Annette Polly Williams
Encyclopedia
Annette Polly Williams (January 10, 1937 - ) is an American
counselor
, clerical worker and politician from Milwaukee who served 10 terms as a Democratic Party
member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
, representing her assembly district from her election in 1980 until January 3, 2011.
on January 10, 1937. She graduated from North Division High School
, attended Milwaukee Area Technical College
from 1971–73, then went on to earn a B.S. degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
in 1975. After working as a mental health assistant
, counselor, cashier
, clerk, keypunch operator, and typist, while raising four children. she was elected to the Assembly in 1980 and became a full-time legislator.
In 1980 she won the Democratic nomination in what was then the 17th Assembly district by a vote of 1291 to 762, unseating four-term incumbent Walter L. Ward, Jr.; and was unopposed in the general election. She was assigned to the standing committee
s on commerce
and consumer affairs; on aging, women and minorities; on consumer and commercial credit
; on education
; and on small business
and economic development
.
In May 2010, Williams announced she would not seek reelection. She was succeeded by fellow Democrat Elizabeth M. Coggs
.
legislation, approving school choice in 1989, and expanding the program to include religious schools five years later. She lectured at institutions including Harvard, Yale, Marquette, Stanford, and Johns Hopkins University. From 1990 through 1997, Williams earned some $163,000 in honoraria
and expenses, far more than any other legislator in Wisconsin. The legislation brought Williams national fame, but she now criticizes both the choice program and its supporters. Williams says she supported school choice as an experiment. "Our intent was never to destroy the public schools." She says Michael Joyce of the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation and school choice proponents want to expand the program to middle class families by ending the income limits ("Joyce wanted to make it universal") and calls it "a Catholic program." She now accuses choice proponents of exploiting black parents and children, saying "I haven't changed. The people around me have changed." "I don't agree with the way things are going at all," she said in an interview in 2011. "It's no longer the program that I supported at first."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
counselor
Counselor
- Medicine and social work :* A counsel* Camp counselor** Counselor-in-Training, training program for camp counselors* Lay Community Counsellor* Licensed Professional Counselor* Mental Health Counselor* Navy Counselor in the United States Navy...
, clerical worker and politician from Milwaukee who served 10 terms as a Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
Wisconsin State Assembly
The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin....
, representing her assembly district from her election in 1980 until January 3, 2011.
Background
Williams was born in Belzoni, MississippiBelzoni, Mississippi
Belzoni is a city in Humphreys County, Mississippi, in the Mississippi Delta region, on the Yazoo River. The population was 2,663 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Humphreys County...
on January 10, 1937. She graduated from North Division High School
North Division High School (Milwaukee)
North Division High School was one of the major public high schools in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, part of the Milwaukee Public Schools...
, attended Milwaukee Area Technical College
Milwaukee Area Technical College
Milwaukee Area Technical College is a two-year vocational-technical college based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. MATC offers day, evening, and weekend classes at campuses in downtown Milwaukee, Oak Creek, West Allis, and Mequon. Enrollment is about 60,000...
from 1971–73, then went on to earn a B.S. degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
The University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee is Wisconsin's premier public urban university. It is a coed public research university located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in the United States. It is also the largest university in the Milwaukee metropolitan area and a member of the University of Wisconsin System...
in 1975. After working as a mental health assistant
Unlicensed assistive personnel
Unlicensed assistive personnel is an umbrella term to describe a job class of paraprofessionals who assist individuals with physical disabilities, mental impairments, and other health care needs with their activities of daily living and provide bedside care — including basic nursing...
, counselor, cashier
Cashier
Cashier is an occupation focused on the handling of cash money.- Retail :In a shop, a cashier is a person who scans the goods through a machine called a cash register that the consumer wishes to purchase at the retail store. After all of the goods have been scanned, the cashier then collects...
, clerk, keypunch operator, and typist, while raising four children. she was elected to the Assembly in 1980 and became a full-time legislator.
Politics
Williams was active in civic affairs, serving on the board or advisory council of organizations which included Urban Day School, Inner City Council on Alcoholism. S.E. Wisconsin Health Systems Agency; Wisconsin Black Women's Network, Central City Bicycle Safety Program, Family Services of Milwaukee, and the Wisconsin Black Women's Assembly. In 1975, she became secretary of the Northside [Milwaukee] unit of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, moving up to First Vice-President in 1977; and she served as a delegate to various state Democratic conventions and on committees for the state and congressional district units of the party. In 1975, she was also appointed to the Wisconsin State Equal Rights Council, on which she would serve until 1980.In 1980 she won the Democratic nomination in what was then the 17th Assembly district by a vote of 1291 to 762, unseating four-term incumbent Walter L. Ward, Jr.; and was unopposed in the general election. She was assigned to the standing committee
Standing Committee
In the United States Congress, standing committees are permanent legislative panels established by the United States House of Representatives and United States Senate rules. . Because they have legislative jurisdiction, standing committees consider bills and issues and recommend measures for...
s on commerce
Commerce
While business refers to the value-creating activities of an organization for profit, commerce means the whole system of an economy that constitutes an environment for business. The system includes legal, economic, political, social, cultural, and technological systems that are in operation in any...
and consumer affairs; on aging, women and minorities; on consumer and commercial credit
Commercial and industrial loan
A commercial and industrial loan is a loan to a business rather than a loan to an individual consumer. These short-term loans may have an interest rate based on the LIBOR rate or prime rate and are secured by collateral owned by the business requesting the loan....
; on education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
; and on small business
Small business
A small business is a business that is privately owned and operated, with a small number of employees and relatively low volume of sales. Small businesses are normally privately owned corporations, partnerships, or sole proprietorships...
and economic development
Economic development
Economic development generally refers to the sustained, concerted actions of policymakers and communities that promote the standard of living and economic health of a specific area...
.
In May 2010, Williams announced she would not seek reelection. She was succeeded by fellow Democrat Elizabeth M. Coggs
Elizabeth M. Coggs
Elizabeth M. Coggs, also known as Elizabeth Coggs-Jones, is a Wisconsin Democratic politician. She has served on the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors as county supervisor for the 10th district since 1988, and as of January, 2011 will begin her first term as a member of the Wisconsin State...
.
School choice
Williams was the author of the United States' first school choiceSchool choice
School choice is a term used to describe a wide array of programs aimed at giving families the opportunity to choose the school their children will attend. As a matter of form, school choice does not give preference to one form of schooling or another, rather manifests itself whenever a student...
legislation, approving school choice in 1989, and expanding the program to include religious schools five years later. She lectured at institutions including Harvard, Yale, Marquette, Stanford, and Johns Hopkins University. From 1990 through 1997, Williams earned some $163,000 in honoraria
Honorarium
An honorarium is an ex gratia payment made to a person for their services in a volunteer capacity or for services for which fees are not traditionally required. This is used by groups such as schools or sporting clubs to pay coaches for their costs...
and expenses, far more than any other legislator in Wisconsin. The legislation brought Williams national fame, but she now criticizes both the choice program and its supporters. Williams says she supported school choice as an experiment. "Our intent was never to destroy the public schools." She says Michael Joyce of the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation and school choice proponents want to expand the program to middle class families by ending the income limits ("Joyce wanted to make it universal") and calls it "a Catholic program." She now accuses choice proponents of exploiting black parents and children, saying "I haven't changed. The people around me have changed." "I don't agree with the way things are going at all," she said in an interview in 2011. "It's no longer the program that I supported at first."
Awards and honors
She has received multiple awards, including: UW-Milwaukee Lifetime Achievement Award, UW-Milwaukee Alumni Association’s Distinguished Alumnus, National Black Caucus of State Legislators President’s Award for Distinguished Service, and she was named as one of the New York Times "Thirteen Innovators Who Changed Education in the 20th Century".External links
- Wisconsin Assembly - Representative Annette Polly Williams official government website