WEAC has joined with other WTCS stakeholders in opposing AB 246 for a number of reasons. First, no evidence has been presented to suggest that imposing statewide curricula or admissions standards will help solve the shortage of healthcare workers. Rather, policymakers wanting to increase the number of WTCS graduates in the health occupations should expand capacity by investing additional resources in the WTCS health occupation programs.

Second, statewide curriculum removes curricular decisions from faculty, staff and advisory committee members with close links to the community they serve. As a result, a district’s curricula will be less responsive to the unique needs of the regions and communities served by that district. Full alignment of curricula on a statewide basis impairs the ability of districts to meet the labor market and training demands of local employers and students.

Third, statewide curriculum limits flexibility. If AB 246 is passed, individual WTCS districts will find it much more difficult to fine-tune their curricula to address local issues. WEAC believes part of the value of the WTCS stems from the flexibility to quickly make curricular changes in response to local conditions.

Finally, local districts adjust admissions standards regularly so as to maximize program capacity. This sort of fine-tuning will be impossible with statewide admissions standards. Therefore, statewide admissions standards may actually mean that WTCS districts become less efficient. Admissions standards are inherently a local district decision.

Members are urged to use the Cyberlobby tool on OnWEAC Members Only to encourage Governor Doyle to veto AB 246. Background information and talking points will be available on the Cyberlobby site.