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Evers to Assembly: Close Voucher Loophole

By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | January 12, 2012

State Superintendent Tony Evers yesterday called on Assembly Republicans to take up legislation (Senate Bill 174 and Assembly Bill 314, the so-called “Choice Trailer Bill”) that would close the voucher school expansion loophole in the 2011-13 state budget. The SAA fully supports Evers in his call for passage of this important legislation. We also urge SAA members to contact their Assembly Republican representatives in support of the bill.  I have provided this link to contact information for the Assembly (Assembly Directory). You can identify your legislators by referring to Who Are My Legislators.

See Superintendent Evers Statement

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

SAA Supports Consensus Seclusion & Restraint Bill

By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | January 10, 2012

The SAA testified before the Assembly Committee on Education today in support of Assembly Bill 455 relating to the use of seclusion and restraint on pupils in the public schools. The SAA worked very hard with the DPI and other interested stakeholders to develop a consensus bill that has the support of educators as well as parent-advocates. The bill builds from the current practice of the DPI guidelines to help provide staff with clarity of operation and parents with transparency of proceedings.

The SAA will deliver similar testimony tomorrow in a hearing before the Senate Committee on Education on the companion to AB 455, Senate Bill 353. We would like to thank the authors of the bill, Senator Luther Olsen (R-Ripon) and Representative Steve Kestell (R-Elkhart Lake) for bringing this legislation forward.  We would also like to thank Nissan Bar-Lev, CESA 7 Director of Special Education, for testifying and fielding questions from legislators on behalf of the SAA.

See DPI statement on AB 455/SB 353.

For more information about the bill, please see the LRB analysis below:

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

Effective September 1, 2012, this bill prohibits an employee of a public school (including a charter school) and certain other individuals who provide services for  the benefit of a public school from using seclusion or physical restraint on a pupil at a public school except under certain conditions. Seclusion is the involuntary confinement of a pupil, apart from other pupils, in a room or area from which the pupil is physically prevented from leaving. Physical restraint is a restriction that immobilizes or reduces the ability of a pupil to freely move his or her torso, arms, legs, or head.

An individual covered by the bill may use seclusion on a pupil only if all of the following apply: 

  1. The pupil’s behavior presents a clear, present, and immediate risk to the  physical safety of the pupil or others and it is the least restrictive intervention  available.
  2. The seclusion lasts only as long as necessary to resolve the risk to physical safety.
  3. A covered individual maintains constant supervision of the pupil.
  4. The seclusion room or area is free of objects or fixtures that may injure the pupil.
  5. The pupil has adequate access to bathroom facilities, drinking water, necessary medication, and meals.
  6. No door connecting the seclusion room or area to other rooms or areas is capable of being locked.

A covered individual may use physical restraint on a pupil only if all of the following apply: 

  1. The pupil’s behavior presents a clear, present, and immediate risk to the physical safety of the pupil or others and it is the least restrictive intervention available.
  2. The degree of force used and the duration of the physical restraint do not exceed the degree and duration that are reasonable and necessary to resolve the risk.
  3. There are no medical contraindications to the use of physical restraint.
  4. None of the following maneuvers or techniques are used:
    1. Those that do not give adequate attention and care to protecting the pupil’s head.
    2. Those that cause chest compression.
    3. Those that place pressure or weight on the pupil’s neck or throat.
  5. It does not constitute corporal punishment.
  6. Neither mechanical nor chemical restraints are used.

Whenever seclusion or physical restraint is used on a pupil, the school principal must notify the pupil’s parent and prepare a written report.

The bill generally prohibits a covered individual from using physical restraint on a pupil at school unless he or she has received training in the use of physical restraint that includes a number of specified components. A covered individual who has not received such training may use physical restraint on a pupil at school only in an emergency and only if a trained covered individual is not immediately available. The governing body of a public school in which physical restraint is used must ensure that at least one covered individual has been trained in its use.

 

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

Action on Non-Renewal Date Imminent

By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | January 10, 2012

Reliable sources inside the Capitol have assured the SAA that both houses of the Legislature will act in January to move the non-renewal date from March 15 to May 15.  You might recall that this language was adopted by the Assembly as an amendment to Senate Bill 2.  SB 2, among other things, expanded the Open Enrollment application period from three weeks to three months and allowed for unlimited, year-round Open Enrollment.  In addition to the non-renewal language, the Assembly, with strong SAA support, also adopted an amendment that closed the door on unlimited, year-round Open Enrollment.  The Senate however, failed to concur in the Assembly amendments.

Subsequent negotiations among the parties has produced an agreement for the Senate to concur in the Assembly amendments and for both houses to adopt an additional amendment providing students denied Open Enrollment by their resident school district an appeal to the DPI under certain circumstances.  On the strength of the Assembly amendments, the SAA has changed its position on the bill from opposition to support.

The SAA will keep the membership informed of any developments on this important legislation.

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Legislative Alert: WiscNet Extension

By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | January 9, 2012

This is a priority Legislative Alert on WiscNet for your immediate action.

You might recall that as part of the 2011-13 biennial budget, the Legislature adopted a provision requiring WiscNet to end its relationship with the UW effective July 1, 2013.  The WiscNet board is currently working on a plan to re-create WiscNet to comply with the law.  However, it takes time to unwind 30 years of relationships and practice.

Senator Moulton (R-Chippewa Falls) and Representative Wynn (R-Whitewater) have offered legislation extending the time by which WiscNet must end its relationship with the UW by one year, to July 1, 2014.

The extension is desperately needed.  Currently, 75 percent of our schools and 95 percent of our libraries receive Internet services through WiscNet.  Without the extension, schools and libraries may be forced to reduce bandwith or pay 2-3 times more for Internet services than what WiscNet currently charges.  Given current budget realities, paying more is very difficult and cutting bandwith will hurt blended learning efforts which rely heavily on Internet use in the classroom.

By providing a one-year extension, Senator Moulton and Representative Wynn are giving schools and libraries the time to make difficult decisions ahead.  We need this time to address how we can ensure affordable broadband and Internet access for our schools.  Please contact your legislators ASAP and ask them to support the Moulton-Wynn proposal to extend the WiscNet deadline to July 1, 2014.  Use the information above as well as these talking points:

Please email or call your legislators as soon as possible using the information discussed above.  I have provided links to contact information for the Assembly (Assembly Directory) and the Senate (Senate Directory). You can identify your legislators by referring to Who Are My Legislators.

Thanks for listening.  And, thanks for all you do on behalf of Wisconsin school children.

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

Read-To-Lead Initiative Launched

By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | January 5, 2012

Governor Walker, DPI Superintendent Evers, Sen. Olsen, and Rep. Kestell announced the results of the “Read-to-Lead” task force yesterday in Greendale. The initiative started in March 2011 with the formation of a task force on reading in Wisconsin. The task force charged with establishing the programs to increase the reading success rates of students.  Recommendations include:

Governor Walker said Department of Children and Families will be implementing steps within the YoungStar program.  DCF will be providing 11 targeted sessions in 2012-13 for YoungStar providers to help identify reading challenges and get technical support for addressing reading issues.

Superintendent Evers said beginning in the 2013-14 school year prospective teachers will be required to pass a literacy test. Evers said right now the testing and assessment is lacking in expertise in teaching reading, so DPI is launching a professional portal for teachers and parents to help support reading. Eventually the portal will be an interactive site for everyone to share best practices.

Sen. Olsen and Rep. Kestell will be submitting legislation to implement the kindergarten screening requirements.  Both legislators said helping parents and teachers understand where children are when they begin kindergarten is one of the best ways to invest education dollars and get the most “return on investment.” In addition to kindergarten screening, school districts will be identifying one person as the “point person” for reading. This person will be a  person for other teachers to contact for assistance and advice. Olsen said, “We have a lot of excellent reading teachers…a lot was on the job training…the longer you’re there, the better you get at it. Senior teachers will be able to share that information with newer teachers.”

Link to the task force report.

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