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WEAC Legislative Candidate Questionnaire

Please use our web-based legislative candidate questionnaire if you are a candidate for State Assembly or Senate and are seeking WEAC’s recommendation. If you encounter problems with the form, contact communications@weac.org.

WEAC – Legislative Questionnaire

Questionnaire for Assembly and Senate Candidates.

Candidate Information

Name(Required)
Committee Street Address

Questionnaire

Provide for Strong Educator Involvement: Students benefit when their educators have a strong voice in how their schools and classrooms are run. Educators need to have input into working conditions and school decision-making. Educators will ultimately implement the policies. Do you support legislation that requires strong input from educators?
Create a More Equitable School Funding System: WEAC is committed to advancing a new system of school funding to ensure our schools have the funding they need for all students to achieve educational excellence. This new system should provide more funds to schools with low-income students by putting weights in the formula, fully fund special education, fully fund bilingual-bicultural education, adjust for inflation and provide more help to rural schools. Do you support such a system?
Promote Community Schools: WEAC supports legislation to encourage “community schools” that focus on student learning, strengthening families, building healthier communities, working with Community partners to provide additional services to the surrounding community, and providing wrap-around services to students and families. Do you support “community schools” legislation?
Support for Technical Colleges: Wisconsin’s technical colleges are recognized worldwide for the high-quality education and training they provide. To maintain this stature, our tech colleges need committed, professional educators with certification and experience in their fields as appropriate. As such, WEAC supports policies that emphasize the educational role of tech college instructors, including proper preparation time, the ability to use professional judgment and access to professional development. Do you support these policies?
Maintain and Preserve the Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS): The Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) is fully funded and is the envy of the nation. Along with other employees, educational employees can plan for retirement without worrying about changing or reducing benefits. WEAC is committed to maintaining and preserving WRS. Will you work to maintain and preserve WRS?
Enhance Services for Students: WEAC believes that all students should have access to mental and general health practitioners, including counselors, psychologists, school social workers, school nurses, and other specialists. WEAC also believes that students also should have opportunities in career, trades and technical education. Will you fight for more of these services?
Help Pay Off Student Loans and Address the Teacher Shortage: WEAC believes that helping educators manage and eliminate student debt can help to address the teacher shortage and should be a major priority for the state. Borrowers should be able to refinance their loans, just like mortgages. In addition, more loan forgiveness and scholarships should be developed for teachers and education support professionals in high-needs disciplines and hard-to-staff schools. Do you support these initiatives?
Promote Hiring of Support Staff: Many teachers are being forced to do the work of support professionals because there aren’t enough support staff in the schools. This is not a wise use of teachers’ time and it is not good for students, either, because they’re not getting the education they need and deserve. WEAC supports initiatives designed to help schools hire more support professionals. Do you support the hiring of more support professionals?
Full Funding of Public School Special Education: The state currently funds just 33 percent of special education in public schools, while special needs vouchers and private schools are fully funded, and private schools are able to spend beyond what is required by an Individualized Education PLAN (IEP). WEAC’s position is that this is outrageous, and that it is time for public school special education to be fully funded. Do you support fully funding special education in public schools?
Require Transparency for Voucher Tax Increases: In recent years, Wisconsin’s private school voucher program has expanded statewide, and with the expansion has come a sharp increase in taxpayer money going to private schools. WEAC supports legislation to require that property tax bills include information from school districts showing the amount of any reduction in state aid that is the result of students being enrolled in the voucher program. This would provide transparency for any tax increase needed to cover the reduction. Do you support the voucher transparency legislation?
Restore Collective Bargaining Rights: It is time for the state to start treating teachers and other education employees like the professionals they are. Education employees deserve a seat at the table. WEAC supports legislation that will give public sector workers, including education employees, the ability to bargain for fair wages, benefits and working conditions. Do you support legislation to restore collective bargaining rights for public employees?
Attract and Retain Educators: Educators are leaving the profession at alarming rates, and there are fewer people entering the profession. There is additional instability as teachers move from school district to school district. One major issue is pay. In Wisconsin, our average teacher pay has fallen to 33rd in the nation. Do you support efforts by the state to attract and retain teachers, including plans to improve teacher pay?
Protect LGBTQ+ Students: In recent years, anti-LGBTQ+ legislation has been introduced in many states, including Wisconsin. One Wisconsin bill would target transgender students by requiring that school teams be based on the participants as determined at birth by a physician and reflected on a birth certificate. WEAC strongly opposes this legislation. Do you agree?
Give Educators Health Care Coverage As Good As Legislators Get: Many Wisconsin school employees are saddled with large yearly deductibles for their health insurance. In contrast, health plans provided by the state’s Group Insurance Board (GIB), including those offered to state legislators, include an option for a $500 yearly family deductible and a $250 individual yearly deductible. WEAC supports legislation to require school districts to provide similar GIB health plans, with the $500/$250 deductibles, to school employees. Do you support this legislation?