WEAC, education community ready for hearing on tax freeze
WEAC members, parents, administrators, local government officials and technical college representatives will show up in full force Tuesday at a hastily called hearing on a proposed statewide property tax freeze.
"The Legislature's Joint Finance Committee late last week scheduled a public hearing with just a few days for the public to prepare," WEAC President Stan Johnson said. "In spite of the late notice, the education community is ready to speak out and explain how a freeze would devastate public education at all levels."
Johnson said a freeze would inflict immediate and massive harm on Wisconsin's great schools and staff.
http://www.weac.org/News/update/2004-05/1_31/1.htm
Great Schools Community Sessions assistance available
WEAC local leaders can contact their UniServ presidents and directors to start planning for their Great Schools Community Sessions. The events are part of the Great Schools Statewide Action Plan, which calls for locals to hold sessions with their state legislators to discuss critical issues like school funding, state-imposed revenue controls and the Qualified Economic Offer law.
"Locals will gather by legislative district and invite their legislators to discuss their positions on these issues," WEAC President Stan Johnson said. "This is a new way to bring communities together with their lawmakers and generate real discussions."
Johnson said the sessions are different than the legislative dinners and breakfasts that many UniServs conduct.
http://www.weac.org/News/update/2004-05/1_31/2.htm WASB modifies Action Plan resolution
School board members from throughout Wisconsin adopted a modified version of WEAC Great Schools Statewide Action Plan resolutions on school funding.
Delegates at WASB's annual convention altered the organization's position on the Qualified Economic Offer law.
The position formerly linked continued support for the QEO only to the existence of revenue limits.
http://www.weac.org/News/update/2004-05/1_31/3.htm UW-Madison campus tours available
Through a partnership with WEAC, the UW-Madison Campus Information and Visitor Center has produced field trip planning guides for elementary school teachers throughout Wisconsin.
http://www.weac.org/News/update/2004-05/1_31/4.htm NEA hosts seminar on building strong associations
The National Education Association is hosting a weeklong seminar for members on building strong local associations.
"Strong Affiliates: Organized for Membership and Collective Action" is April 6-10 at the Hyatt Regency St. Louis Hotel.
http://www.weac.org/News/update/2004-05/1_31/5.htm |
|
Wisconsin residents value the contributions of public school teachers and education support professionals, according to a survey released last week. Seventy-seven percent of Wisconsin residents gave the state's public school teachers a positive rating in the new survey, up from 73% in 2002 and 66% in 1998. Sixty-nine percent gave a positive rating to school support staff such as teacher aides, secretaries, bus drivers, cooks and custodians. That is up from 66% in 2002. http://www.weac.org/News/2004-05/jan05/survey.htm
A school ordered out of the Milwaukee private school voucher program because of safety concerns is still open. The Department of Public Instruction last week dropped Academic Solutions Center for Learning from the voucher program following a series of student fights that prompted police calls. The school also reportedly has not paid teachers. "This is yet another example of voucher schools operating in the dark until a crisis brings problems to light," WEAC President Stan Johnson said. "Voucher schools are unaccountable to the public even though they receive millions of dollars in taxpayer money. The public only hears about problems when they are so serious that the media cover them." The school says it will appeal the DPI order and will operate without state funding. http://www.weac.org/News/2004-05/jan05/ascl.htm |
|
This electronic e-mail is provided as a service of the Wisconsin Education Association Council, P.O. Box 8003, Madison WI, 53708, 608-276-7711. You are receiving this e-mail either because you have provided your e-mail address to WEAC or you have specifically signed up to receive it. WEAC collects e-mail addresses of members through membership sign-up materials, at conferences, via registrations on the OnWEAC Members Only site, and through other online registrations and subscription forms. Membership data, including e-mail addresses, are updated at least once a year on September 1.
WEAC members can easily unsubscribe to this newsletter at: http://www.weac.org/unsubscribe/unsubscribe.cfm?Ezine=OnWEAC Update.
OnWEAC Update is e-mailed once a week, usually on Monday. Missed an issue? Visit our OnWEAC Update archive at http://www.weac.org/update.
