WHY DOES THE DPI SCORING MATTER? Like any successful business or individual, there needs to be some method to measure & compare performance and progress over time. The WI Department of Public Instruction (DPI) provides the only method for parents and citizens to track the performance and progress of their school district over time, as compared to other school districts. The DPI Scorecard is not a perfect tool to accomplish this objective, but it is the best available method today. Since parents and taxpayers deserve to have this accountability, and since DPI believes this program is not effective to measure and compare performance and progress, then it is incumbent on DPI to develop and provide a better assessment program and to make it consistent from one year to the next. ...

In federal and state legislative sessions and local town council meetings there is a common selling point for any new spending. New taxes and regulations are often sold as tools to “improve society,” “protect consumers,” or “level the playing field.” But beneath the glossy rhetoric lies a deeper, more troubling reality: each new mandate chips away at personal liberty, shrinks individual responsibility, and consolidates power in the hands of bureaucracies. The truth is simple but unpopular—freedom and government control are inversely related. Taxation is the most direct way governments reduce individual freedom. Every dollar a governmental body takes is a dollar we can’t spend, save, or invest in accordance with our own values and judgment. We are compelled to trust the “administration” to manage our future better than we can ourselves....

Rock County First can help you prepare...and WIN! RCF is recruiting motivated, liberty-minded individuals to run for the county board, school boards and city/town boards next Spring. RCF has a track record of helping candidates prepare, and win! ...

I trust that, in some way, you recently celebrated the nation’s 249th birthday. For me, it was a time to reflect on the foundation of our nation as I wonder how we have become such a selfish and divided society. In many of my columns I have urged education and participation in the political systems in which we operate. I’ve called for citizens to run for office and effect the changes that give their constituents greater freedom and liberty. In 1776, fifty-six national leaders declared the following: “…We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.”...

For the next several months, you won’t be hearing much about elections, or property tax increases, or any of the other important topics that impact your liberty as a resident of Southern Wisconsin. However, this is not a time to ignore local leadership. It is time to explore it. In Rock County, elected officials on the county board, school boards, city councils, mayors, alderpersons and more shape the lives of over 160,000 residents. Far too often, vital seats on city councils, school boards, and county committees go uncontested—or are filled by the same small circle of people. The time to break those cycles is now. We need to ask ourselves: What kind of civic environment are we creating in Rock County? And are we doing enough to encourage our friends, neighbors, and everyday citizens to step up and serve? For many residents, running for office can feel uncomfortable. They may not know how to begin, worry they lack the right background, or feel shut out by an insider culture. These are barriers we can—and must—remove if we want our local government to truly reflect the residents throughout our county. The first step is transparency and education. Many residents aren’t aware of what county board supervisors, school board members, or city councilors actually do—or how to run for those roles. More educational opportunities need to be explored, created and presented on seeking local offices, because if residents see a path, they’re far more likely to walk it. ...