WEAC –

Spotlight on Locals: Wausau Education Association

October 17, 2019

In addition to having dedicated leaders and members who focus on students and the community, the Wausau Education Association credits its success in part to the strong support it gets from the national, state and region unions. “Our work in membership growth has been a collaborative effort,” WEA Vice President Deb Foster tells WEAC Vice President Peggy Wirtz-Olsen in her latest Spotlight on Locals column. “We’d like to thank the National Education Association (NEA), the Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC), and Region 2 for investing in our local for the organizing project to grow our membership. Your confidence in us has made all the difference in our success.”

Legislative Update: October 17

October 17, 2019

The Senate Education Committee was voting Thursday on a variety of bills including ones related to: Timing of equalization aid payments to school districts, Character Education, Special Education Licensure, Kindergarten Enrollment Counts, Feasibility studies for consolidation or grade sharing, Aid for consolidation or grade sharing, Shared Services, and Dyslexia Guidebook.

Wisconsin must demonstrate that we value our teachers, Governor Evers writes

October 16, 2019

In a column released Wednesday, Governor Tony Evers says Wisconsin must do better in demonstrating that it values its teachers. “We must … recognize that part of supporting our kids in the classroom means supporting the educators who teach our kids,” Evers writes. “Wisconsin pays our public school teachers less than the national average, which makes it harder to recruit and retain talented educators. According to recently-released data, Wisconsin has fallen to 33rd in the nation for average teacher pay. Teacher salaries in our state are some of the lowest in the Midwest. Teachers moving across the border to Illinois or Michigan can see pay bumps of $10,000 or more. That’s just not good enough, folks. As we continue to fight for the resources our schools need to invest in our kids, we must do everything in our power to ensure that educators know the work they do is valued and that they mean something to our kids and the people of our state.”

Taxpayers’ bill for private voucher schools soars to $350 million

October 16, 2019

Wisconsin taxpayers will be spending $349.6 million to support private schools this year through the state’s voucher program, up from $302 million last year, according to figures released by the Department of Public Instruction. According to DPI, the taxpayer-funded voucher programs will support a total of 43,450 private school students this year, up from 40,039 students last year.

Three WEAC members win Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching

October 16, 2019

Three WEAC members – Richard Erickson, Bayfield High School; Kevin Reese, Clintonville High School; and Rebecca Saeman, Sauk Trail Elementary School, Middleton – were named Wednesday as recipients of Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.

WEAC – Badgers Outstanding Educator: Dawn Perkins, Unity Education Association

October 14, 2019

Dawn Perkins, a member of the Unity Education Association and eighth grade math teacher, is the latest recipient of the WEAC-Badgers Outstanding Educator Award.

ALL EDUCATION NEWS