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WEAC
leaders and delegates to the WEAC Representative Assembly expressed deep
concern Saturday (May 3, 2003) that the Qualified Economic Offer law and
school district revenue caps are jeopardizing Wisconsin's great schools.
Speaker after speaker, from the podium and the delegate floor, discussed the impact of eroding teacher and support staff salaries and severe budget cuts in school districts throughout the state.
"Our great schools are in jeopardy because of the QEO," WEAC President Stan Johnson said. (Listen to an audio clip of Stan's address)
"Since imposition of the QEO, teacher average pay in Wisconsin dropped from 15th to 22nd in the nation," WEAC Executive Director Michael A. Butera said. "This decline is from 103% to 95% of teacher pay nationally."
Among the actions taken at the RA was a vote to "draft a course of action" to be considered at the 2004 WEAC Representative Assembly if the Qualified Economic Offer law and school district revenue controls are not repealed in the 2003-05 state budget.
Under that New Business Item:
If the proposed biennial state budget is passed without provisions to remove both the QEO and revenue caps on funding for public education, WEAC will take the following action to institute statewide action designed to see those laws removed in the 2005-07 state budget bill:
The motion was adopted on a voice vote by 1,000 delegates at the annual meeting that was marked by intense and sometimes emotional reaction to the QEO law - which has stripped teachers of their collective bargaining rights, resulting in a severe degradation of their salaries - and school district revenue controls, which have forced districts to lay off teachers, increase class sizes, cut academic programs, and close schools.
At last year's WEAC RA, delegates passed a motion to conduct a statewide ballot of members on whether to call a meeting of local presidents and the WEAC Board to consider statewide action. Although a majority of members who participated voted in favor of that ballot last October, it failed on a technicality because a majority of all locals - including those who did not participate in the vote - did not vote in favor.
This year's motion does not include a statewide ballot, but takes the matter directly to a meeting of local presidents and the WEAC Board, if necessary.
Since last year's vote, Jim Doyle has been elected governor, and has included in his proposed 2003-05 budget plan a provision to repeal the QEO. The Legislature's Joint Finance Committee has taken that provision out of the budget for now, but the budget process is continuing, and WEAC members are working to get it restored. Repeal of revenue caps is not addressed in the 2003-05 budget. Doyle has said he will appoint a task force to propose major changes in the state's system of financing schools, and that task force will address the revenue control issue.
During his address Saturday, delegates gathered at the Monona Terrace Convention Center in Madison joined with Johnson in sending a very loud and clear message to legislators and others: "The QEO must go!"
Following Johnson's lead during his keynote address at WEAC's annual policy-making meeting, the delegates repeatedly chanted those words, as Johnson named specific public officials and others, then asked, "Can you hear me now?"
The list included Assembly Speaker John Gard, Senate Republican Leader Mary Panzer, and Joint Finance Committee Co-Chairs Alberta Darling and Dean Kaufert.
After the room erupted repeatedly in unison chants of "The QEO must go!," for each person mentioned, Johnson said:
"Do you think they heard us? I think they will hear us loud and clear in the next few weeks."
Johnson said the Qualified Economic Offer law "punishes the very people in this state who deserve to be rewarded … rewarded for their hard work, their dedication and, above all, their success in building one of the nation's best systems of public education."
"A quality teacher shortage is looming in Wisconsin," he said. "Every kid deserves a great school and a great teacher. The QEO is discouraging young people from entering the teaching profession. The QEO is forcing people out of the profession. The QEO is forcing experienced teachers to retire early."
Johnson said educators are close to achieving the goal of repealing the QEO law. He urged members to work actively to convince legislators of the need to eliminate the law.
"We will all be thankful we did," he said, "and so will future generations of children, and future generations of educators - educators who can live in an environment in which the education professions are finally respected and fairly rewarded - that is a world without the QEO."
On other topics, Johnson said:
The complete text of President Johnson's address
Resource page on 2003 WEAC Representative Assembly
Posted May 3, 2003