Education Advocacy Update: Gun Classes, More Testing

Here are some of the bills WEAC is watching:

Gun Classes in School

High schoolers could take gun class under a bill circulating in the state Legislature which would require the Department of Public Instruction to create a curriculum that includes information on the different types and mechanisms of firearms and ammunition, the principles of firearm safety, the location of safety devices, how to load and unload a gun, how to engage safety devices and how to carry and transport a gun. School boards could opt of the program. WEAC and other groups have registered against the bill. Wisconsin Gun Owners is the only group registered in support.

Increasing Tests for Our Youngest Learners

Legislation to increase the number of literacy tests young students take is surfacing again. The governor vetoed the original bill that would have tripled the number of test our youngest learners are required to take, writing it lacked funding to cover the costs. Republican senators have now added an amendment to the Assembly version of the bill, which is still active, to direct the governor to use at least $5 million in federal pandemic relief funds for teacher professional development and to implement the additional testing and interventions. The governor has pushed back against a series of Republican bills dictating how he can direct federal pandemic funding, since he has sole discretion on how those funds are spent.

See all the bills we’re watching at www.weac.org/bills.