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Governance and Executive
WEAC has an elected president, vice-president and secretary-treasurer and an executive director who serve WEAC members full time. The president travels extensively throughout the state visiting locals and UniServs representing the 98,000 members on various task forces, commissions and partnering coalitions.
The elected president is WEAC’s chief executive officer. The president’s primary responsibility is to serve as the union’s policy leader and spokesperson. Other responsibilities include being the presiding officer for the WEAC Board of Directors and Representative Assembly, managing the governance apparatus and providing broad program oversight.
WEAC’s executive director is its chief staff officer. The executive director has the primary responsibility of carrying out the actions of the union’s governance bodies. Other responsibilities include program coordination and staff management.
Office of General Counsel
WEAC has more than a dozen lawyers with excellent reputations for effectively defending and protecting the rights of educators in the workplace. The Office of General Counsel’s (OGC) primary mission is to assist UniServ directors in the protection of member employment rights, but the OGC has also successfully litigated many cases of substantial benefit to individual members and the education profession.
WEAC’s OGC has successfully defended, in arbitration hearings and in court, many educators who have been unjustly accused of misconduct or educational malfeasance. The OGC’s strong record requires school districts to carefully weigh their options before proceeding against members. The OGC also has been successful in a number of Wisconsin court cases that benefit members, children, schools and retirees.
WEAC’s OGC also spends considerable time and effort preventing and resolving labor disputes so that members’ interests can be advanced without litigation.
Government Relations
WEAC members and staff work extensively with legislators, helping pass laws that shape education policy and improve education. The personal commitment of WEAC members to Wisconsin’s children creates a unique opportunity for WEAC to advocate for those children in the legislative arena. WEAC’s highly qualified and politically active members - located in every part of the state - are a powerful political force.
Members have been very active in the legislative process, and often participate by testifying at legislative hearings. They also meet with legislators in the state Capitol and back home, and have been increasingly active in campaigns to support and elect candidates who will work to support great schools.
Government Relations works with governance committees and the WEAC Board
of Directors to develop a proactive legislative agenda. These issues are used to “screen” candidates for public office.
Public Relations
The work of the WEAC Public Relations department celebrates members' classroom achievements and brings attention to education struggles throughout Wisconsin. The Public Relations department is centered on six important componenets:
WEAC engages in communications with an internal focus - members, and an external focus - the general public. WEAC offers assistance and information to members through local affiliate consulting and support, the award winning OnWEAC Web site and OnWEAC In Print newspaper, and member benefits programs. PR educates the public with an external focus on media relations, the Great Schools advertising campaign, and support of community and statewide education programs.
PR staff work to educate the public about the essential role of public education in Wisconsin's economy and daily life.
Member Benefits
WEAC's Member Benefits department employs a certified financial planner to counsel members about personal finance and offers members a variety of consumer discounts through the OnWEAC Savers' Club as well as special prices on theater and theme park admissions. Managing Your Financial Life group presentations are attended by several thousand members every year. Also, the planner is available for individual sessions with members who schedule them. A regular financial planning column appears in OnWEAC In Print and is available at www.weac.org.
Human Resources and Labor Relations
Human Resources is responsible for advertising, recruiting and filling staff vacancies; providing labor relation services; developing administrative rules and procedures; and providing personnel functions to WEAC and the UniServs. In addition, Human Resources administers the benefits programs for WEAC and UniServ staff.
Teaching & Learning
The Teaching & Learning department develops and delivers high-quality workshops, conferences, classes and seminars in both person-to-person and online formats; advocates for policy that will improve public education, seeks to ensure appropriate implementation of policy in support of our members, and of our state’s children; provides information and assistance to members on teaching and learning issues; conducts research and provides consultation on instruction, assessment, curriculum, licensure, staff development and education law.
The WEAC Convention is the biggest annual education in-service meeting in the state, and it is planned by Teaching & Learning staff. Held in late October, the Convention features internationally acclaimed speakers, dozens of seminars and workshops, and scores of education exhibits.
The Teaching and Learning department further supports professional practice through the Professional Development Academy (PDA). The PDA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation supported by WEAC and housed in the Teaching & Learning campus. It was created in 1991 to be a catalyst for promoting and delivering quality, meaningful staff development to members and school districts throughout Wisconsin. To accomplish this, the PDA works collaboratively within WEAC and with other agencies, associations and institutions. PDA’s main programs are the ESP Certificate for education support professionals, online classes that can be taken for graduate credit (substitute teacher training and classroom management), mentor training modules, an online tutorial in basic skills for paraeducators, and the Japanese Education Connection. A special feature is a cadre to deliver ETS/Pathwise trainings. The Academy also brokers staff development programs to districts and other education organizations. For more information, contact the PDA director at (800) 362-8034, extension 294, or visit Teaching and Learning and Professional Support on OnWEAC, in addition to the Academy's online class site at www.pdalearning.org.
Affiliate Relations
The Affiliate Relations department provides support, training, and program development for a variety of member groups, including education support professionals, Student WEA, WEAC-Retired, members in the Wisconsin Technical College System and interns. The center also coordinates UniServ service programs and a variety of training events for members and staff.
Affiliate Relations is responsible for membership growth through organizing and representation of new locals. WEAC has been one of the fastest-growing state affiliates in the nation. In recent years, the National Education Association has recognized WEAC for leading the nation in increased membership.
WEAC Summer Academy and Winter Conference
Summer Academy and Winter Conference are two opportunities for members to develop their skills in any of WEAC’s three strategic objectives: Collective Bargaining, Representation and Member Engagement; Quality Teachers, Staff, and Schools; and Public Involvement.
Summer Academy is typically held the last weekend in July. The Summer Academy is designed to develop strong foundations and competencies in each participant. It is a time for Local Associations and UniServs to develop plans for the coming school year. Members often attend as teams to enhance the spirit of collaboration and cooperation.
Winter Conference is typically in February or March with sessions on individual development and growth. These sessions are designed to be an introduction to a topic or a focus on a specialized area, and there is a large variety from which to choose.
Collective Bargaining and Research
As a labor organization, WEAC provides training and resources to help affiliates bargain local contracts. This includes training in the techniques and skills of collective bargaining.
Collective Bargaining and Research provides assistance with local bargaining crises and member and community organizing. CB&R also develops model contract language for use throughout the state and provides support for the union’s coordinated bargaining efforts.
WEAC researchers generate data on salaries, school finance and economic trends for use in collective bargaining and for a variety of purposes. Researchers also study charter schools, school privatization, federal funding and other topics that could impact the well-being of WEAC members.
Financial and Membership Services
The Financial and Membership Services department is responsible for WEAC fiscal management, UniServ accounting services, WEAC budget planning and analysis and a membership system that keeps track of its 98,000 members.
In addition, Financial and Membership Services is responsible for the WEAC building and grounds, reception activities and space management at the Madison office.
Information and Communication Technology
Information and Communication Technology staff members are responsible for the mechanics of communication, as opposed to the content created in other centers and departments.
This team manages voice, data and video capabilities and their output into documents, Web pages, and mailings. Information and Communication Technology provides equipment, service, training, and production on all media to advance WEAC's goals and objectives.
Updated August 29, 2007