Evers vetoes AB 411, So-Called CRT Bill
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | February 4, 2022
Governor Tony Evers has vetoed Assembly Bill 411, the so-called Critical Race Theory bill. The SAA strongly opposed the bill. See the Governor’s full veto message here.
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WPF: Trends in Wisconsin’s Superintendent and Principal Turnover
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | February 3, 2022
According to the Wisconsin Policy Forum (WPF) in a report released today, state data show that principals and superintendents turn over in Wisconsin public schools and districts at about the national average, but turnover is most prevalent for those serving the state’s most vulnerable students. Check out the WPF report here.
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GOP Education Package Circulating for Co-Sponsorship
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | February 3, 2022
As reported in The Wheeler Report late yesterday, the following education-related bills are now circulating for co-sponsorship inside the State Capitol. You might recall that this package of bills was the subject of a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel news story by Molly Beck, as well as numerous follow-up stories over the weekend. We are hearing that these bills may be up for public hearing as early as next week. Stay tuned. Republican lawmakers plan legislation to break up MPS, expand vouchers (jsonline.com)
LRB-5871 Memo DPI Reports (Darling, Alberta) The components, methods, and formulas the Department of Public Instruction uses to publish school and school district accountability reports and granting rule-making authority. Deadline: Friday, February 4, 11 am
LRB-5944 Memo Parent Rights (Darling, Alberta) Rights reserved to a parent or guardian of a child. Deadline: Friday, February 4, 11 am
LRB-5665 Memo Charter School Board (Darling, Alberta) Creating a Charter School Authorizing Board and allowing the board to authorize independent charter schools. Deadline: Friday, February 4, Noon
LRB-5941 Memo Property Tax Credit (Darling, Alberta) Increasing the school property tax credit due to virtual instruction during the 2021-22 school year. Deadline: Friday, February 4, Noon
LRB-5662 Memo Charter Schools (Darling, Alberta) High-performing charter schools authorized by school boards. Deadline: Friday, February 4, Noon
LRB-5632 Memo Reorganizing Milwaukee Schools (Darling, Alberta) Reorganizing the Milwaukee Public School System into four to eight school districts and creating a Milwaukee Public Schools Redistricting and Implementation Commission. Deadline: Friday, February 4, Noon
LRB-4713 Memo Choice Income Limits (Roth, Roger) 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. Deadline: Friday, February 4, Noon
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More on ESSER III Plan Approval
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | February 3, 2022
From WisPolitics.com …
The Joint Finance Committee has signed off on DPI’s plan to use a smaller pot of federal COVID-19 funds to reward districts that provided in-person instruction during the pandemic.The U.S. Department of Education rejected an earlier proposal from the GOP-controlled committee to use more of the money for the effort.DPI submitted the proposal to the committee last week through its 14-day passive review process. The committee notified the agency today that no members objected to the revised proposal, clearing the way for it to be implemented.In May, JFC approved using a portion of $114.6 million in federal COVID-19 funds to reward districts that provided in-person instruction for at least 50 percent of the 2020-21 school year.But the federal government objected to pulling $77 million for that effort from a pot of money that was earmarked for addressing learning loss. Those funds were required to target students disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.Under the revised plan:*$37.6 million will still go to districts that provided in-person instruction. That money is from an unrestricted pot of discretionary funds, and it will benefit 151 districts.*of the just more than $77 million that was earmarked for learning loss, $10 million will be set aside for two new grant programs. One will be a $5 million competitive grant program for districts and community-based organizations for services outside of school. The other $5 million will target high school students who have been chronically absent during the pandemic.*the remaining $67 million will be used to ensure that all districts receive a minimum per pupil amount and per pupil grant.State Superintendent Jill Underly and the GOP co-chairs of the committee sparred after the U.S. Education Department rejected the JFC’s initial proposal for the funds.Co-chairs Mark Born, R-Beaver Dam, and Howard Marklein, R-Spring Green, accused DPI of working “behind the scenes with their political counterparts in Washington D.C. to find ways to deny our efforts to reward schools that did the hard work of educating our kids in person during a pandemic.”Underly fired back their response was “disappointing, disingenuous, and nakedly political.”Today, Underly said she was heartened by JFC’s approval and called it “a perfect example of how we can work together to advance important issues related to schools.”See the DPI proposal here.
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Underly Issues Statement on JFC Approval of ESSER III Plan
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | February 2, 2022
State Superintendent Dr. Jill Underly today issued the following statement regarding the Joint Committee on Finance approving the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s ARPA Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Funds III plan.
“I am heartened to see that the Joint Finance Committee has approved the ESSER III revision DPI submitted last month. This is a perfect example of how we can work together to advance important issues related to schools, and I am thankful we are able to get this much-needed funding out the door to districts. I am hopeful for fruitful collaborations in the future, and I thank everyone at the DPI and JFC for their work on this proposal and their dedication to our students and educators.”
For the full news release, see here.
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