THE FLAG SINCE 2019.

HE FIRST RAISED THE PROGRESS PRIDE FLAG CREATED TO SYMBOLIZE INCLUSION OF MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES WITHIN THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY STARTING LAST YEAR.

PBS WISCONSIN THIS MONTH ALSO PREMIERS A NEW DOCUMENTARY TITLED WISCONSIN PRIDE.

THE TWO-HOUR PROGRAM PRODUCED BY ANDY SOUTH SHARES HIDDEN LGBTQ STORIES AND RECONSIDERS OUR STATE'S HISTORY IN THAT LIGHT.

HERE'S AN EXCERPT.

>> SCHOOL OF ART WAS STARTED BY TWO WOMEN IN 1920, MISS PARTRIDGE AND MISS FRANK.

>> CHARLOTTE PARTRIDGE AND MIRIAM FRANK MET AT DOWNER COLLEGE FOR WOMEN IN MILWAUKEE IN 1915.

HISTORICALLY, WOMEN'S COLLEGES WERE A PLACE WHERE ROMANTIC FEMALE RELATIONSHIPS COULD SAFELY THRIVE.

FOR PARTRIDGE AND FRANK, THEIR LOVE AND COMMITMENT FOR EACH OTHER THRIVED FOR MORE THAN 50 YEARS.

>> CHARLOTTE PARTRIDGE WAS CHARISMATIC.

SHE WAS JUST SORT OF LOVEABLE.

SHE SMILED A LOT.

SHE WAS GREGARIOUS.

MIRIAM FRANK, SHE WAS MUCH MORE SERIOUS AND LET CHARLOTTE BE THE FRONT PERSON.

>> THE TWO MADE FRIENDS WITH MILWAUKEE BUSINESSMEN FREDERICK LAY TAN, THE MEAT PACKING MILLIONAIRE WHO WOULD OPEN THE LATEN GALLERY AND FILLED IT WITH GRAND WORKS PURCHASED ON HIS TRAVELS.

HE OFFERED THE GALLERY BASEMENT TO PARTRIDGE AND FRANK TO HOLD CLASSES, BUT THE ART THEY WOULD INSPIRE WOULD BE RADICALLY DIFFERENT FROM THE OLD WORKS THAT FILLED THE GALLERY'S WALLS.

>> SHATTER PARTRIDGE AND MIRIAM FRANK WERE MORE ALIGNED WITH WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN TERMS OF THE EUROPEAN AVANT-GARDE.

>> EUROPEAN AVANT-GARDE MOVEMENTS, LIKE CUBEISM AND DADAISM CHALLENGED ARTISTIC CONVENTIONS, SHOCKED SOME, AND SPOKE DEEPLY TO OTHERS.

>> FOR CHARLOTTE PARTRIDGE AND MIRIAM FRANK, THEY BROUGHT THESE AVANT-GARDE IDEAS INTO THEIR TEACHING, INTO THEIR OWN ART COLLECTION IN THEIR HOME, AND EMBRACED IT.

>> IN THE HOUSE THE COUPLE HAD DESIGNED AND BUILT TOGETHER, THEY HUNG MODERN WORKS OF ART, AT HOME AMONG BOLD, CREATIVE EXPRESSIONS.

>> THERE'S A PRETTY STRONG CONNECTION BETWEEN QUEER IDENTITY AND AVANT-GARDE MOVEMENTS.

THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT GROWING UP KNOWING YOU'RE DIFFERENT FROM WHAT THE REST OF SOCIETY SAYS PEOPLE SHOULD BE, JUST MAKES YOU MORE OPEN TO NEW IDEAS.

>> YOU CAN WATCH WISCONSIN PRIDE ON-LINE NOW ON OUR WEBSITE.

IT'S BROADCAST PREMIER IS JUNE 20 AT 7:00 P.M. ON PBS WISCONSIN AND MILWAUKEE PBS, FOR ADDITIONAL NEWS COVERAGE, VISIT PBS WISCONSIN DOT-ORG/NEWS.

THAT'S OUR PROGRAM FOR TONIGHT.

I'M FREDERICA FREYBERG.

HAVE A GOOD WEEKEND.

(CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY RIVERSIDE CAPTIONING COMPANY) >> FUNDING FOR "HERE AND NOW" IS PROVIDED BY THE FOCUS FUND FOR JOURNALISM AND FRIENDS OF PBS WISCONSIN.