Urban schools around Wisconsin face a number of unique challenges, and the state assembly has created a task force to help these schools succeed. A state representative and member of the task force joins us to talk about the group’s goals. We also hear an argument that it’s time to change the presidential nomination process, and look at Madison and Milwaukee’s different approaches to the debate over police body cameras.
Featured in this Show
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Madison And Milwaukee Of Two Minds In Police Body Camera Debate
It appears that Wisconsin’s two largest cities are of two minds in the debate over whether police officers should be required to wear body cameras. Wednesday a Madison advisory committee voted against a pilot program that would test the cameras out next year.
Meanwhile on Sunday, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett announced a proposal to equip all Milwaukee beat cops with body cameras by the end of 2016, a proposal supported by Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn. More than 2,000 people in Milwaukee signed a petition urging the use of the cameras last year.
The no vote Wednesday in Madison was made by an advisory committee, and does not rule out the possibility of a pilot program next year. Some of the concerns that the committee cited after talking to community members include, privacy, a fear that officers could manipulate footage, and concern that it wouldn’t address larger issues of trust.
Kami Chavis Simmons talks about the police body camera debate. She is the Director of the Criminal Justice Program and Professor of Law at Wake Forest University. She is also a former prosecutor.
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New Task Force Aims To Tackle Urban Education Issues In Wisconsin
Last month, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos created a special task force to focus on the unique challenges that urban schools in the state face. Just in time for students around Wisconsin to head back to school, we talk to the chair of this task force.
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Political Scientist Says The Presidential Nomination Process Needs To Be Reformed
The system for picking and choosing presidential candidates in America is broken, and is in dire need of reform. That’s the argument of one political scientist – he makes the case for a big change.
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Vouchers Aren't On Urban School Task Force Agenda, Says Chairwoman
The chair of a new Assembly task force on urban education issues says that the group will not be looking at private school vouchers or privatization as part of its work.
The bipartisan Speaker’s Task Force on Urban Education, created in August by Speaker Robin Vos, aims to study the unique challenges that urban school districts in Wisconsin face. Some of the issues the 13-member task force is going to focus on include teacher training and retention, truancy and graduation rates.
After the members of the task force were announced, some observers expressed worries that the task force would focus solely on privatization at the expense of public schools. Chairwoman Jessie Rodriguez said she supports school choice, but declared that the issue “is not the focus of this committee at all.”
While education is seen as a partisan issue in Wisconsin, Rodriguez said she hopes both parties can come together to help improve urban education. She added that she also wants to “work with the (districts) and work with other….organizations who are dedicated to education, and really focus on one thing, and that is to find solutions to help improve outcomes for urban schools.”
Episode Credits
- Rob Ferrett Host
- Veronica Rueckert Host
- Galen Druke Producer
- Amanda Magnus Producer
- Chris Malina Producer
- Kami Chavis Guest
- Jessie Rodriguez Guest
- Jack Johannes Guest
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