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If you have information you would like posted on this Bulletin Board, please e-mail it to Editor Bill Hurley
April 2000 postings
Commemorative Staff Award information
The Cunningham, Dickenson, Watson Commemorative Staff Award is to be presented at the annual WEAC Convention. The staff person receiving the award will be judged on the following criteria; "Actions, ideas, initiatives, and/or consistent performance that has enabled Members in Wisconsin to better themselves and advance the level of public education."
Eligibility for the award is open to anyone employed by WEAC or its affiliates. This includes state, regional, UniServ, or local staff. Nominations must be returned to the WEAC office no later than July 3, 2000. Nominations WILL NOT BE considered unless typed.
February 2000 postings
Outreach, School Bell deadlines change
The annual School Bell and Outreach awards have a new submission date. All entries must be received by April 7, 2000. Please call WEAC at (800) 362-8034, extension 224, if you have questions regarding the 2000 School Bell and Outreach Awards. The awards will be announced at the 2000 WEAC Convention Awards Banquet next October in Madison.
December 1999 postings
Deadline for NEA delegate declarations is January 5
The 2000 NEA Convention will be held July 1-6, 2000
in Chicago, Illinois. The 2001 NEA Convention will be held in Los Angeles,
California. Members of WEAC will elect delegates to the NEA Representative
Assembly for a two-year term in March 2000. Members planning to seek election
as delegates are required to file their declaration of candidacy in the
office of the WEAC Executive Director, postmarked no later than January
5, 2000.
More information and printable
forms.
2000 WEA Art Showcase opens August 7
The next WEA Art Showcase will be August 7 through October 27, 2000, at the WEA Insurance Group building in Madison (45 Nob Hill Road). The WEA Art Showcase recognizes WEAC artists and allows the WEA Insurance Group and WEAC to purchase and display member art. Informational brochures containing entry rules and pre-registration forms will be mailed to Wisconsin art educators, association presidents, WEAC and WEA Insurance Board members, and UniServ Directors at the end of January. If you have any questions regarding the 2000 Art Showcase, please e-mail Shelley Paquette, Art Show administrator, at shelley_paquette@mail.weains.com or call 800-279-4000, Extension 2238.
November 1999 Postings
Harry K. Wong to speak at March 11 IPD / QuEST Conference
Motivational speaker Harry K. Wong will lead the 2000 WEAC Instruction and Professional Development Conference March 11 at the Milwaukee Hiilton Hotel. The conference is again combined with the Wisconsin Federation of Teachers' QuEST Conference. Wong, whose expertise is in classroom management and student motivation, is one of the most dynamic speakers in education today. In more than three decades in the classroom, Wong developed methods that caused him to have no discipline problems, a zero dropout rate, a 95% homework turn-in factor, and the ability to demonstrate matery learning for each of his students. Wong leaves his audiences with practical, useful techniques on how to succeed in the classroom. Wong has more than 30 publications including a leading book in education on classroom management, a science textbook series, a video and audio tape series, three films, and numerous magazine and journal articles to his credit.
October 1999 Postings
CAUS-North celebrates its 25th anniversary
The Capital Area UniServ-North celebrated its 25th anniversary
in style October 4 in Sun Prairie. WEAC Executive Director Michael Butera,
WEAC President Terry Craney and former WEAC Presidents Carmen Stout and
Dick Collins were among those paying tribute to the unit. “Whenever
the clarion call went out, CAUS-North has been there,” Craney said.
He commended the unit for its school improvement and legislative programs,
including its high-profile election-year Political Fairs, the brainchild
of current CAUS-North President Carol Albright Gobeli. Citing the record
of accomplishment, Butera said: “You demonstrate what solidarity
is all about.”
Photo
Join NEA at youth violence, substance abuse conference
NEA, along with education organizations, law enforcement
agencies, and community institutions will gather in Orlando, Fla., next
month to discuss efforts to reduce the effects of youth violence and substance
abuse. Participants at the "Second Joint National School/Community Conference
on Youth Violence and Substance Abuse" will learn how to build collaborations,
examine prevention and intervention programs, and address legal and policy
issues. NEA Director of Special Projects E. Lamar Haynes will chair the
Nov. 18-20 conference organized by the Safe Schools Coalition., Inc.
http://www.ed.mtu.edu/safe
WEAC Scholarship deadline is February 20
The deadline for applying for the four 2000 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: an active WEAC member, an active retired member, or 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 Representative 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.
Holiday Card Competition deadline is November 1
The deadline for the WEAC Holiday Card Competition is November 1. Student work, K-12, is eligible. Every art teacher may submit one entry. The winning entry will be used as the official WEAC Holiday Card. Entries must be no smaller than 5x7 or larger than 22x28; they must be black and white or black, white and one color; they can be any 2-D medium; and the subject may be any original, non-religious motif. Print out entry form below, complete it and submit it with entry to: Ann Caruso, WEAC, P.O. Box 8003, Madison WI 53708-8003.
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Student ___________________________________ Grade _______ Age _____ Address School ___________________________________ Art teacher _____________ School Address ________________________________________ ________________________________________ This work is original and was done solely by the student, Signed - Student __________________________________________ Signed - Teacher __________________________________________ |
September 1999 Postings
SPRING program focuses on new members
The figures are startling: Nearly one-fourth of all new teachers leave the classroom in the first three years and nearly 10% leave in the first year. Often, according to WEAC staff member Nancy Clark, the problem is the new teachers lack a support system. They don’t know where to turn, and they are unaware of the help their union can provide. It is for that reason that WEAC has developed the SPRING program to help new members adjust to the profession and help local associations build positive relationships with new members.
“The
vast majority of our leaders are veteran education employees,” said
Clark, who is SPRING coordinator. “Many worked hard to establish
contracts, collective bargaining rights and secure health benefits. Our
new members come into an association in which these hard-fought gains
already are in place and do not have this experience with the association.
New members need to given opportunities to become acquainted with their
local and its history, other members, association services and advocacy,
and ways to become actively involved.”
SPRING is an acronym that reflects the project’s goals:
As project coordinator, Clark assists local associations in meeting these goals. She may be contacted at 1-800-362-8034, ext. 274, or by e-mail at: clarkn@weac.org.
NEA asks schools to recite no-taunting pledge
Delegates to the NEA Representative Assembly in Orlando held a memorial July 3 for the students and educators killed last year in American schools. The session began with a moving video memorial to victims of school shootings. Then, Colorado Education Association President Beverly Ausfahl made a powerful impression on RA delegates by reciting the “No-Taunting Pledge.” NEA encourages all schools to ask their students to take the pledge. “It’s important to sensitize our staff and youngsters to the importance of accepting diversity,” said delegate Rosalee Tithof, a high school teacher from the Chesaning Education Association in Michigan. “Accepting diversity is one key to ending the violence.”
For more information about the RA memorial, go to: www.nea.org/ra/ra99/memorial.html
News & Views is now 'householded'
WEAC has recently made a change in the News & Views mailing list so that only one copy is delivered to a single address. This process is called “householding.” To save members’ dues money, homes in which two WEAC members reside now are receiving only one copy of News & Views.
August 1999 Postings
Coretta Scott King highlights 1999 WEAC Convention
Social justice and civil rights activist Coretta Scott King is the keynote speaker at the 1999 WEAC Convention. The Convention is October 28-29 at the Midwest Express Convention Center in Milwaukee. King, who is the widow of slain civil rights leader Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., is a strong advocate of equal education opportunities. She is the founder of The King Center, which was established in 1968 as a living memorial dedicated to preserving the legacy of her husband, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and promoting the elimination of poverty, racism and war through research, education and training in Kingian nonviolence.
NEA President Bob Chase to speak at All Officers Meeting
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NEA President Bob Chase is the keynote speaker at the 1999 All-Officers Meeting September 24-25 at the Regency Suites in Green Bay (formerly Embassy Suites). Friday evening is scheduled to be a working session followed by a reception with hot and cold hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar. The Saturday session will include a keynote address by Chase; a panel discussion on Great Schools with representatives from Wisconsin PTA, Institute for Wisconsin's Future, and Wisconsin Citizen Action; regional meetings with Great Schools regional coordinators; a legislative update; and sectionals on various topics. The sectionals will cover the following topics: Local Presidents/NEA Connection; Local Treasurers; Member Benefits; Member-to-Member communication; School-Community Visions; Project SPRING: New Member Project; and OnWEAC demonstration.
April 1999 Postings
Representative Assembly will observe Hortonville anniversary
Twenty-five years ago this spring the Hortonville teachers’ strike was in its full fury. To honor the 84 teachers who lost their jobs in that historic conflict, two events are scheduled at the WEAC Representative Assembly. On Friday evening, April 23, the former Hortonville teachers are invited to a social get-together in conjunction with the WEAC candidates’ reception, which will begin at 9 p.m. in the Empire Room of the Downtown Hilton. RA delegates are welcome to attend. Former Hortonville teachers are also invited to attend the opening session of the RA on Saturday morning where delegates will honor them with an official WEAC tribute. More on the RA and Hortonville
WEAC sponsors high school tournaments
WEAC sponsored starting lineups and ran advertisements
this year for boys and girls state tournament games. 
In a unique approach
to sponsorship, televised games opened with the “WEAC Starting Lineup,”
which included pictures of the players underneath the WEAC logo and a
promotional message, such as the one at left: “Wisconsin high school
seniors are the first in the nation on pre-college exams.” WEAC also
ran ads during broadcasts, promoting the value of public schools. The
most highly visible ads ran during the girls’ state high school basketball
tournament March 11-13 and the boys’ state high school basketball
tournament March 18-20. WEAC also ran ads during the state high school
hockey tournament March 6, and will also help sponsor the delayed broadcast
of the state high school wrestling tournament April 11. That broadcast
is referred to as the Wrestling Showcase.
You can 'raise your hand' for public schools at the State Fair
Want to meet hundreds of people at the Wisconsin State Fair while promoting Wisconsin public schools? This is your opportunity. WEAC is looking for volunteers to staff the organization’s very popular State Fair Exhibit. The fair runs August 5-15. The booth is open daily from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., with each day divided into three shifts. Volunteers are paired either with another volunteer, a WEAC staff member, or a colleague you specify. Volunteers stand or sit behind the exhibit table and help distribute brochures and other materials which are made available to fair-goers. Volunteers also assist children who want to color hand-shaped pieces of heavy paper that contain positive messages. This exhibit has proven very popular over the years and is an excellent way to educate the public about the successes of public education in Wisconsin. All volunteers receive parking and admission to the fair, a T-shirt, a map of the grounds, and an events schedule. Refreshments also are provided. If you are interested, please let us know the following as soon as possible:
Leave the information with Lori Schweitzer, secretary at the WEAC Brookfield office. She can be reached at 1-800-354-7816.
NEA delegate registration forms due April 10
Wisconsin delegate registration forms for the NEA Representative Assembly are due at WEAC by April 10. They should be sent to Dianne Hellenbrand at WEAC, 33 Nob Hill Drive, PO Box 8003, Madison, WI 53708-8003.
Speaker at MAC Conference urges more coalitions
Anti-education forces are using race as a wedge to destroy public education, an institution that is important to all Americans, especially low- and middle-income families, participants were told at WEAC’s annual Minority Affairs Committee Conference. Frank Empsak, of the University of Wisconsin Extension School for Workers, cited the example of Milwaukee private school vouchers, which have a fair amount of support within the minority community even though it is in the best interest of that community to focus on building a strong, well-funded public school system. Empsak also said tax-cutting proposals are attractive to everyone but ultimately harm public institutions, such as schools, that provide essential services. In a group discussion, conference participants concluded that Wisconsin’s tax system is regressive and the primary beneficiaries of tax cuts and school district revenue controls are the wealthy and corporations. Empsak also emphasized the need for WEAC and other education unions to reach out to their allies and build strong and effective coalitions. About 100 people attended this year’s conference in Oconomowoc. They participated in spirited small group discussions of many issues, including the role of WEAC and other unions in protecting public education. Members of WEAC’s Minority Affairs Committee served as facilitators during the daylong discussions.
March 1999 Postings
Representative Assembly set for April 23-25
Plans are nearing completion for the 1999 WEAC Representative Assembly. This year’s RA is April 23-25 at the Midwest Express Center in Milwaukee. Delegates will vote on a variety of issues, including the annual WEAC budget, resolutions and new business items.
Delegates will also take up the result of a new business item from last year. The 1998 Representative Assembly’s New Business Item 4 called for creation of an advisory council on strategies to repeal or modify revenue controls and the Qualified Economic Offer law. The council met over the last year, and its report is now ready for RA action. The report calls for an initiative to inform the public about the success of Wisconsin’s public schools while defining revenue controls and the QEO as barriers to educational quality in public schools. The initiative would change public perceptions about public education; engage members, parents, school officials and community leaders in dialogues about creating “great schools;” and create a climate for the election of pro-education candidates.
Delegate packets will be mailed to UniServs the week of March 29.
Entries being accepted for School Bell, Outreach awards
WEAC members should watch the mail for calls for entries for two major WEAC award programs. Outreach and School Bell award information will be distributed this spring. Outreach awards recognize WEAC locals and UniServs for public relations programs that improve the public and self image of Wisconsin teachers and educational support staff. School Bell awards recognize news reporters, broadcasters and high school journalists for excellence in reporting and analyzing public education news. The awards are presented at the Awards Banquet during the WEAC Convention.
January 1999 Postings
WEAC staff award nominations due February 15
Nominations are due February 15 for the Cunningham, Dickinson, Watson Commemorative Staff Award to recoginize the work of a WEAC or UniServ employee. Nominations must be sent to the WEAC president's office at P.O. Box 8003, Madison WI, 53708. The award recognizes a staff person for initiative, ideas, actions, or consistent performance that has enabled teachers in Wisconsin to better themselves and advance the level of public education. Nominations may be made by:
Members of UniServ units and local associations through the office of UniServ or local president.
Members of the WEAC Board of Directors.
Anyone employed by WEAC or its affiliates (includes professional, associate, management, UniServ or local staff).
Eligibility for the award is open to anyone employed by WEAC or its affiliates (includes professional, associate, management, UniServ or local staff). A subcommittee will present its recommendations to the Board of Directors.
December 1998 Postings
Lewandowski award nominations being accepted
Nominations are being accepted until January 31 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 Egan-Waukau at WEAC’s Brookfield office, 800-354-7816.
Eric Jensen highlights IPD / QuEST Conference February 27
Author and teacher Eric Jensen, an expert on reaching the “hard-to-reach,” is the featured presenter at a daylong conference February 27 at the Radisson Inn in Green Bay. The annual WEAC Instruction and Professional Development Conference is again combined with the Wisconsin Federation of Teachers’ QuEST Conference. Jensen will discuss learning styles, applications of brain research, motivation and accelerated learning. He has written several books, including “Brain-Based Learning,” “Completing the Puzzle,” “Brain-Compatible Strategies,” and “Joyful Fluency.” Jensen has taught at the elementary, middle and high school levels. He has taught at three universities as an adjunct professor and now provides training, inservices, retreats and related consulting work as a master teacher, trainer and visionary. His lively non-technical presentation challenges educator assumptions about stress, enrichment, attention, sleep, discipline, learning and memory. Jensen will make the links between breakthroughs in brain research and your everyday classroom applications. Application forms are in the December News & Views, or you can request one by e-mailing Ann Reynolds-Blabaum at reynoldsa@weac.org.
Minority Conference explores labor issues
The Minority Affairs Committee’s annual Winter Leadership Conference will be February 12-13 at the Olympia Resort in Oconomowoc. 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 adjacent form by January 9. WEAC cannot guarantee rooms for late registrations. All participants must include a check for $15, which will be returned to you uncashed when you attend the conference. This year’s workshop will be presented by the School for Workers at the University of Wisconsin Extension. Participants will consider the tension between professionalism and unionism. In doing so, they will confront many of the following topics: the origins of the labor movement and collective bargaining, labor and human rights, justice and the American work place, labor unions and America’s ethnic minorities, and the future of organized labor and collective bargaining. The conference also features a speaker and social hour Friday evening and a chance to caucus. Equivalency clock hours will be available from the Department of Public Instruction. 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. Application forms are in the December News & Views, or you can request one by e-mailing Dianne Hellenbrand at hellenbrandd@weac.org.
Summer Conference is moving to Whitewater
The WEAC Summer Conference is moving again. The 1999 conference will be at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater campus August 1-5. For a brochure, send a request with your name, address and local association to Gerene Nelson at WEAC, P.O. Box 8003, Madison WI 53708, or call 800-362-8034, extension 268, or e-mail to: nelsong@weac.org.
"Justice for All" Conference is February 26-27
The Human Relations Committee’s “... And Justice For All” Conference is February 26-27 at the Grand Milwaukee Hotel in Milwaukee. For more information, contact Anne Egan-Waukau at 1-800-354-7816 or waukaua@brookfield.weac.org.
Poster contest theme is “The Gift of Peace”
The theme for this year’s WEAC Human Relations Committee’s 4th grade poster contest is “The Gift of Peace.” The contest’s purpose is to address the issue of Native American racism and to promote the celebration of the Native American culture. Entries are due January 22 and must be sent to local association presidents.
Nomination deadlines nearing
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, 1999. 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, 1999. You may submit proposals by e-mail, as well as by regular mail. Proposed changes to the WEAC resolutions may be e-mailed to hurleyb@weac.org. Proposed changes to the Constitution and Bylaws may be e-mailed to carusoa@weac.org. 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.
Countdown begins for Read Across America
December marks a busy month for Read Across America preparations. The Cat in the Hat again is the centerpiece of the program. Read Across America will be held March 2, when every child in every school in every community is asked to celebrate Dr. Seuss’s 95th birthday by reading with a caring adult. UniServs are now taking orders for Read Across America bookmarks and stickers and Dr. Seuss apparel. OnWEAC also will soon have an area devoted to the Read Across America project.
November 1998 Postings
WEAC Scholarship deadline is February 20
The deadline for applying for the four 1999 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:
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 Representative 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.
October 1998 Postings
Holiday Card entries are due November 1
The deadline is November 1 for entries in the WEAC Holiday Card Competition. The winning entry will be used as the official WEAC Holiday Card. Every art teacher may submit one entry from a student in kindergarten through 12th grade. The entry must be no smaller than 5” x 7” or larger than 22” x 28”. Entries may be black and white or black, white and one color. Any two-dimensional medium is accepted, and the subject may be any original, non-religious motif. Entry forms are in the WEAC Convention program. For more information, contact Ann Caruso at 800-362-8034, extension 219 or e-mail her at: carusoa@weac.org.
September 1998 Postings
All Officers Meeting is September 25
The focus of this year's All Officers Meeting is trends. The meeting is September 25-26 at the Paper Valley Inn in Appleton. Participants will hear ideas on meeting the challenges facing public education. Local presidents, vice presidents, presidents-elect, and secretary-treasurers are invited to attend the meeting. Each local officer is encouraged to bring another member - someone who may develop into a future leader, or someone who serves as a key local committee member. The conference begins at 7:30 p.m. Friday, September 25, with a welcome and reception with WEAC President Terry Craney. The program continues with “The Winds of Change,” a discussion of trend research for education and a scenario exercise. Friday night concludes with a presentation on Campaign ‘98 and a reception with some of the candidates for political office. Saturday features “Confronted with Possible Extinction,” a corporate story about Harley-Davidson. The day continues with small group discussions and special interest sectionals. For more information, or to register, contact Dianne Hellenbrand at 800-362-8034, extension 262.
Hispanic Caucus meets at Convention
The WEAC Hispanic Caucus will meet at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, October 29, at the Sheraton Hotel in Madison. The meeting is during the WEAC Convention.
Dates set for meetings, conferences
These dates have been scheduled for upcoming WEAC meetings and conferences:
Bulletin board archives:
