Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance - Representing the Interests of Wisconsin Students

Using The Voucher Expansion Media Kit

By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | April 22, 2013

Several SAA members have asked for guidance on how to use the SAA’s Voucher Expansion Media Kit effectively with their local media. Here’s what I would do:

Hand-deliver a hard copy of the Media Kit to your local newspaper editor; convince them of the importance of the issue; ask them to print an editorial using the information in the kit as necessary; and offer yourself as a source when information or perspective is needed.
With local radio, also hand-deliver the Media Kit and suggest the voucher issue as a great topic for a talk show or news magazine format.

I think that hand-delivering the kit is key and also we need to really concentrate on the local media markets where most of the people live but haven’t yet received enough information to form an opinion on private school vouchers.

I know you are busy, but please make this effort a priority.

Thanks for all your efforts on behalf of the kids in your schools.

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Turner Exposes Walker’s “Report Card” Misuse

By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | April 19, 2013

Yesterday, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel printed a guest editorial in which WASDA Executive Director Miles Turner sets the record straight about the creation of the state report card and how Governor Walker has misused it to further his political goal of expanding private school vouchers in Wisconsin.

See Turner’s Guest Editorial

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Education Dominates Final JFC Hearing

By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | April 19, 2013

The SAA’s strong presence ensured that education issues dominated the Joint Finance Committee’s final budget hearing held yesterday at Baldwin-Woodville High School.

In addition to my testimony, in which I characterized voucher expansion as an enormous statewide taxpayer – funded entitlement in the making, at least 15 SAA members presented or submitted testimony at the hearing, including:

Stephen Schiell, Superintendent, Amery

Al Brown, Superintendent, Chetek-Weyerhauser

Bruce Quinton, Superintendent, Pepin

Joni Weinert, Superintendent, Bruce

Mark Luebker, Superintendent, Osceola

Joni Burgi, Superintendent, Grantsburg

Chris Stratton, Superintendent, Menomonie

Randal Braun, Superintendent, Cameron

Randy Rosberg, Superintendent, Somerset

Mary Randall, Superintendent, Bloomer

Janna Stevens, Superintendent, Superior

Cheryl Gullicksrud, Superintendent, Mondovi

Cory McIntyre, Student Services Director, Hudson

Janelle Marotz, Business Manager, Beloit

Lynee Tourdot, Asst. Superintendent, Beloit

Many thanks to these SAA members for their dedication, commitment and leadership.

All said and told, nearly 50 SAA members delivered testimony at one of the four JFC budget hearings in the last two weeks. My Capitol sources reveal that we are having an impact. Let’s keep it up!

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SAA Releases Media Kit on Private Voucher School Expansion

By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | April 18, 2013

The Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance and its key partners have released a media kit related to the possible expansion of the private voucher school program under Governor Scott Walker’s 2013-15 state budget proposal.

The media kit includes the following items:

Key facts on private voucher school expansion
Frequently asked questions
Editorials on the issue from across the state
Media contacts

In February, Governor Walker introduced a proposal to expand private voucher schools in Wisconsin as part of his 2013-15 biennial budget. Specifically, the proposal would allow for 500 voucher seats to open among nine targeted districts in 2013-14, 1,000 to open in 2014-15 and an unlimited number to open in the years beyond that. With the media kit, the SAA aims to provide the information state residents and members of the news media need to fully understand the proposal and its potential impact.

The Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance is a partnership between the Association of Wisconsin School Administrators, the Wisconsin Association of School Business Officials, the Wisconsin Association of School District Administrators and the Wisconsin Council of Administrators of Special Services. The Alliance is also working with Disability Rights Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Association of School Boards, the Wisconsin PTA and the Wisconsin Retired Educators Association in this effort.

Please see the document here: SAA’s Media Kit.

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