MADISON (WKOW) -- A couple of high-level state officials, who have not seen eye to eye on many things in the past, are working together on a plan for the future.
Governor Scott Walker and State Superintendent Tony Evers are campaigning together for education reform.
Walker is Evers to create a new statewide accountability system that would replace No Child Left Behind.
This is after the two clashed over Walker's push to expand voucher schools while funding for public education faced cuts.
Still, they do agree on one thing.
"The accountability system through No Child Left Behind is very specific, and frankly it's one size fits all," Evers said. "It doesn't fit every state, and it doesn't fit our state for sure."
"If you have a school that's got a group of eighth graders, and they took them up from fourth grade reading level to seventh grade that should be worth something," Walker said. "Even though they are not yet at eighth grade, they have advanced significantly. Under No Child Left Behind, that's a failing school."
They want the new system to take things like improvement into consideration.
It will include all publicly funded schools, that means traditional public schools, charter and choice schools.
They say it will focus on getting students ready for college and careers by using high-performing schools as a model for others across the state.
But the question is how do you best evaluate student and school performance?
"Not all kids are test takers," said Amber Burlingame whose children attend Wisconsin schools.
The governor is inviting everyone to be a part of the discussion, even the teachers unions.
"The more inclusive this is, the better it is," Walker said. "Having talked to the superintendent, in the end they're going to see this is a good process and they are going to want to be a part of it."
The head of the Wisconsin Education Association Council said Friday it might be worthwhile, but many do not trust Walker after the push to take away nearly all their collective bargaining rights.
"Having them participate doesn't mean they have to support everything I may have supported in the past or the future," he said.
This plan is obviously still in its very early stages.
Walker and Evers will co-chair a design team along with the chairs of the Senate and Assembly education committees.
