Hijacking Special Elections and Recall 2011
American Federation for Children
Updated: August 3, 2011
This is a relatively new Washington D.C.-based group that promotes charter schools and school voucher programs - commonly called school choice - in Wisconsin and around the country. School voucher programs, like the one that has existed for several thousand Milwaukee Public School pupils for the last 20 years - lets children attend private and religious schools using taxpayer dollars.
American Federation for Children spent an estimated $820,000 on independent expenditures and phony issue ad activity in Wisconsin's 2010 legislative races.
The group sponsored an ad in mid-July featuring various individuals - some identified as teachers - touting incumbent Republican Senator Alberta Darling's record on education policy and spending. The ad says special interests are using children to distort Darling's voting record on education, and "there's no stronger advocate for our kids and their future" than Darling. The federation sponsored a similar ad that portrayed incumbent Republican Senator Luther Olsen of Ripon as a champion of education who has supported policies for safer schools and tougher pupil academic standards.
American Federation for Children also sponsored an ad not available for posting that attacks Democratic candidates Shelly Moore for her union activities. Moore is an Ellsworth High School teacher who is challenging incumbent Republican Senator Sheila Harsdorf of River Falls in an August 9 recall election.
The group also sponsored mailings to support Darling.
Darling, Olsen and Harsdorf are among nine state senators - three Democrats and six Republicans - who face recall elections in July and August because of their actions to support or oppose a plan earlier this year by GOP Governor Scott Walker that ended most public employee collective bargaining rights. Darling faces Democratic Representative Sandy Pasch of Whitefish Bay on August 9 to keep her suburban Milwaukee seat.
The group has also made independent expenditures in the recall elections through the American Federation for Children Action Fund Inc.
Last active election: 2010
