1997 Convention
Craney challenges
school boards' association
to fight for children
WEAC President Terry Craney Thursday (October 30) called on the the Wisconsin
Association of School Boards to stop fighting against teachers and start
fighting for children.
In a General Session speech to thousands of teachers and educational
support staff at the annual WEAC Convention in Milwaukee, Craney said
the school boards' statewide association has lost sight of education's
number one priority -- improving the education of children in Wisconsin.
"During the recent budget battle it was interesting to note that
the Wisconsin Association of School Boards was nowhere to be found in
fighting for modifications to revenue controls, or for improvements in
the SAGE or P-5 class size reduction programs," Craney said.
"Where were they? They were too busy fighting against the minuscule
change proposed in the Qualified Economic Offer and fighting for a proposal
to make the school calendar a permissive subject of bargaining.
"I call upon - no let me restate that - I demand that the Wisconsin
Association of School Boards stand up for children; stand up for the mission
of public education; and end its petty, destructive battle against school
employees. I call on the WASB to stand with us, shoulder to shoulder,
in the fight for the rights of Wisconsin's children; join with us in the
fight for Wisconsin's model academic standards; and join with us in the
fight for fair and adequate funding to meet these goals. ...
"It's time for local school boards to wake up to what their statewide
association is doing to their schools and to their children. It's time
to challenge them to make their state association's priorities public
education and children. I ask you to take this message back to your local
School Boards: They need to get their priorities straight. Tell them:
Be for kids -- not against teachers."
Craney also attacked the state's collective bargaining law for teachers,
known as the Qualified Economic Offer law. In 1993, the Legislature and
governor replaced the mediation-arbitration law -- which provided a non-confrontational
approach to resolving teacher-school board labor disputes -- with the
highly confrontational QEO law.
"As a result of the QEO, 20 years of labor peace has come to an
end," Craney said.
"Over two-thirds of our locals do not have settled contracts --
that's nearly 300 unsigned collective bargaining agreements -- with little
hope of settlement in the future and no process in place to resolve these
disputes peacefully."
Craney noted job actions and talk of strikes are now frequent in Wisconsin
schools. He cited conflict in Madison, New Berlin, Germantown, Racine,
Waupaca, Northland Pines, Stanley-Boyd, Janesville, and Omro.
"No teacher wants to engage in job actions," he said. "Arbitration
was always the light at the end of the tunnel when agreement could not
be reached. In 1993, that light was turned out.
"If Wisconsin is to continue to be number one in public education,
teachers must be allowed a non-confrontational process to use to settle
contracts," Craney said. "Teacher labor unrest ripped communities
apart in the 1970s. The governor and Legislature should not allow that
to happen again."
Craney also pointed out that the QEO law only applies to teachers and
that 70% of K-12 teachers are female. It has had the direct result of
holding down salaries for women.
"The QEO isn't a glass ceiling," Craney said, "it's a
brick wall."
Noting that a bill to repeal the QEO has been introduced in the Legislature,
Craney said, "The QEO must go!"
In other comments, Craney said:
- Wisconsin public schools are the best in the nation. Again this year,
Wisconsin students recorded the best scores in the nation on the ACT,
even though more students than ever are taking the test.
- WEAC strongly supports high academic standards. However, the state
is raising standards at the same time it is imposing revenue controls
on school districts and is blocking fair salary increases for teachers.
"Wisconsin cannot continue to have a world class public education
system without sufficient funding," he said.
- School district revenue controls are saddling schools and forcing
them to make cuts that are harming the education of children. A recent
survey of school district administrators (conducted by WEAC and the
Wisconsin Association of School District Administrators) revealed that:
- More than 50% of school districts in Wisconsin are delaying building
maintenance and improvement.
- More than 50% are delaying the purchase of new technology.
- Nearly 50% are delaying the hiring of new staff and reducing staff.
- More than 35% are increasing class sizes.
- Almost all are increasing teacher workloads, limiting summer programs,
and cutting programs for gifted and talented students.
Posted October 30, 1997