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Retirements Announced So Far

By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | February 26, 2022

From The Wheeler Report . . .

The following is a list of legislators who have publicly announced they will not be seeking re-election to their current position.  It is expected more will announce going forward.

Congress

Senate

Assembly

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More Education Bills Pass Assembly

By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | February 24, 2022

Several education-related bills passed yesterday in Assembly floor action.  The results of the Assembly floor votes on education-related bills appear below.  The SAA’s position on each bill was added at the end of each bill entry in bold italics.  If you should have any questions or comments on any of the SAA positions on these bills, please contact the SAA.

From The Wheeler Report . . .

ASSEMBLY BILL LISTINGS

Assembly Bills, Passed and Messaged,

AB-348 Tobacco (Spiros, John) Raising the legal age for sale, purchase, and possession of cigarettes and nicotine and tobacco products, providing a legal age for sale, purchase, and possession of vapor products, and providing a penalty. Am. 1 returned to author.  Am. 2 adopted, (Voice Vote).  Passed, (Voice Vote).  Messaged.  SAA supports.

AB-854 School Board Authority (Summerfield, Rob) The authority of school boards to approve or deny owner-initiated petitions to detach and attach small territories of school districts and modifying a waiting period that applies to filing multiple petitions. Passed, 60-36.  Messaged.  SAA opposed.

Senate Bills, Passed and Messaged

SB-695 Charter Schools (Kooyenga, Dale) The number of independent charter schools authorized by the College of Menominee Nation or the Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Community College. Passed, 61-35.  Messaged. SAA opposed.

SB-833 Teaching Grants (Kooyenga, Dale) Grants to support the teaching of college courses in high schools and making an appropriation. Passed, (Voice Vote).  Messaged.  SAA supports.

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Education Bills Pass in Senate Floor Action

By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | February 23, 2022

Several education bills passed yesterday in Senate floor action.  The results of the Senate floor votes on selected education bills appear below.  The SAA’s position on each bill was added at the end of each bill entry in bold italics.  If you should have any questions or comments on any of the SAA positions on these bills, please contact the SAA.

From The Wheeler Report . . .

SENATE BILL LISTINGS

Senate Bills, Passed and Messaged

SB-695 Charter Schools (Kooyenga, Dale) The number of independent charter schools authorized by the College of Menominee Nation or the Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Community College. Am.1 adopted, (Voice Vote).  Passed, (Voice Vote).  Messaged.  SAA Opposed

SB-833 Teaching Grants (Kooyenga, Dale) Grants to support the teaching of college courses in high schools and making an appropriation. Am.1 adopted, (Voice Vote).  Passed, 33-0.  Messaged.  SAA Supports

Assembly Bills, Passed and Messaged

AB-420 Charter Schools (Duchow, Cindi) Payments to an independent charter school authorized by a tribal college. Passed, (Voice Vote).  Messaged.  SAA No Position

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Education Bills Pass in Assembly Floor Action

By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | February 23, 2022

Numerous education bills passed yesterday in Assembly floor action.  The results of the Assembly floor votes on selected education bills appear below.  The SAA’s position on each bill was added at the end of each bill entry in bold italics.  If you should have any questions or comments on any of the SAA positions on these bills, please contact the SAA.

From The Wheeler Report . . .

ASSEMBLY BILL LISTINGS

Assembly Bills, Passed and Messaged,

AB-082 Cardiac Arrest (Allen, Scott) Information about sudden cardiac arrest during youth athletic activities. Am. 4 adopted, (Voice Vote).  Passed, (Voice Vote).  Messaged.  SAA Neutral

AB-122 Microschools (Sortwell, Shae) Microschools. Sub. 2 ruled non-germane, Appealed, Decision of the Chair Stand?, 60-32.  Am. 1 to Sub. 1 returned to author.  Am. 2 to Sub. 1 adopted, (Voice Vote).  Sub. 1 adopted, (Voice Vote).  Passed, (Voice Vote).  Messaged.  SAA No Position

AB-446 Reading Readiness (Kitchens, Joel) Reading readiness assessments and granting rule-making authority. Am. 1 adopted, (Voice Vote).  AM. 2 Returned to Author.  Am. 3 adopted, (Voice Vote).  Passed, (Voice Vote).  Messaged.  SAA Opposed

AB-903 Gifted and Talented Programs (Petryk, Warren) Programs for gifted and talented pupils. Passed, (Voice Vote).  Messaged.  SAA Opposed

AB-963 Parent Rights (Gundrum, Rick) Rights reserved to a parent or guardian of a child. Passed, 60-34.  Messaged.  SAA Opposed

AB-965 DPI Reports (Wittke, Robert) The components, methods, and formulas the Department of Public Instruction uses to publish school and school district accountability reports and granting rule-making authority. Passed, 60-33.  Messaged.  SAA Opposed

AB-966 Reorganizing Milwaukee Schools (Wittke, Robert) Reorganizing the Milwaukee Public School System into four to eight school districts and creating a Milwaukee Public Schools Redistricting and Implementation Commission. Passed, (Voice Vote).  Messaged.  SAA Opposed

AB-967 Charter Schools (Wittke, Robert) High-performing charter schools authorized by school boards. Passed, (Voice Vote).  Messaged.  SAA Opposed

AB-968 Charter School Board (Wittke, Robert) Creating a Charter School Authorizing Board and allowing the board to authorize independent charter schools. Passed, (Voice Vote).  Messaged.  SAA Opposed

AB-969 School Crimes (Duchow, Cindi) Reporting to law enforcement certain crimes and other incidents that occur in or on public school buildings and grounds, requiring certain schools to employ armed school resource officers, and allocating federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 funding to reimburse schools for costs of employing armed school resource officers. Passed, 61-32.  Messaged.  SAA Opposed

AB-970 Choice Income Limits (Wittke, Robert) Eliminating income limits for parental choice programs; eliminating pupil participation limits for the statewide parental choice program; private school tuition charged to a pupil participating in a parental choice program; and creating an education expense reimbursement program for the 2022-23 school year and the summer of 2023. Am. 1 tabled, 60-31.  Passed, 59-34.  Messaged.  SAA Opposed

AB-971 Pupil Promotion (Wittke, Robert) Promotion of pupils from the third grade to the fourth grade based on passage of the standardized reading test; reading readiness assessments in public schools; grants to increase licensure of reading teachers; sunsetting the Achievement Gap Reduction program; programs to identify and address pupils with dyslexia; parental opt-out of pupils in grades kindergarten to three from statewide examinations; and making an appropriation. Am. 1 adopted, (Voice Vote).  Passed, 60-32.  Messaged.  SAA Opposed

AB-975 Substitute Teachers (Thiesfeldt, Jeremy) Substitute teacher permits issued by the Department of Public Instruction. Am. 1 adopted, (Voice Vote).  Am. 2 tabled, 60-32.  Passed, (Voice Vote).  Messaged.  SAA Supports

AB-995 Face Covering Opt-Out (Vos, Robin) A parental opt-out from face covering requirements in school buildings and on school grounds and requiring school boards to offer pupils a full-time, in-person option. Passed, 60-32.  Messaged. SAA Opposed

Senate Bills, Passed and Messaged

SB-585 Crime Reporting (Jagler, John) Reporting certain crimes and other incidents that occur on school property or school transportation and granting rule-making authority Passed, (Voice Vote).  Messaged.  SAA Opposed

SB-589 Reading Test License (Darling, Alberta) The Foundations of Reading test licensure requirement. Passed, (Voice Vote).  Messaged.  SAA Supports

SB-597 Kindergarten (Wanggaard, Van) Early admission to kindergarten and first grade at a private school participating in a parental choice program. Passed, (Voice Vote).  Messaged.  SAA No Position

SB-608 Parental Choice Program (Jagler, John) The prior year pupil attendance requirement to participate in the Racine Parental Choice Program or the statewide parental choice program and allowing a pupil who changes residence to transfer from the Racine Parental Choice Program or Milwaukee Parental Choice Program to the statewide parental choice program. Passed, (Voice Vote).  Messaged.  SAA No Position

SB-828 Early Learning (Darling, Alberta) Administration of the online early learning pilot program in the 2022-23 school year. Passed, (Voice Vote).  Messaged.  SAA No Position

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SAA Releases Legal Memo on Parental Bill of Rights

By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | February 21, 2022

The SAA membership has been informed in previous reporting that the SAA opposes Assembly Bill 963, the so-called Parental Bill of Rights.  However, you may not be aware that the SAA feels so strongly about this legislation that we took the extraordinary step of retaining Attorney Mike Julka of the Boardman & Clark Law Firm to prepare a thorough legal analysis of the bill.  Today, the SAA forwarded that legal memo to all Wisconsin legislators, the Governor’s office and selected members of the press.  Tomorrow (Tuesday, February 22nd), AB 963 is scheduled for floor action in the Assembly.

AB 963 creates significant legal challenges for school districts.  First, the bill creates a private cause of action for parents against school districts with respect to an extremely broad set of complex issues.  This will likely result in districts having to defend increased lawsuits, and given the bill’s high legal standard of review, it will be difficult for districts to prevail in these suits.  Second, the ambiguity and lack of definitions in the bill fails to provide school districts with adequate direction for them to modify their policies and practices and mitigate legal risk.  Third, the bill fails to reconcile itself with existing law creating discrepancies that will force school districts to make uncertain choices as to which law to follow.  Finally, this bill will make it extremely difficult for school districts to manage and deliver a successful education for all students.  For these reasons, the bill is simply unworkable for school districts.

Please find below a link to Attorney Julka’s analysis of AB 963.  I encourage all interested SAA members to review this memo.  If you should have any questions regarding our position on AB 963, please call me at 608-242-1370.

Attorney Julka’s Analysis of AB 963

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