More Districts Tell The Story
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | May 29, 2020
The following superintendents have sent letters to their districts’ legislators “telling their story” about how they are serving their students during the COVID-19 crisis: Paul Mielke (Hamilton), Judy Mueller (Franklin).
The SAA encourages other districts to tell their story to their legislators as well. Forward those letters to the SAA and we will keep posting them.
COME ON! LET’S TELL THE STORY!
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DOR Releases May 2020 Wisconsin Economic Forecast Update
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | May 29, 2020
The Wisconsin Department of Revenue (DOR) has just released it’s May 2020 Wisconsin Economic Forecast Update. It’s pretty sobering stuff. The opening bullet points of the Forecast appear below:
Given the massive uncertainty facing US and global economic conditions, this outlook is reflective of the current data available and is subject to significant revisions (emphasis added), as additional information and national forecasts become available.
- The COVID-19 pandemic has severely disrupted the world, US and Wisconsin economies. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) projects that the global economy will contract sharply by 3% in 2020, much worse than during the 2008 Great Recession.
- IHS Markit projects a decline of 7.3% in the US real GDP for 2020. In February, IHS Markit was expecting growth of 2.1% for 2020.
- US employment is forecasted to decline 13.5% and reach its trough the third quarter of 2020.
- April unemployment rates have surpassed the 14% mark in Wisconsin and nationwide.
- Wisconsin employment is expected to decline 14.4% in 2020.
- Wisconsin personal income growth will slow to 0.2% growth in 2020 and 1.6% in 2021.
- In just six weeks, 30 million people nationwide and 440,000 Wisconsinites filed for unemployment benefits. As a comparison, during the Great recession of 2008, the US lost 8.5 million jobs while Wisconsin lost 170,000 jobs during a two-years period.
Wisconsin Economic Forecast Update – May 2020
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More Districts Tell The Story
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | May 28, 2020
The following superintendents have sent letters to their districts’ legislators “telling their story” about how they are serving their students during the COVID-19 crisis: Craig Gerlach (Stevens Point), Lori Mueller (Baraboo), Traci Davis (Juda), John Thomsen (Whitefish Bay), Allen Brokopp (Monticello).
The SAA encourages other districts to tell their story to their legislators as well. Forward those letters to the SAA and we will keep posting them.
COME ON! LET’S TELL THE STORY!
Stevens Point Legislator Letter
Whitefish Bay Legislator Letter
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Briggs Joins State Superintendent Race
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | May 26, 2020
From WisPolitics.com . . .
Sheila Briggs, who has spent the past nine years as an assistant state superintendent, today announced her campaign to become Wisconsin’s next top education official.
Briggs began her education career teaching 4K and kindergarten in Madison schools before becoming an elementary principal. She then joined the district’s central office as lead principal for elementary schools before joining the Department of Public Instruction.
There, she became assistant superintendent overseeing the Division of Academic Excellence. The division includes teams that support teachers and others that focus on student achievement.
Wisconsin has persistently shown a gap in the test scores of white students compared to those of minorities, but Briggs said she is heartened by pilot program designed to help districts implement high standards and quality instruction.
She also argued the state will need to continue education investments in making sure kids have access to broadband and computers to guard against them falling behind due to the impact of COVID-19 on classroom instruction.
“You can almost feel it in your heart the gap widening,” she said in an interview.
Briggs is the second candidate to announce plans to run next year with Superintendent Carolyn Stanford Taylor announcing she won’t seek a full term after being appointed by Gov. Tony Evers to replace him in the role. The primary would be Feb. 16.
Pecatonica Area School District Superintendent Jill Underly announced her campaign earlier this month.
Meanwhile, Troy Gunderson, who retires July 31 after 10 years as the West Salem superintendent, said today he’s still weighing a bid.
Briggs also said in the interview she believes the state should focus its K-12 funding on public schools. She wouldn’t support an immediate end to the state’s voucher program, but believes it should be phased out.
“It is important for us to take a look at whether or not our state can fiscally support two separate school systems, especially as we’re facing huge shortfalls going forward,” she said. “I think it’s a great time to reevaluate our finances and try to determine if we can continue down this path or if we want to put all of our investments into strong public schools for kids.”
See Brigg’s release here.
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More Districts Tell The Story
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | May 26, 2020
The following superintendents have sent letters to their districts’ legislators “telling their story” about how they are serving their students during the COVID-19 crisis: Bernie Nikolay (Cambridge), Randy Bergman (Prentice), Phillip Tubbs (Weyauwega-Fremont), Rick Spicuzza (Prescott), Jeff Weiss (South Milwaukee).
The SAA encourages other districts to tell their story to their legislators as well. Forward those letters to the SAA and we will keep posting them.
COME ON! LET’S TELL THE STORY!
Weyauwega-Fremont Legislator Letter
South Milwaukee Legislator Letter
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