Agenda for Great Schools

Every kid deserves a great school. Great schools place kids in classrooms that work, depend on great teachers and staff, and benefit everyone. For our state to prosper we need a strong education system; and for education to prosper, we need an economically vibrant state.

The 2007-08 WEAC Legislative Agenda is designed with these goals in mind. This agenda is based on principles we call our Agenda for Great Schools. These principles will guide our organization when we take positions on legislation. They will also provide guidance for WEAC representatives who serve on major policy-recommending bodies. The guiding principles are:

• Creation of a new system to adequately and equitably fund our public education system. This system should be based upon meeting the Supreme Court's constitutional standard articulated in Vincent v. Voight, and meet the diverse needs of rural, urban, and suburban students.

  o The state must fulfill the Supreme Court's constitutional standard articulated in Vincent v. Voight, 2000 WI 93, 236 Wis.2d 588, 614 N.W.2d 388. In order to fulfill this standard, the state must develop programs and appropriate funding levels for high-needs students, specifically, special education students, limited English proficient students and students of poverty regardless of where they live.

  o The state must repeal revenue caps.
  

• Promotion of economic growth and development, the restoration of a progressive and fair system of taxation, and the promotion of a more robust, democratic society and economy.
  

  o Great schools depend on a strong economy, and a strong economy depends upon great schools.

• Reduction of class size to promote student learning and achievement
  

  o Continuation of the Student Achievement Guarantee in Education (SAGE) in grades K-3 with full funding and continuation of 4-year-old kindergarten.

  . Collective bargaining rights that give staff a direct role in decisions affecting wages, hours and conditions of employment

  o Repeal the QEO.

  o Strengthen educator collective bargaining.

  .To be consistent with the state Supreme Court decision in Vincent v. Voight, require collective bargaining arbitrators to consider whether final contract offers promote an equal opportunity for a sound basic education.

  . Require that education policy issues be subjects of bargaining but not subject to arbitration without the agreement of both parties.

  . Authorize the teachers' bargaining unit to include, in its final offer, items it believes are needed to meet pupil performance standards if the employer's proposal links teacher compensation to pupil performance.

  . Control rising costs in health care

  o Bring down health care costs and do not simply shift the burden of who pays for health insurance. This is an essential component of a healthy state economy.

  o Include concepts from The New Wisconsin Idea offered by the Wisconsin Education Association Insurance Trust:

  . Pooling groups from the public and private sector for purchasing prescription drugs. This purchasing alliance called Wisconsin Rx will save consumers millions of dollars in health care costs.

  . Promote reforms in the health care system so individuals can make consumer-based decisions that reduce overall costs in utilization of benefits.

  . Enhance professional development opportunities

  o Great schools depend on real professional development, not test-based programs that are punitive and impossible to administer.
  

  o The state must provide categorical aid funding to enable districts to comply with Wis. Admin. PI-34, the new system for teacher preparation and licensure. Funding for mentoring programming should be devoted to research-based mentoring models.

  . Use technology appropriately for instruction

o Adopt a resolution outlining the appropriate use of education telecommunications and technology in the instruction of pupils. Examine the use of distance learning and the virtual schools phenomenon, and how technology affects professional and staff development needs.

o Virtual schools should not be the product of the predatory use of the state charter school and open enrollment law to recruit students statewide.

o Virtual education should be grown from within as an add-on to the classroom.

o As a way to enhance classroom practice, education employees should receive professional development for virtual education


. Citizen responsibility

o Appeal to all citizens - legislators, parents, educators, and members of the community - to stand up when attacks are made on children, public schools, and communities. As responsible citizens, we must say no and vote no to concepts that harm public schools (i.e. expansion of the private school voucher program, expansion of charter school law, mandatory consolidation of school districts, and other phony attempts at tax relief that rob our communities of local control and cut needed funds from our schools).

WEAC will also base its support or opposition for legislative initiatives on the following criteria:

o Does it work to improve the wages, hours and working conditions of our members?

o Is it in line with the principles set forth in the WEAC Agenda for Great Schools?

o What are the fiscal ramifications of this proposal for the state?

o Does it improve student learning?

With these guiding principals in mind, our union will continue to advocate the ideas of a diverse, democratic society and quality public education. Our union will promote and advance the professional practice, personal growth, the economic welfare and rights of our members.

Posted May 3, 2006