April 17, 2020
WEAC Region 3 represents public education employees in a large territory stretching from Florence to Port Washington,
and from Menominee to Washington Island.
Political Action
This is an 11.0101(10)(b)(1) communication with WEAC members.  
Dear friends of Wisconsin students and public schools,

You may have heard by now that the Wisconsin GOP has put forward an alternative to the Governor's latest COVID-19 package that would include some very alarming provisions, including one that would allow the state budget committee to cut school spending without the Governor's approval and another that expands voucher enrollment. If you missed the news, you can catch up here:






Contact Governor Evers Now (with a draft message)  https://bit.ly/Protect_PublicEd
Wisconsin Public Schools Get Strong Vote of Approval

Wisconsin Public Schools got a strong vote of approval in the April General Election, with 91 percent of the school referendums passing. Only five of the 57 referendum questions failed.


In total, 48 of Wisconsin’s 421 public schools – about 10 percent of all Wisconsin districts – held a total of 57 referendums on April 7.
When We Vote, We Win!
Despite the WI Republican-controlled legislature insisting that voters brave the threat of becoming infected with COVID-19 in order to cast a ballot, presumably with the idea that if voters didn't turn out, they would prevail, we voted anyway ! And many voted absentee!

Here's a tidbit from The Atlantic : "The far more consequential race was the judicial election, and Judge Jill Karofsky’s defeat of incumbent Justice Daniel Kelly gave Democrats an important victory—delayed by nearly a week as a deluge of absentee ballots was counted—in what was essentially a trial run for the November election in the closely divided swing state." Read the whole story here .
If we've learned anything from the recent election, it's to be prepared. Request your mail-in ballot for the fall elections now !
Have a Story to Share?
WEAC's Public Affairs Director Christina Brey would like to collect stories featuring members and their experiences adapting to the virtual environment . If you have stories to share, or a tip on someone to talk to, she’d love to hear from you. There are no specific criteria, she's looking for everyday heroes who keep students learning and are representative of most of our membership.

Thanks for any help! Christina can be reached at breyc@weac.org .
WEAC Region 3 RA

The decision was made at the April 8 WEAC Region 3 Executive Committee Meeting to hold this year's Region 3 RA virtually.
Saturday, May 9, 2020
10 AM - 1 PM

Presidents received information on March 30 regarding election of delegates. Once Region 3 receives delegate certifications, a registration link will be emailed to all certified delegates.

Please note that we have created a secure registration that requires a password for this important Representative Assembly. You must be an elected delegate and you must register, and then you will be sent login and password information to attend the virtual meeting.

Delegates to the WEAC Region 3 RA will be electing the following positions to the WR3 Executive Committee:

  • Officer positions for two-year terms: President, Vice-President
  • At-large position for one-year term: ESP Member-at-Large
  • Zone Leaders for one-year term: Zones A, B, C, D North, D South, E, F

To determine which Zone your local is in, please click HERE .
 
In order to be elected to one of these positions, nominees must be a local delegate (either the local president or their alternate, or elected by the local) or delegate-at-large to the WR3 RA.

Nominations can be made by any member. To nominate a member please submit their name, personal email address, local and indicate position for which they are being nominated HERE no later than Monday, May 4 th . Please include the name, personal email address, cellphone number, and local of the person making the nomination. Nominations may also be made from the floor at the RA, however, names received after May 4, or accepted from the floor, may not be included on the pre-printed ballot. All nominations are contingent upon acceptance by the nominee. 
Thanks to the efforts of our union, the federal CARES Act includes temporary relief for federal student loan borrowers. Now, WEAC/NEA is here to help our members figure out how to access relief.

and

Our union continues to work toward more solutions to crippling student loan debt during this critical time and for the long run. Now is a great time to share what we’re doing together to relieve student loan debt, and ask your colleagues to join our union so we can accomplish even more.


Take our free, self-based Degrees Not Debt course Discover options for student loan forgiveness, cancellation, and extended payment options.
You are Invited!
WR3's ALL-MEMBER
Weekly Virtual Gathering
Wednesday, April 22, 2020
4:30 - 5:30 pm

Please note that you need to PRE-Register for the meeting by clicking on the link above. Then an email will be sent to you with the login link.
We are doing our best to Zoombomb-proof our meeting!

Agenda:
1) Latest updates on school closings.
2) Discussion of Survey #4 - click here to answer questions.
3) Time for sharing! What's going on in your area?


We look forward to SEEING you!
It's a good idea to log in a few minutes early
to get the audio and video working on your device.
Region 3 has added a COVID-19 INFO tab at the top of our webpage: https://region3.weac.org/

Clicking on that tab gives you access to a Google Drive with all kinds of updated information. We have posted a document with links and resources, recordings of virtual gatherings, an Excel version of our survey data, and more.
7 Tips for Maintaining Relationships

We asked teachers to share strategies for maintaining relationships—both peer-to-peer and student-teacher—when everything’s gone remote.

CLICK HERE to read article plus more helpful information as we navigate teaching in this new environment.
WEAC
2020 WEAC Representative Assembly - Saturday, May 23 - Via Zoom Video Conference Call

The 2020 WEAC Representative Assembly is being held via Zoom video conference call on Saturday, May 23. The Zoom meeting will start at 10:00 a.m. The RA agenda and Standing Rules, along with other information, can be found at www.weac.org/ra . WEAC will continue to post items as necessary.

Changes to the date and format of the RA also change the deadline for delegate registration. Delegates may register by May 4, by continuing to send the delegate report forms to Sue Crabb at WEAC. If the new date for the RA changes the availability of your current delegates, your local may conduct a new election and submit an amended delegate report form to Sue Crabb by May 4. If you need a new form, which will still require the signatures of the local president and secretary, contact Sue at crabbs@weac.org .

WEAC will hold a budget hearing on Wednesday, May 13, at 7:00 p.m. Delegates will be sent a Zoom link for the budget hearing prior to that date. The budget hearing previously set for April 16 is canceled.

Delegate Materials - WEAC will be mailing, via USPS to home addresses, RA materials to all registered delegates. The packet will contain the proposed WEAC 2020-2021 budget, new business item #1 and the implementation report of the 2019 NBI’s. All other documents to be used during the RA will be posted on the link above. This link will be provided to RA delegates as they are reported to WEAC.

NEA Children’s Fund – WEAC is working on a process to determine how, or if, they will conduct an auction on-line. More information will be provided as that process unfolds.

As we venture into this new method of conducting business, please be patient, ask questions and help us ensure this RA run smoothly, as we continue to accomplish the work of the union.
If you have a question about other meetings, check WEAC's webpage:
At the June 13, 2020 WEA Inc. Board of Directors meeting, the Inc. Board will be conducting elections to the WEA Academy Board of Directors.  Anyone wishing to be considered must file their intention with the office of the WEAC Executive Director by May 14, 2020 and will be invited to speak at the June Board meeting. The meeting will be held at the WEAC Office in Madison. 
The following terms will expire as of August 31, 2023:
TERM         BASIS OF ELECTION                    TO EXPIRE

3 Year         At-Large Member                      August 31, 2023
3 Year         At-Large Member                      August 31, 2023
3 Year         At-Large Member                      August 31, 2023
Keep Up to Date with the Latest Coronavirus News

WTCS Recertification Election

Still Time to Vote!
Voting began at noon on Wednesday, April 1, and will continue until noon on Tuesday, April 21, 2020 .

The election will be conducted telephonically and online with the assistance of the American Arbitration Association (AAA), a nationally recognized neutral organization committed to conducting a fair election.

You cannot change your vote after it is cast. When the voting period ends, AAA will provide the Commission with the result of the election, and the Commission will, in turn, provide the results to the Employer and the Labor Organization.

You can vote by telephone (toll free at 1-866-458-9862) or online ( www.aaaelections.org/WERC ). The voting system is in operation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, during the voting period. The following are the instructions for voting:

  1. Be prepared to provide the first four letters of your last name and the last four digits of your Social Security number.
  2. Follow the instructions provided to you by telephone or online.
  3. After you vote “yes” or “no,” you will be asked to confirm your choice. You must confirm your choice for your vote to be counted.

If you experience any problem with the voting system or need special assistance when voting, please call 1-800-529-5218 for assistance (Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Central time).

If you have questions about the election process, see the FAQs on the Commission’s website.
Teacher Contract Renewal / Non-Renewal for 2020-21
Wisconsin State Statute 118.22 governs the renewal and NON-renewal of full-time teacher contracts

DEADLINES WILL NOT CHANGE BECAUSE OF SCHOOL CLOSINGS!
 
BE ON THE LOOKOUT
When you receive an individual contract for 2020-21, please send a copy to the Region 3 office. We are looking to see if Districts are including layoff language of any sort in the individual contract.

IF YOU DON'T RECEIVE A 2020-21 CONTRACT BY MAY 15, YOU SHOULD "SELF-RENEW"
Teachers can write a letter to the Board:
Pursuant to Wis. Stat. § 118.22(2), given that the District did not provide me with notice of renewal or refusal to renew my individual contract by May 15, my teaching contract now in force is to continue for the ensuing school year. I hereby accept the renewal of my 2019-20 individual contract for the 2020-21 school year.  
This important deadline is approaching: 
 
For teacher contracts that a District does NOT want to renew for the 2020-21 school year, the school board must notify with a  preliminary  notice of non-renewal on OR before Thursday,  April 30, 2020.  This timeline applies regardless of the reason for non-renewal, e.g., performance, economic reasons, declining enrollment, etc.   A preliminary notice of non-renewal must be voted on and issued by the school board (not an administrator).

Many teachers have already been given some kind of indication that the District is thinking about non-renewal. These teachers may be on a plan of improvement. For teachers under this scrutiny,   the preliminary notice of non-renewal may come well before the deadline of April 30.

Once preliminary notice of non-renewal is given to an educator, they only have five calendar days to request a hearing before the school board.
  • Union members who are fearful of a non-renewal should contact the Region 3 office as soon as possible. 
  • Union leaders and building reps who are working with teachers who may be in danger of non-renewal should contact the Region 3 office as soon as possible. 
 
Please do not wait until the preliminary notice has already been issued!

Other important deadlines:
May 15th:  all teachers should receive a continuing contract for 2020-21.
June 15th:  all teachers must sign and return 2020-21 contracts.
Live Webinars Scheduled for May 2020

ETF is offering a series of 30-minute, live, interactive webinars designed to increase your understanding of Wisconsin Retirement System benefits. Individuals can also ask questions at the end of these sessions. Visit their webinar page to learn more about any of the following sessions.

  • 5 Basic Steps to Your Retirement
  • Additional Contributions
  • Understanding Your Annual WRS Statement of Benefits
  • WRS Effective Rates & Annuity Adjustments
  • Preparing for Your Retirement
  • Beneficiary Designations - What Happens to My Account When I Die?
  • How to Use ETF's Online Retirement Calculator to Estimate a Retirement Benefit.
Hi all,
We held our 4th Region 3 Virtual meeting this week and here's my biggest takeaway-- when we talk about what's happening in our workplaces, others can use that information and convince administrators to change their minds!

Example: a couple weeks ago, one district was requiring teachers to come to the school for small (less than 10 persons) meetings. Armed with survey data detailing other districts' response to the "Safer at Home" order, union leaders put a stop to the in-person meetings.

Example: when one curriculum director was reaching out to teachers asking for SLO and PPG data, union leaders, armed with both the latest recommendations from DPI (available on the WR3 website) and survey data from other districts, convinced the curriculum director that it was okay to halt the EE process for this school year.

Example: one union leader, in her monthly discussion with the Superintendent, brought up the health insurance requirement of annual physicals (which may be difficult to comply with during the pandemic). Her sharing of this issue gave others in the Virtual meeting ideas about PROACTIVE things to talk about with their own administrators.

When you attend the Virtual meeting, you have input into what questions you need information about. When you fill out the survey, you help others compile the POWERFUL information they need to halt bad administrative decisions.

Please join us! Here's survey #4 that asks questions about spring sports, support staff pay, bargaining for CPI increases, and more!

--Peace
Kathy Rohde
Regional Director
WEAC Region 3