Wisconsin Virtual Academy: Created in 2003 by Northern Ozaukee School District using curriculum from K12, Inc. A court ruled in 2007 that Northern Ozaukee and the state's other 11 virtual schools were operating outside of the law due to a lack of curriculum planning and oversight by licensed teachers.
Wisconsin Coalition of Virtual School Families: Formed as a non-profit advocate for the virtual school movement. The organization operates a website and accepts contributions in its effort to increase the number of virtual schools in the state.
Rose Fernandez: Fernandez is a former nurse and outspoken advocate for virtual schools. Fernandez is a candidate running for Secretary of Wisconsin's Department of Public Instruction. Her campaign website notes two of her children attend private schools and three use virtual schools.
Brian Fraley: Fraley is a long-time Republican activist and staffer who has worked for GOP candidates ranging from for U.S. Rep. Mark Neumann to JB Van Hollen. He is on leave as Executive Director from the conservative Wisconsin Institute for Leadership to serve as campaign manager for Department of Public Instruction candidate Rose Fernandez.
Wisconsin Institute for Leadership: WIL is a 501(c)(4) advocacy organization founded in 2008 that uses paid media and mail to support conservative, so-called "free market" principles. WIL also has an affiliated 527 organization, the Wisconsin Institute for Leadership Political Fund. The organization spent considerable money running ads and sending mail targeting several Democratic Assembly candidates for the "Healthy Wisconsin" universal health care plan that none of the candidates voted for, nor directly endorsed. WIL Political Fund paid $49,000 to Persuasion Partners, a Republican political consulting firm run by GOP strategist Darrin Schmitz, whose clients include Attorney General JB Van Hollen. Schmitz ran the campaign of Supreme Court Justice Mike Gableman, who is under investigation for the racist ad produced by the campaign against his African-American opponent.
Brett Davis: Davis is a Republican member of the Wisconsin State Assembly and author of several pro-virtual school bills, including legislation that would expand their use and permitting virtual schools to continue after the court ruling which said the Northern Ozaukee Virtual School was improperly run. Davis is the former chair of the Assembly Education Committee.
Dick DeVos: DeVos is an ultra-conservative billionaire and failed Republican gubernatorial candidate in Michigan, whose wife Betsy is the former chair of the Michigan Republican Party. According to the People for the American Way, "DeVos has used his family's fortune and status to create an intricate national network of non-profits, political action committees and federal groups known as 527s that effectively fund the political arm of the school voucher movement...Nowhere is the impact of the DeVos family fortune greater, though, than in the movement to privatize public education."
Bill McCoshen: McCoshen is the Senior Vice President of the Capitol Consultants lobbying firm. McCoshen served as campaign manager for Republican Governor Tommy Thompson and in several positions in the Thompson administration.
John Behling: Behling is an attorney representing energy interests and a former lobbyist with Capitol Consultants. Behling worked for Tommy Thompson both in Wisconsin and Washington, DC.
George Mitchell: Mitchell and his wife Susan operate School Choice Wisconsin. They are among Wisconsin's most active donors in the private school choice movement. George Mitchell finances a number of conservative organizations, including tens of thousands dollars to the ultra-conservative Club for Growth PAC and over $60,000 to All Children Matter.
JB Van Hollen: Van Hollen, the current Wisconsin Attorney General, was elected in 2006. Van Hollen was criticized across Wisconsin when, while serving as the state co-chair of Republican John McCain's 2008 Presidential Campaign, he filed a partisan lawsuit which could have disenfranchised hundreds of thousands of voters. Van Hollen quietly withdrew his lawsuit after the election.
All Children Matter: All Children Matter, the $10 million pro-private school vouchers group financed by right wing billionaires and millionaires, including Dick and Betsy DeVos and the Wal-Mart heirs, was leveled with a $5.2 million fine by the Ohio Elections Commission in 2008 for illegally funneling $870,000 into Ohio campaigns. All Children Matter remains under investigation in Wisconsin after the State Elections Board determined in November 2006 that All Children Matter violated rules about express advocacy. That investigation is in the hands of Wisconsin's Government Accountability Board. All Children Matter spent nearly $1 million attacking Wisconsin legislative Democratic candidate in 2008, using racist appeals surrounding the "Healthy Wisconsin" universal health care plan.
Wisconsin Virtual School Academy and the Wisconsin Coalition of Virtual School Families: The non-profit Wisconsin Coalition of Virtual School Families worked to encourage legislators to pass legislation to permit the continued operation of the Wisconsin Virtual School Academy after a court ruling found the virtual schools were operating outside of the scope of the law.
Wisconsin Coalition of Virtual School Families and Rose Fernandez: Fernandez is the former President of the Wisconsin Coalition of Virtual School Families.
K12, Inc. and Dick DeVos: DeVos served on the board of directors and is an invester in the for-profit K12, Inc.
Dick DeVos and All Children Matter: DeVos and his wife Betsy founded All Children Matter and have donated over $6 million to finance its efforts -- the organizations largest donor.
Dick DeVos and Brett Davis: DeVos donated $1,400 to Davis's campaign.
Brett Davis and K12, Inc.: Davis, who authored legislation that benefitted K12, Inc's continued operation in Wisconsin, received campaign contributions of $350 from K12, Inc. Chief Executive Officer Ronald Packard and $150 from Bryan Flood, senior vice president for public affairs.
Brett Davis and Wisconsin Virtual School Academy: As former chair of the Assembly Education Committee, Davis authored legislation to allow the Wisconsin Virtual School Academy to continue operations in the state.
K12, Inc. and the Wisconsin Institute for Leadership: The only contribution received by the Wisconsin Institute for Leadership Political Fund as of early February 2009 was $50,000 on 10/28/08.
Brett Davis and the Wisconsin Institute for Leadership: The Wisconsin Institute for Leadership both mailed positive literature into Davis's legislative district during the 2008 campaign and gave him a token award for his work authoring pro-virtual school legislation.
Brian Fraley and the Wisconsin Institute for Leadership: Fraley served as the Executive Director of the Wisconsin Institute for Leadership in 2008.
Brian Fraley and Rose Fernandez: Fraley stepped down from the Wisconsin Institute for Leadership in early 2009 to serve as campaign manager for Fernandez's campaign for Secretary of the state Department of Public Instruction.
Brian Fraley and Wisconsin Coalition of Virtual School Families: Fraley served as a volunteer for the Wisconsin Coalition of Virtual School Families, according to information posted on Fraley's website.
The Wisconsin Institute for Leadership and John Behling: Behling is the chair of the board of director of the Wisconsin Institute for Leadership.
John Behling and Bill McCoshen: Behling previously worked as lobbyist at McCoshen's Capitol Consultants lobbying firm.
Rose Fernandez and George Mitchell: Mitchell has donated $1,000 to Fernandez's campaign.
George Mitchell and All Children Matter: Mitchell and his wife Susan have donated at least $64,000 to All Children Matter.
George Mitchell and JB Van Hollen: Mitchell's wife Susan donated $500 to Van Hollen's campaign.
JB Van Hollen and All Children Matter: The major funders of All Children Matter have donated $2,400 to Van Hollen's campaign. Van Hollen's top lieutenants at the Department of Justice, Deputy Attorney General Ray Taffora and Kevin St. John were the attorneys for All Children Matter when the former State Elections Board found All Children Matter in violation of Wisconsin campaign law.
JB Van Hollen and Bill McCoshen: McCoshen served as a member of Van Hollen's Attorney General inaugural committee and donated $1,000 to his campaign.
Brett Davis and All Children Matter: The major funders of All Children Matter donated $8,750 to Davis's campaign. All Children Matter spent money attacking Davis's opponent in his 2008 re-election campaign.
Bill McCoshen and Brett Davis: McCoshen gave Davis's campaign $500, the maximum contribution allowed under the law.
Bill McCoshen and K12, Inc.: K12, Inc. is a client of McCoshen's Capitol Consultants lobbying firm.
Brian Fraley and JB Van Hollen: Fraley served as spokesperson for Van Hollen's campaign for Attorney General and was a donor and member of Van Hollen's inauguration committee.
