Rep. Kleefisch Won’t Seek Re-Election
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | April 16, 2018
From WisPolitics.com …
Rep. Joel Kleefisch, R-Oconomowoc, announced he won’t seek re-election this fall.
In his announcement posted on Facebook, the lawmaker from the 38th AD said he looks forward to his children knowing him outside of a public role.
Kleefisch, a former television news reporter, has served in the Legislature since 2004.
“From then until now, I have never stopped believing that hard work and heartfelt convictions can make this state a better place for the people who live here. I am blessed to have had such victories in fighting human trafficking, combating the opioid crisis, cracking down on sex offenders and making it easier for more hunters and anglers to get into Wisconsin’s great outdoors,” he wrote on Facebook.
Kleefisch is the 13th member of the chamber to decide against seeking re-election this fall. Six members have announced plans to retire without seeking another office; five are running for another office; one has already won a local office and resigned; and one joined the Walker administration.
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Supreme Court to Take Up DPI Case Again
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | April 16, 2018
The state Supreme Court agreed Friday to revisit one of its decisions from just two years ago to determine how much power Wisconsin’s schools superintendent has.
The case is packed with political implications because it pits Republican Gov. Scott Walker against one of his Democratic challengers, Superintendent Tony Evers.
Check out the rest of the news story by Patrick Marley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
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School-Based Mental Health Grants Now Available
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | April 13, 2018
The most recent governor’s budget provides funding, beginning in fiscal year 2019, to create a new mental health grant program (Wis. Stat. sec. 115.367). The Department of Public Instruction will award grants to school districts, and operators of independent charter schools, to be used for the purpose of providing mental health services to pupils, in collaboration with community health agencies. Strategies may include co-locating community mental health clinics in schools and providing screening and intervention services. School boards and independent charter schools may apply for a grant individually or as a consortium of school boards, charter schools, or both; also, Cooperative Educational Service Agencies (CESAs) can be considered a consortium of school boards.
Grant application
Grant application guidance
Grant Writing Workshops
Grant writing workshops are optional. If you choose to participate, register for one session only.
April 18, 1:00-2:00 p.m.
April 25 2:00-3:00 p.m.
April 30 9:00-10:00 p.m.
For questions about this information, contact Beth Herman (608) 267-9242
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Vos Will Not Run for Congress
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | April 13, 2018
From WisPolitics.com …
— Assembly Speaker Robin Vos says he’s passing on a bid for the 1st CD following House Speaker Paul Ryan’s retirement announcement earlier this week.
Vos, R-Rochester, said in a statement this morning he’ll instead seek re-election to the Assembly and “continue to focus on maintaining the strong, historic majority” in that chamber.
“While I know that our nation’s capital desperately needs more conservative reformers from Wisconsin, Michelle and I have decided that we can do more good continuing to push state-based conservative reforms,” he said.
Other possible GOP candidates include: state Sen. Dave Craig, a former aide to Ryan; UW Regent Bryan Steil, the general counsel at a plastic film manufacturing firm; state Rep. Samantha Kerkman, of Salem; and former Racine County Exec. Jim Ladwig, who now works at SC Johnson as the director of Global Community Affairs.
Declared Dems are ironworker Randy Bryce and long-time school teacher Cathy Myers.
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Schimel: Two-Thirds of Districts Have Expressed Interest in Safety Grants
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | April 13, 2018
From WisPolitics.com …
AG Brad Schimel says some two-thirds of school districts across the state have already expressed interest in applying for grant funding under the newly created Office of School Safety.
While the office isn’t yet formally accepting applications, school districts since the end of March have been able to pen letters of interest to the Department of Justice about the projects they’re looking to implement and the estimated cost.
The office was created under a school safety bill Gov. Scott Walker signed into law last month. It’s in charge of administering a $100 million grant program that schools can apply for to make their buildings more secure.
Schimel said the DOJ is planning to announce the parameters of the grant next week, adding he expects every district in the state to apply.
“We’re envisioning a two-tier system that will start by making sure every school in the state is up to some basic minimal safety standards and then beyond that we’re encouraging some innovation,” he said.
He also noted he’s planning to hire a permanent director for the office in the next couple of weeks. Applications for the position were due April 8. It’s currently being filled by Interim Director Glenn Rehberg, a senior training officer and chair of the Tactical Skills, Scenario, and Tactical Emergency Casualty Care advisory committees in the DOJ’s Training and Standards Bureau.
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