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Delegates
oppose Indian logos
The 2004 WEAC Representative Assembly approved an amended resolution
opposing Indian mascots and logos in Wisconsin schools.
The amended Resolution B-16 states:
“The WEAC encourages curriculum and teaching programs that foster
respect for Wisconsin American Indian culture, history, treaty rights
and sovereignty.
“The Council recognizes that the use of American Indian mascots,
nicknames, logos and symbols within our public schools is offensive,
and has a detrimental effect on the educational achievement of American
Indian students.
“The Council supports and recommends the elimination of American
Indian mascots, nicknames, logos, fight songs, insignias, antics and
team descriptors by all Wisconsin schools.”
The change is included in the revised 2004-05 WEAC Resolutions document,
which includes 110 resolutions that present the opinions, intents, beliefs
and positions of the organization.
In other action at WEAC’s annual meeting of nearly 1,000 delegates
from throughout the state:
Bylaws
The RA approved a housekeeping amendment to Bylaw 1-1 h. It changes
the word “sex” to “gender,” changes “religion”
to “creed,” and strikes the word “color” because
it is redundant to the word “race.”
Elections
The delegates:
Budget and dues
The RA approved a $22.4 million 2004-05 budget. It includes full-time
dues of $261 plus $19.99 in Political Action Committee dues. Other dues
were set at $25 annual and $150 lifetime for WEAC-Retired, and $11 for
Student WEA.
Scholarships
WEAC President Stan Johnson and Gwendolyn Shaw-Scott, a member of the
WEAC Scholarship Review Committee, presented WEAC scholarships to four
outstanding high school seniors who are going to pursue education careers.
Each winner is the daughter of a WEAC member. Each receives a grant
of $1,450 per year for four years of college or university study, as
long as they remain eligible. Photos of the presentations can be found
in the photo gallery on the main RA page. The
winners are:
Stan Johnson
In an address to the Representative Assembly, WEAC President Stan Johnson
talked about how he became active in the union after his teaching colleagues
in Stoughton talked him into attending WEAC’s Summer Conference.
“I listened and I started to understand the importance of the union,”
he said.
The union, he said, fights for its members and also for the students
we educate. Over the years, he said, WEAC members have joined together
to fight for fair share, collective bargaining, and many other rights.
Today, we continue by fighting for fair salaries and school funding
and much more, and against the QEO, TABOR, the ESEA, voucher schools,
revenue caps and more.
The RA, he said, represents the democratic ideals of the organization.
Sometimes we disagree, he said, “But one thing we have in common
is we see a brighter future not only for us but for the children we
teach.”
Terry Meyer
WEAC Vice President Terry Meyer said he was proud to be able to work
with members “to make this union unbreakable in the face of attacks
from all sides ... and to make this union the strongest it’s ever
been.”
He said some local associations are working hard to organize members
against anti-public education forces but “these little pockets
of resistance are not enough.”
“Unless we organize, unless we stand together united in our solidarity,
we cannot hold them off,” he said.
Mark Cebulski
NEA Executive Committee member Mark Cebulski, of Cedarburg, said the
federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act, often misleadingly referred
to as the No Child Left Behind law, “was meant to make a complete
mess out of public education ... and then put the blame on us.”
“This law has failed,” Cebulski said.
He said educators have one message for those who created the ESEA:
“Fix it, fund it, or forget it.”
“We must take back public education,” Cebulski said. “We
must take back the White House.”
Tom Barrett
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett welcomed delegates to his city and said
he supports strong public schools. “It is imperative,” he
said, “that we do a better job of putting resources into education
for our children.”
Human Relations Month
At the RA, Governor Doyle presented WEAC Human Relations Committee Chair
Ken Flood and WEAC President Stan Johnson a plaque proclaiming December
Human Relations Month in Wisconsin.The WEAC Human Relations Committee
had requested the proclamation.
Posted April 29, 2004