web01.fireside.fm Tue, 14 Apr 2026 21:28:00 -0500 Fireside (https://fireside.fm) Wisconsin Watch - Episodes Tagged with “Schools” https://wisconsinwatch.fireside.fm/tags/schools Mon, 21 Aug 2023 16:00:00 -0400 The Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism is an independent, nonpartisan and nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that reports on government accountability and quality of life issues, like education, the economy and the environment. It’s more important to us to get the story right than it is to be first and we believe in collaborating, not competing, with other news outlets. Not only can you find our stories on WisconsinWatch.org, but we give all of our reports away for free to hundreds of other news organizations. We are excited to start sharing our reports in audio form and you can find them wherever you get your podcasts! en-us episodic From the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism Wisconsin Watch The Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism is an independent, nonpartisan and nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that reports on government accountability and quality of life issues, like education, the economy and the environment. It’s more important to us to get the story right than it is to be first and we believe in collaborating, not competing, with other news outlets. Not only can you find our stories on WisconsinWatch.org, but we give all of our reports away for free to hundreds of other news organizations. We are excited to start sharing our reports in audio form and you can find them wherever you get your podcasts! no Wisconsin, news, investigative Wisconsin Watch info@wisconsinwatch.org ‘Unwanted and unwelcome’: Anti-LGBTQ+ policies common at Wisconsin voucher schools https://wisconsinwatch.fireside.fm/anti-lgbtq-policies-wisconsin-voucher-schools 076042dc-cfde-4e64-82e4-7c906acdda64 Mon, 21 Aug 2023 16:00:00 -0400 Wisconsin Watch full Wisconsin Watch Many taxpayer-funded ‘choice’ schools in Wisconsin have anti-LGBTQ+ policies, often justified by Christian beliefs. And there’s little the state can do about it. 15:59 no The story was reported by Wisconsin Watch’s Phoebe Petrovic as part of a series of stories about discrimination in taxpayer-funded schools. The story focuses on Nat Werth, a gay student who was banned from delivering his valedictory speech in 2019 at Sheboygan Lutheran High School after officials discovered he planned to come out as gay during the speech. Reviewing the school’s current handbook, Werth says the school has beefed up its anti-LGBTQ+ policies. Said Werth: “If I was a kid with gender dysphoria, or even, like, questioning how people refer to me using my pronouns or if I wanted to use a different name and I read this, if this was what the school provided to me, that would have been extremely traumatic.” Originally published on May 31, 2023. Wisconsin, discrimination, education, False choice, LGBTQ+, news, schools, vouchers, Wisconsin Watch The story was reported by Wisconsin Watch’s Phoebe Petrovic as part of a series of stories about discrimination in taxpayer-funded schools.
The story focuses on Nat Werth, a gay student who was banned from delivering his valedictory speech in 2019 at Sheboygan Lutheran High School after officials discovered he planned to come out as gay during the speech. Reviewing the school’s current handbook, Werth says the school has beefed up its anti-LGBTQ+ policies.
Said Werth: “If I was a kid with gender dysphoria, or even, like, questioning how people refer to me using my pronouns or if I wanted to use a different name and I read this, if this was what the school provided to me, that would have been extremely traumatic.” Originally published on May 31, 2023.

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]]> The story was reported by Wisconsin Watch’s Phoebe Petrovic as part of a series of stories about discrimination in taxpayer-funded schools.
The story focuses on Nat Werth, a gay student who was banned from delivering his valedictory speech in 2019 at Sheboygan Lutheran High School after officials discovered he planned to come out as gay during the speech. Reviewing the school’s current handbook, Werth says the school has beefed up its anti-LGBTQ+ policies.
Said Werth: “If I was a kid with gender dysphoria, or even, like, questioning how people refer to me using my pronouns or if I wanted to use a different name and I read this, if this was what the school provided to me, that would have been extremely traumatic.” Originally published on May 31, 2023.

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]]> Federal, state law permit disability discrimination in Wisconsin voucher schools https://wisconsinwatch.fireside.fm/federal-state-law-permit-disability-discrimination-in-wisconsin-voucher-schools 172fa0d2-7a60-4849-8b30-eec48a2aa5cb Thu, 22 Jun 2023 16:00:00 -0400 Wisconsin Watch full Wisconsin Watch The state Department of Public Instruction says it has no legal authority to force private taxpayer-funded schools to accommodate students with disabilities 17:35 no The story was reported by Wisconsin Watch’s Phoebe Petrovic. This is Petrovic’s second story examining the laws and rules that allow publicly financed voucher schools to expel certain children for immutable characteristics, including having a disability or identifying as LGBTQ+. Originally published on May 20th, 2023. Wisconsin, false choice, education, schools The story was reported by Wisconsin Watch’s Phoebe Petrovic. This is Petrovic’s second story examining the laws and rules that allow publicly financed voucher schools to expel certain children for immutable characteristics, including having a disability or identifying as LGBTQ+. Originally published on May 20th, 2023.

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]]> The story was reported by Wisconsin Watch’s Phoebe Petrovic. This is Petrovic’s second story examining the laws and rules that allow publicly financed voucher schools to expel certain children for immutable characteristics, including having a disability or identifying as LGBTQ+. Originally published on May 20th, 2023.

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]]> False choice: Wisconsin taxpayers support schools that can discriminate https://wisconsinwatch.fireside.fm/wisconsin-voucher-schools-discrimination-lgbtq-disabilities 8e0bc2e0-9771-484c-8a30-eaff55b596f3 Mon, 19 Jun 2023 14:00:00 -0400 Wisconsin Watch full Wisconsin Watch Dozens of voucher schools have policies that allow them to exclude LGBTQ+ students or those with disabilities. In many cases, it’s legal. 28:44 no The story was reported by Wisconsin Watch’s Phoebe Petrovic, who reveals that voucher schools must accept students with disabilities and LGBTQ+ students for admission — but can expel them based on those same inherent qualities. A spokeswoman for the state Department of Public Instruction called the situation “unfortunate,” but said the agency is powerless to enforce anti-discrimination laws for students enrolled in voucher schools. Originally published on May 5th, 2023. Wisconsin, false choice, education, schools The story was reported by Wisconsin Watch’s Phoebe Petrovic, who reveals that voucher schools must accept students with disabilities and LGBTQ+ students for admission — but can expel them based on those same inherent qualities. A spokeswoman for the state Department of Public Instruction called the situation “unfortunate,” but said the agency is powerless to enforce anti-discrimination laws for students enrolled in voucher schools. Originally published on May 5th, 2023.

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]]> The story was reported by Wisconsin Watch’s Phoebe Petrovic, who reveals that voucher schools must accept students with disabilities and LGBTQ+ students for admission — but can expel them based on those same inherent qualities. A spokeswoman for the state Department of Public Instruction called the situation “unfortunate,” but said the agency is powerless to enforce anti-discrimination laws for students enrolled in voucher schools. Originally published on May 5th, 2023.

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]]> Wisconsin schools called police on students at twice the national rate — for Native students, it was the highest https://wisconsinwatch.fireside.fm/wisconsin-schools-called-police-on-students-at-twice-the-national-rate b68f211f-b45e-45a9-bbea-62d7293bd2f5 Thu, 07 Oct 2021 10:00:00 -0400 Wisconsin Watch full Wisconsin Watch School officials refer thousands of children to the police each year. In Wisconsin, children with disabilities or who are Black, Latino or Native bear the brunt of it. 25:21 no Wisconsin Watch brings you a story that examines how school officials refer thousands of children to the police each year. And in Wisconsin, children with disabilities or who are Black, Latino or Native bear the brunt of it. Reporting by Corey Mitchell, Joe Yerardi and Susan Ferriss / Center for Public Integrity, Clare Amari / Wisconsin Watch, Angelica Euseary and Robert Chappell / Madison365. Wisconsin, police, schools, Black, Native, Latino, disabled, students, police referrals, investigative Wisconsin Watch brings you a story that examines how school officials refer thousands of children to the police each year. And in Wisconsin, children with disabilities or who are Black, Latino or Native bear the brunt of it. Reporting by Corey Mitchell, Joe Yerardi and Susan Ferriss / Center for Public Integrity, Clare Amari / Wisconsin Watch, Angelica Euseary and Robert Chappell / Madison365.

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]]> Wisconsin Watch brings you a story that examines how school officials refer thousands of children to the police each year. And in Wisconsin, children with disabilities or who are Black, Latino or Native bear the brunt of it. Reporting by Corey Mitchell, Joe Yerardi and Susan Ferriss / Center for Public Integrity, Clare Amari / Wisconsin Watch, Angelica Euseary and Robert Chappell / Madison365.

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