Sylvia Beyer's Testimony

My name is Sylvia Beyer. I am a full professor and chair of the Psychology Department at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside.

My mother has an 8^th grade education. My father grew up in East Germany and was forced to leave school at the age of 14 because his father refused to join the Communist party. After having to work as a coal miner, he fled to West Germany at 16 with only the clothes on his back and leaving his family behind. He was searching for a better life. He accomplished this and lifted his family out of very modest circumstances because he received a FREE university education in West Germany. The way to rise out of poverty is through education. I am very proud of my own excellent and free university education in Germany.

Governor Walker, one reason that after the ruins of World War II Germany became one of the most powerful economies was due to its investment in education! Cutting education spending and the income of those who work in education (including all the support staff) undermines economic progress.

I have a passion for my work. I love what I am able to do in the classroom, my first-rate research that involves my students, and I take my responsibilities in my department and for the university very seriously.

Your proposed actions will not extinguish my passion, but they will hurt my students and those who have worked tirelessly for the University of Wisconsin-Parkside.

Your actions are also likely to lead to an exodus of the most talented and hard-working state employees. This will leave us all much poorer, both emotionally and financially. This is not something you should aspire to. In fact, it’s something Wisconsin cannot afford to let happen.