February 7, 2020
MEMBERSHIP EDITION, Vol. 4, #6

DEADLINE: Monday, Feb. 10th
Kristin and I are going to the Labor Notes Conference, April 17-19. We want you to come along with us! Region 3 is awarding four (4) scholarships to attend the Labor Notes conference in Chicago! Everything is included - transportation, food, lodging, and conference registration. We'll leave as soon as we can after school on Friday, April 17 and return Sunday, April 19.

To find out more about the Labor Notes, click here . While the 2020 schedule is not yet live, you can look at the 2018 conference lineup to see what kinds of sessions are offered.

There's a short application process; click here for details . Apply today!
Good News from the Membership!
Brad Kozaczuk Selected for CSAC Fellows Program
Brad Kozaczuk, New Holstein EA President, has been one of six social studies teachers statewide selected for the Center for the Study of the American Constitution (CSAC) Fellows Program for 2019-20. A UW-Madison Department of History program, this CSAC fellowship identifies six teachers who have a record of commitment to teaching and invites them to participate in a special three-day seminar on the Confederation Period and the drafting and ratification of the Constitution. The program’s purpose is twofold: to honor teachers for their dedication and to enhance their content knowledge and pedagogical skills in the history of early national America.

F or more information about the program, click here .
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The 10-Minute Meeting
You have an opportunity to keep members in the loop AND respect their time by holding 10-minute meetings! It's also a great time to get feedback from people in the building. 

Get out there and BE VISIBLE!
For more details about how the 10-minute meeting works, click   here .
For previous 10-minute meeting topics:
January : Retirement


The February 10-Minute Meeting topic:
Teacher Contract Renewal / Non-Renewal for 2020-21
Wisconsin State Statute 118.22 governs the renewal and NON-renewal of full-time teacher contracts
 
This important deadline is approaching: 
 
For teacher contracts that a District does NOT want to renew for the 2020-21 school year, the school board must notify with a preliminary notice of non-renewal on OR before Friday,  May 1st, 2020 .  This timeline applies regardless of the reason for non-renewal, e.g., performance, economic reasons, declining enrollment, etc.  
A preliminary notice of non-renewal must be voted on and issued by the school board (not an administrator).

Many teachers have already been given some kind of indication that the District is thinking about non-renewal. These teachers may be on a plan of improvement. For teachers under this scrutiny,  the preliminary notice of non-renewal may come well before the deadline of May 1st.


Once preliminary notice of non-renewal is given to an educator, they only have five calendar days to request a hearing before the school board.
  • Union members who are fearful of a non-renewal should contact the Region 3 office as soon as possible. 
  • Union leaders and building reps who are working with teachers who may be in danger of non-renewal should contact the Region 3 office as soon as possible. 
 
Please do not wait until the preliminary notice has already been issued!

Other important deadlines:
May 15th: all teachers should receive a continuing contract for 2020-21.
June 15th: all teachers must sign and return 2020-21 contracts.

WELCOME
NEW MEMBERS in January:

Lucky 13!

Public Schools: The Cornerstone of Democracy
Make plans to attend and hear Dr. Julie Mead's answers to the question: "Why Public Education?"

Monday, March 2
Neenah Public Library
6:30 - 8:30 pm.

Good news! The governor has called for a special session on school funding. Please copy and paste the information below into an email to your members. If you have questions, drop us an email.
Governor calls for special session on school funding
WEAC member and Mount Horeb teacher Beth Maglio speaks during Governor Tony Evers' announcement calling for a special session on school funding.  

Gov. Tony Evers has called a special session of the legislature to take up an increase in K-12 education funding, leading the way to restoring investments in public schools and boosting teacher pay. WEAC was on hand as he signed an executive order for the session, through which legislators will be asked to support a return to two-thirds funding using a portion of state surplus funding.
WEAC member and Mount Horeb High School social studies teacher Beth Maglio spoke to public education advocates before the governor signed the executive order. “As a veteran teacher who chose to stay in this career despite the many decisions made in the last decade about education funding, it is encouraging to see steps to restoring our commitment to students in Wisconsin. I’m hopeful this will attract new teachers and encourage current teachers and support staff to stay in this profession. For too long, education has not been prioritized in Wisconsin and this has left many of us in the trenches feeling undervalued, discouraged and left without necessary resources to meet the needs of our students, especially the most vulnerable.”
WEAC President Ron Martin also welcomed the governor’s actions. “I am grateful for what the governor has done to step forward and address the crisis of teacher pay and school funding,” he said. “Taxpayers will reap the benefits of investing in our public schools and also property tax relief. It’s a win-win.”
Hi all,

My favorite word is serendipity . I love the things that happen as a result of this phenomenon. Today, as I was looking for a topic for this week's newsletter commentary, I paged through the latest edition of Labor Notes magazine and found, not only a great article that helps answer the question, "what can the union do for me?", but also included a modified graphic from one of my all-time favorite movies, "Norma Rae."

AND, there's a HEART theme for February.

Welcome to my world. Read the article .

Peace,
Kathy Rohde
WR3 Regional Director