May 1, 2020
MEMBERSHIP EDITION, Vol. 4, #9

WEAC
WEAC reaffirmed our unwavering support for the efforts of Governor Tony Evers, State Health Secretary Andrea Palm, and all who are working to keep Wisconsin safe during the pandemic.

Our union will sign onto a brief along with partner organizations, representing approximately one million Wisconsinites representing a broad cross section of Wisconsin’s diverse population. The purpose of the brief is to inject the voice of educators, along with our partners, into a lawsuit brought forth by Republican legislative leaders to challenge the governor’s Safer at Home order. In the brief, WEAC and our partners firmly assert and recognize that the governor’s office is moving forward within its legal authority and has a right to proceed with his orders to keep Wisconsinites safe.
In taking the action, WEAC stands firm to show our support for leaders who have vision, conviction and courage. This is a time when tough decisions must be made and WEAC believes we all must join to show a collective refusal to knuckle under to irresponsible partisan moves by legislative leaders that would surely undermine the health and safety of Wisconsinites.

This effort is bigger than any one organization, and WEAC is proud to stand with the following organizations in fighting for the safety of all Wisconsinites: Wisconsin Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals, Milwaukee Branch of the NAACP, Voces de la Frontera, Black Leaders Organizing for Communities, Forward Latino, Souls to the Polls, Milwaukee Inner-City Congregations Allied for Hope, LULAC Wisconsin, Racine Interfaith Coalition, Citizen Action Wisconsin, AFSCME Council 32, Kids Forward, ABC for Health and Second Harvest.

Questions? Contact WEAC @ 800-362-8034 (Toll free) .

Thank you to those who joined WEAC’s statewide video chat for ESPs on April 28, with updates from Education Support Professionals around Wisconsin about the status of support staff jobs during the health crisis.  Register now for our next one on May 19 !
WEAC
Disrupted Learning Huddle
Tuesday, May 5: This popular workshop brings together educators to talk about, and develop, solutions to disruptions to the learning environment. Connect with fellow educators to share best practices and strategies in this “new normal.” Sign up now.
Early Career Educator Check-In
Wednesday, May 6: Wisconsin Early Career Educators are hosting a Zoom chat that will break participants into small groups to talk about how things are going and get to know teachers from all over Wisconsin. If you’re a newer teacher, you’ll want to take part. Register now .
Join
 WEAC Retired!
Sign up NOW! With retired membership you stay in the loop and can maintain benefits like NEA life insurance.
 
The 10-Minute Meeting
You have an opportunity to keep members in the loop AND respect their time by holding 10-minute meetings! It's also a great time to get feedback from people in the building. 

Get out there and BE VISIBLE!

How can we have 10-minute meetings during the pandemic? Now is probably the BEST time to reach out to your members! Facebook live, Google hangouts, Zoom...
For more details about how the 10-minute meeting works, click   here .
For previous 10-minute meeting topics:
January : Retirement



The MAY 10-Minute Meeting topic:


May 1st is International Workers Day!
It's not a coincidence that workers across America have chosen today to strike for better working conditions. Read more about the history of International Workers Day here . Who is striking and what do they want? Read more here .

It has become clear in the last two months that minimum wage workers are the backbone of our society. Our so-called heroes that stock and sell and deliver our groceries really just need their job to survive. Who is making and delivering lunches to our students while school buildings are closed? It's our support staff employees who often work more than one job to make ends meet.

You might be lulled into believing that workers have no power. It's in times of crisis when we have the MOST power! Our students NEED us and our school boards and administrators, and the parents of our students know it. You can listen in to a Labor Notes conference about " Building Power in a Pandemic " for inspiration.

CONTACT us at Region 3 and we'll help you get started on membership drives, organizing plans, and social media strategies for staying connected.
EVERY WEDNESDAY, 4:30 - 5:30 pm
Next VIRTUAL Meeting is May 6th at 4:30 p.m.
Click here to complete:

See:




Please note the time stamp on the responses - things change daily. So, for example, Districts may have been requiring in-person meetings as of March 17, but are not doing so now.
Members have found the weekly Region 3 zoom meetings (register by clicking above) and these surveys are a useful way to share information in these unprecedented times. We use a portion of the weekly meeting to determine what issues people want to know more about so we include them in the survey. Please join us! 

It is our hope that this information enables best practices to be widely shared and provide guidance within your district. Members have used these compilations of info to persuade their district decision-makers to make good choices!

Do not hesitate to contact the Region 3 office with questions and concerns! 
800-472-5582

We are working from home; please do not come to the office.
Implementation of Educator Effectiveness in 2019-20
So, you're in a summary year for EE? What happens when it's pretty obvious we won't be going back to school this semester? Districts and teachers can opt to finalize EE processes for this year, or carry over to next year.

Click here for DPI guidance.
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!
 
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 Friday,  May 1st, 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 May 1st.


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.

WELCOME
NEW MEMBERS in April:
Two !

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. Please contact your local association president if interested in becoming a delegate. 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.   
Just an update about Wisconsin Vision. Their centers are open for members for essential business-that means emergency type medical procedures. They can also fix glasses if possible and order new glasses as well as contacts. This should all be done by appointment. They are keeping the number of people in centers down. Eye exams cannot be done as o f now but plan to resume them on May 17,2020. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate contact Dan Emerick at Wisconsin Vision.
Hi all,

I was a high school teacher for 20 years and I've been working for WEAC in the northeast region, advocating for our fantastic education employees for the last 16 years. At the end of this month, I will say goodbye and begin a weird, new world retirement. Good news: I have no interest in a retirement party. Good news: I can't have one!

Region 3 has hired a new Director and her name is Erin Karsten. She begins work on May 18th. Erin will visit with us at the May 9 Region 3 RA to say hello, and I will help introduce her to members in the last couple of weeks in May. It's a strange time to begin a new job, but I know you all will welcome her and help her adjust.

Me? I'm going to play golf!

Peace,
Kathy Rohde
WR3 Regional Director

P.S., I've already joined WEAC Retired! It's a one-time dues payment and it keeps me in the loop of all things related to education. It's a good thing!