Rose Fernandez, DPI Candidate, 2009

Below is an essay submitted by Rose Fernandez, DPI Candidate, to explain her candidacy to the Wisconsin business community. WMC is providing essays from all statewide candidates to Wisconsin business leaders leading up to the April 7 election.


This is an exciting opportunity to change business as usual in Madison. I’m not part of the status quo; I intend to listen to, and be the public voice for, all in Wisconsin who support fiscally-sound policies that encourage and promote educational excellence.

When addressing DPI, think ROI.

Merely pouring more money at a problem doesn’t solve it. That’s true in business, government and public schools. The decisions we face center around not just investment in education. It’s about the return on that investment. We must expect better outcomes for what we are already spending.

The state should resist efforts to raise your taxes or impose new taxes to pay for more spending.

Wisconsin has some great schools. Some outstanding teachers provide wonderful opportunities to some students. But the insiders, the establishment, the status quo…they want to rest on our laurels. They are satisfied.

Well, as long as our academic standards are considered a national embarrassment; as long as Milwaukee’s schools continue to be in disarray; and, as long as the DPI downplays the importance of parental involvement, we should expect better.

I have put my Master’s degree to work improving the lives of children my entire life. Now a small business owner, I formerly served as a pediatric trauma nurse and was an administrator at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, a world-renown academic medical center.

I am the only candidate to have the support of elected politicians of both parties. I am supported by unionized teachers (but not their Madison-based union leadership), school district administrators (but not their Madison-based leadership), school board members (but not their Madison-based leadership).

Most importantly, I have the support of tens of thousands of Wisconsin families. I can and will bring strong administrative skills, a fresh perspective and a sense of urgency to DPI and be a leader for Wisconsin families and taxpayers — not the Madison-based special interests.

Because my opponent owes his political viability to the powerful Madison-based special interests that will be spending perhaps a million dollars to help him, he cannot be an independent voice for children, reform and academic excellence.

Because I do not belong to any political party and because I am not the chosen candidate of the big-money special interests, I can advocate for Wisconsin’s school children free from undue influence. My agenda, my background and my campaign are an open book. My website: www.ChangeDPI.com offers voters a comprehensive review of what I am all about.

My first initiative was to announce a plan to improve MPS.

I talk about the need to fix Milwaukee schools at every campaign stop all across the state because the problems in Milwaukee impact school districts and taxpayers statewide. From the distribution of school aids, to the costs of social services and even the courts and corrections budgets, the fiscal and social costs of MPS’ continued floundering are incredible — we can’t afford to fail another generation of kids in Milwaukee. It would be fiscally irresponsible to continue to pour billions of state tax dollars toward a system that is obviously failing so many of its kids, and it would be morally irresponsible to not take a leadership role in fixing the many problems of MPS.

For years, including when under the direction of my opponent, the DPI has continued to shell out more and more money, meanwhile generations of families have been ill-served, under served, or abandoned within the walls of Milwaukee’s public school system. DPI has shown an unconscionable lack of ability to fix MPS.

Despite what you will see in special interest-financed ads on your TV, my agenda, background and campaign is an open book. I am an independent voice for what works. That’s why I am pushing for higher academic standards, charter schools, school choice and teacher merit pay for performance/competency.

We reward students for excellent performance. Why not their teachers?

Good teachers deserve more than a few percent raise, average teachers may not deserve a raise at all, and poor teachers should be let go, regardless of how long they’ve been around. My opponent can’t support such a system because he is beholden to WEAC, which opposes it.

My website: www.ChangeDPI.com offers voters a comprehensive review of what I am all about. I encourage folks to go there, and to my opponents’ site. Compare our backgrounds and our agendas. Ask yourself: Who is on your side? Who can be the fresh, independent leader?

Compare and make an informed choice. I’d appreciate your vote on April 7^th. Thank you.