Gov. Scott Walker and the president of the state's largest teachers union traded jabs Thursday over statewide education surveys the union once conducted to track the effect of state budget controls, but has since removed from its website.

In an open letter Thursday morning to Mary Bell, president of the Wisconsin Education Association Council, Walker said WEAC has refused to provide more information about the surveys and called on WEAC to make the past results public again.

"It appears to me that your data shows school districts are in better shape this year than at any time in the last decade," Walker wrote.

But in an afternoon press call, Bell chastised Walker for what she called "a political attack using taxpayer resources."

She noted the timing of Walker's letter comes as school districts are beginning to announce budget cuts for next year. Districts must issue preliminary layoff notices to staff by the end of this month.

"Gov. Walker is playing political tricks on the public, using false logic to try to hide the true effects of his cuts on education," Bell said. "Gov. Walker wants Wisconsin to think that spending less on education will get our students more, when in fact Walker's biggest cut in school funding ever is hurting children and schools."