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The following openings are available on WEAC committees for the coming year:
If you are interested in applying for these vacancies, please contact Ann Caruso in the Madison office at: 1-800-362-8034, ext. 219 or carusoa@weac.org.
Applications are now being accepted for the second Great Teachers Seminar, to be held July 26-29 at Sinsinawa Mound Center in southwestern Wisconsin. The seminar is hosted by the WEA Professional Development Academy. The seminar focuses on three topics:
It is based on the premise that great teachers learn best from one another, that they are the experts, and that their collective wisdom is greater than their individual wisdom. With the idea that creativity comes from diversity, educators from all grade levels, content areas and years of experience are encouraged to attend. This includes counselors and various educational specialists. Rules governing the seminar call for positive, affirming problem-solving behaviors. No griping, whining or telling war stories is allowed. The seminar will be led by David B. Gottshall, founder of the National Great Teachers Movement, and Rita Lease, Wisconsin coordinator and instructor at the Southwest Wisconsin Technical College in Fennimore. Former retreat participants also will serve as facilitators. The $195 fee includes three nights’ stay, nine meals, materials and conference costs. Department of Public Instruction clock hours will be awarded. Participants will have the option of earning 1 undergraduate or 1 graduate credit through the University of Wisconsin-Stout. Applications will not be accepted and refunds will not be issued after July 10. The seminar begins at 5 p.m. Sunday, July 26, and concludes at 1 p.m. Wednesday, July 29. Enrollment is limited, so apply early. Checks must accompany the application and must be made payable to the WEA Professional Development Academy, Inc. Send your check with your name, teaching assignment, school, school address, home address and phone number to:
For more information, contact PDA Director Debra Berndt at 1-800-362-8034, extension 294 or e-mail berndtd@weac.org.
The 1998 WEAC Summer Conference is August 2-6 at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. The conference is moving from its traditional site at Ripon College.
The deadline for applying for the four 1998 WEAC Scholarships is February 20. Scholarship winners will receive grants of $1,450 per year for four years of college or university study, if they remain eligible. Only high school seniors are eligible to apply, and only if a parent qualifies in one of these membership categories: (A) an active WEAC member, (B) an active retired member, or (C) a parent who died while holding a WEAC membership. In addition, the student must rank in the top 25% of his or her class or have achieved a 3.0 cumulative grade point average (based on a non-weighted 4.0 scale) at the time of application, plan to pursue an education major or minor, and intend to teach in Wisconsin. The WEAC Scholarship was established to encourage children of WEAC members to enter the education field. Winners are chosen by a selection committee composed of five active members of WEAC affiliates, appointed by the president with the concurrence of the WEAC Board of Directors. The committee gives first priority consideration to four criteria: grade point average; an essay, not to exceed 300 words, written by the applicant; letters of recommendation; and school and community activities. The selection committee may consider other criteria, including financial need. Winners are awarded their scholarships at the annual WEAC Rep-resentative Assembly in late April. Each year, one of the four scholarships is designated the Kathy Mann Memorial Scholarship and is awarded to a minority student. If no minority student applies or meets the criteria, a fourth WEAC scholarship is awarded instead. Application forms have been sent to all high school counselors in Wisconsin. The scholarship form may be photocopied. For additional copies, contact Mavis Larson at WEAC. You may write to her at P.O. Box 8003, Madison, Wis., 53708, or call 1-800-362-8034 or 608-276-7711, or e-mail her at larsonm@weac.org.
The 1998 Instruction and Professional Development / QuEST Conference
will focus on one of the hottest topics in education today: brain research.
The conference is April 8 at the Olympia Spa & Resort in Oconomowoc.
Participants
will explore the philosophy of the brain, discover what happens when someone
learns, explore the relationship between memory and learning, and articulate
the principles of brain-compatible instruction. The conference is designed
to help develop strategies for improving student learning. The main presenter
is Dr. Judy Stevens, superintendent of the Spring Branch School District
in Houston, Texas. Stevens is a proponent of Brain-Based Learning, which
is an orchestrated approach to learning based on the latest brain research.
The Brain-Based Learning strategy has been developed by Eric and Diane
Jensen. The registration deadline is March 25. The registration fee is
$15 for members and $25 for non-members. For more information, contact
Ann Reynolds-Blabaum at 1-800-362-8034,
extention 217.
The Human Relations Committee’s annual “...And Justice for All” conference will be February 27-28 at the Milwaukee Marriott in Brookfield. The conference features Anne O'Brien, author and illustrator who is active in diversity work, including Prejudice Reduction and Leadership Development; Juaney Lynn, of the National Education Association; and Chinese lion dancing. To register or for more information, contact Anne Egan-Waukau at 1-800-354-7816, extension 109.
WEAC has two new publications available to members. “The QEO: What is it?” explains the QEO law and its effect upon public schools in Wisconsin. The publication discusses the major issues involving the QEO and its impact on teachers and public education. It is available from WEAC’s Communications Division at (800) 362-8034, ext. 224. Multiple copies were also sent to UniServ offices. The other publication, “Understanding the New Proficiency Scores,” describes proficiency scoring for teachers to share with parents. It explains proficiency scoring and what it means to students and parents, along with tips for family involvement in children’s schooling. To order copies, fax request forms sent to local presidents to WEAC’s IPD Division at 608-276-8203. Information from both brochures also is available on OnWEAC at the links above.
Nominations are being accepted for the Richard J. Lewandowski Memorial Award for Humanitarian Activities. The award, which is presented annually at the WEAC Representative Assembly, goes to a member, group of members, or local WEAC affiliate. They can be recognized for one or more of these activities:
For complete information or a nomination form, contact Anne Waukau at WEAC’s Brookfield office, 800-354-7816, extension 109.
This year’s annual Instruction and Professional Development / QuEST Conference will be April 4, 1998, at the Olympia Spa & Resort in Oconomowoc. The conference is a joint venture of WEAC and the Wisconsin Federation of Teachers. This year’s feature speaker is Judy Stevens, superintendent of the Spring Branch School District in Houston, Texas. Stevens is a proponent of Brain-Based Learning, which is an orchestrated approach to learning based on the latest brain research. The Brain-Based Learning strategy has been developed by Eric and Diane Jensen.
The Minority Affairs Committee’s annual Winter Leadership Conference will be February 6-7 at the Paper Valley Hotel in Appleton. The conference provides WEAC’s African-, Hispanic-, Asian-, and Native-American members with the skills to become involved in the association. Attendees will get Saturday breakfast and lunch and lodging on Friday evening (double occupancy). Return the completed form in the December issue of News & Views to WEAC by January 6. If your registration is late, WEAC cannot guarantee rooms. This year, the Minority Affairs Committee is requiring all participants to include a check for $15, which will be returned to you when you attend the conference. Sectionals include: Discussion about the New Unionism; Collective Bargaining Update; Charter Schools and Public School Choice; Running an Effective Meeting; Proposed Changes in Teacher Licensure; Standards, Assessment, and the High School Graduation Test; and Minority Representation on the WEAC Board. The conference also features entertainment and a social hour on Friday evening and an opportunity to caucus. WEAC will pay for lodging Friday, on the basis of double occupancy. Both occupants must submit a registration form or WEAC will select a roommate for you.
The Human Relations Committee's annual “...And Justice for All” conference will be February 27-28 at the Milwaukee Marriott in Brookfield. To register or for more information, contact Anne Waukau at 1-800-354-7816, extension 109.
Entries are due January 22 for the WEAC Human Relations Committee’s annual 4th-grade poster contest. The purpose of the contest is to address the issue of anti-Native American racism in a positive educational fashion which attempts to sensitize students to Native American culture. This year’s theme is “The wisdom of the elders.” The contest is open to all 4th-grade students in Wisconsin public schools. Artwork can be presented in any two-dimensional media. Size must be 12 inches by 18 inches. For complete entry information, contact Anne Waukau at WEAC, 800-354-7816, extension 109.
To order a packet of information with ideas for celebrating Human Relations Month in January, contact Anne Waukau at 800-354-7816, extension 109.
You can now browse the WEAC Human Relations Library catalog on OnWEAC. Go to www.WEAC.org, click on Education Resources, then Human Relations Committee.
Anyone interested in making a nomination for NEA Director (3-year term), or Alternate NEA Director (1-year term) must submit a form to the executive director's office by February 23, 1998. Forms are available from the executive director’s office. Also, proposed new resolutions and amendments to the WEAC Constitution and Bylaws or standing rules must be in the office of the WEAC executive director by January 22, 1998. WEAC members proposing amendments are asked to observe the following points carefully:
Nomination forms and forms for making proposed changes are available from Ann Caruso at the WEAC Madison office, P. O. Box 8003, Madison, Wis., 53708. NEA RA Delegates The 1998 NEA Convention will be held July 1-6 in New Orleans. The 1999 NEA Convention will be held in Orlando. WEAC members will elect delegates to the NEA Representative Assembly for a two-year term in March 1998. Members planning to seek election as delegates must file their declaration of candidacy in the office of the WEAC executive director by January 5, 1998. It is the policy of NEA that the delegation from each state to the NEA Representative Assembly shall include ethnic minority delegates in numbers commensurate with the population of the state, and WEAC is committed to the achievement of this goal. The WEAC Board has approved and submitted to the NEA its plan to achieve ethnic minority representation pursuant to NEA Bylaw 3-1 (g). You can help by encouraging minorities to seek election as state and/or local delegates. Please note that NEA members in the non-supervisory active and educational support personnel (ESP) categories are eligible to run as delegates and to vote. Forms for declaration of candidacy and for submission of candidacy information for publication in News & Views can be obtained from your local president, UniServ office or by calling Ann Caruso at WEAC at 1-800-362-8034, extension 219.