Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance - Representing the Interests of Wisconsin Students

Legislative Alert: New Budget Developments

By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | May 15, 2015

The SAA has learned key Republican members of the Joint Finance Committee plan to roll major voucher expansion and independent charter school expansion proposals into the budget bill on Tuesday, May 19th.

For your information, here is the voucher proposal the SAA obtained.

In addition to voucher and charter expansion proposals, it appears the JFC Republicans will also adopt the Kooyenga/Darling plan to transfer control of certain low-performing MPS schools to the Milwaukee County executive.

At the same time, it appears that majority Republicans plan to stick with a per pupil revenue freeze for public schools.

While I’m sure that this news will generate disappointment, frustration, and anger among SAA members, I think it’s important at this time to focus on the issue we may still be able to have influence on in this budget – per pupil funding for our students.

A freeze in per pupil revenues will clearly drive Wisconsin’s per pupil school spending below the national average. That is an embarrassment for the state of Wisconsin and a monumental disservice for the children we serve.

I urge all SAA members to pull out all the stops and contact the Joint Finance Committee members and your legislators today, through the weekend and on Monday. Focus on these two primary talking points:

Restoring the $127 million cut to the per pupil categorical aid.
Emphasize that restoring that cut still only gets public schools back to a freeze in allowable revenues. We need an inflationary increase in per pupil revenues to meet the needs of students.

For your convenience we have provided the contact information for the JFC members. Here are the links to the Senate Directory, Assembly Directory as well as Who Are My Legislators.

Let’s get it done! Thank you for all your efforts on behalf of the children you serve.

Topics: Legislative Action, SAA Capitol Reports, SAA Capitol Reports with Email Notifications, SAA Latest Update | No Comments »

State Budget Video Alert: Your Response Needed ASAP!

By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | May 13, 2015

SAA members please watch this important 5 minute video alert on late breaking state budget developments. Portions of the video alert, including legislator contact information, appear below in text form.

This alert is a follow-up to the SAA Legislative Alert that went out on Tuesday, May 5^th.

First, let me update you on the Budget Process:

Tomorrow, the Joint Finance Committee will take up the $211.2 million in new school levy tax credits. SAA members need to encourage JFC members to put this funding into a form that schools can spend on the educational needs of the children they serve.
The remaining key K-12 education issues are expected to be taken up by JFC on Tuesday, May 19^th.

The feedback that I am receiving inside the Capitol clearly indicates that SAA advocacy is having an impact on this budget process. And I implore you to act once again on behalf of the children you serve.

I urge every single SAA member to contact the Joint Finance Committee members and your own legislators in the next 24 hours. Those of you comfortable with contacting these legislative offices via phone, I encourage you to do so. Those of you more comfortable with email, go for it.

We have provided contact information for the JFC members. For your convenience in contacting your own legislators, we have provided links to the Senate Directory, Assembly Directory as well as Who Are My Legislators.

Here Are Your Talking Points:

First, thank them for the positive comments about restoring the $127 million cut to the per pupil categorical aid.
Emphasize that restoring that cut still only gets public schools back to a freeze in allowable revenues. We need an inflationary increase in per pupil revenues to meet the needs of students.
Oppose all private school voucher expansion proposals in the budget. The current under-funding of our public schools shows we simply cannot afford two systems of education in Wisconsin.
Oppose all independent charter school expansion proposals in the budget. These proposals will siphon state aid away from public schools and likely result in property tax increases.

I also encourage you to use the information in the SAA State Budget Priorities in your communications.

I want to also call your attention to the news release we issued this morning. I think we should all find alarming the projections that Wisconsin will soon fall below the national average in per pupil spending, if current trends remain unchanged. You may wish to use some of the points in this news release to encourage your lawmakers to support additional funding for Wisconsin school children.

I know you are all so very busy, but I need you to make these contacts as soon as possible.

Let’s get it done. Thank you.

Topics: Legislative Action, SAA Capitol Reports, SAA Capitol Reports with Email Notifications, SAA Latest Update, SAA Video Alerts | No Comments »

Wisconsin Projected to Drop Below National Average for School Spending

By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | May 13, 2015

The SAA distributed this news release this morning regarding projections that Wisconsin will drop below the national average for school spending.

Topics: Legislative Action, SAA Capitol Reports, SAA Capitol Reports with Email Notifications, SAA Latest Update | No Comments »

Borsuk: “Tough Choices on Education Loom”

By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | May 11, 2015

??Alan Borsuk’s weekly Milwaukee Journal Sentinel column is must reading for SAA members. This week’s column on the tough choices that loom on education in the state budget is once again right on target.

Topics: SAA Capitol Reports, SAA Capitol Reports with Email Notifications, SAA Latest Update | No Comments »