August 28, 2020
Hello all,

I know it’s usually a very stressful time of year, but now there’s so much more to worry about. That’s why it’s important to reach out to new hires and tell them about the union. Right now, a sense of community and a safe place to discuss concerns is going to be a huge benefit to people walking in the door. I put together a few tips on hosting an event with new hires.

Hopefully it helps!
 
  • Have fellow union members commit to attending.
  • Welcome everyone.
  •  Start off the event by having each member introduce themselves and why they joined the union. (If you can, discuss prior so there’s not too much overlap.)
  • Ask the new hires to introduce themselves. If any of them have already joined, ask them to share why. (Having all the union members present to speak right from the beginning normalizes union membership and visibility. It also creates a warm environment for the the group to feel comfortable talking, so we don’t get a deer in headlights effect.) 
  • Discuss the union’s accomplishments and goals. 
  • Point out there is organized people and organized money. We know which one we are capable of. 
  • You may have heard that unions have no power anymore but that’s not true, we just do things differently now. We move things by showing up to share we care with tools like meet and confer. 
  • End on the membership ask-something like, “We are stronger together, so do you want to join us?”
  • Don’t forget online sign up! http://weac.org/membership/
 
Hopefully these ideas help but as always, feel free to reach out to Region 3 for more! 
 
In Solidarity,
Kristin Lytie
Region 3 Director
Tell Us Something Good!
@ Region3@weac.org
Congratulations to West DePere Middle School Educator Bryan Milz
Three WEAC members are among 60 talented teachers selected to join the New York Times Teaching Project. The member-educators selected are Kim Butterfield, Central High School, La Crosse; Tessa Maglio, South Milwaukee High School; and Bryan Milz, West De Pere Middle School. Now these educators will spend the next year working together to develop the projects they began in July; supporting each other through what promises to be a tricky year of teaching and learning amid a pandemic; and, of course, continuing to experiment with ways to include journalism in general, and Times resources in particular, in their work.
Recertification Elections:
Tell WR3 if your Local is participating
NO LATER THAN Friday, September 4! 
Even if your Local is NOT recertifying soon, talking about Recertification is a good idea. You can explain why your Local is not participating, that even without recertifying your UNION STILL EXISTS, and you can discuss the potential for holding a CERTIFICATION election in the future.
 
  • Here is a flyer that describes the process of Certification and Recertification.
 
If your Local IS recertifying this year, please contact the WR3 office by September 4. The Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission has not yet announced the 20-day voting period, but should do so in early September. In past years, recertification voting has typically begun in early November.
Flexibility provisions for schools released

Hours of instruction, third Friday counts, attendance and more addressed

New provisions for hours of instruction, open enrollment, attendance and more have been released by the Department of Public Instruction. The COVID-19 Regulatory Flexibility Framework Provisions for the 2020-21 School Year provide explanations, along with examples of how the provisions will be implemented.

Among the new guidance included in the document:

  • The DPI will require school districts to record attendance this school year for in person, virtual, or remote instruction.
  • Related to third Friday enrollment counts, there is no special flexibility required for districts to count students who are being served with virtual or blended instructional models on or around the count date.
  • Educator Effectiveness waivers are available for districts that are unable to fulfill the six minimal implementation requirements.
WEAC Join Now ONLINE
Member Sign Up
Easy, fast online feature supports your membership efforts

WEAC online member sign-up, Join Now, is now available to provide a convenient and fast way for educators to become members of our union.

 
In a series of simple screens, educators can enter their information to become a member. This feature is especially useful during one-on-one membership conversations. While the process is entirely online, it is recommended that organizers and leaders stay with educators through the sign-up process to answer any questions that might arise.
For an overview of the Join Now experience, click here.
WEAC
NEA
Region 3 Special Education Networking Meeting

This Special Ed Networking call will be special as it's going to be facilitated by two members from Region 3 who have extensive experience working in Special Ed. Their expertise is sure to take the conversation in a meaningful and thought provoking way!

When: September 21, 2020 @ 4:30 PM
 
Register in advance for this meeting HERE:
 
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
EDUCATION SUPPORT PERSONNEL CONNECTION CALL FOR ALL ESP'S
WEAC Region 3 would now like to invite members and potential members to these meetings. This is your opportunity, Region 3 members, to bring a non-member friend. Let's show them the value of union membership!

Region 3 created an ESP Connection Call to check in with one another, keep each other in the loop and plan our next steps. It was discovered that now more than ever ESP staff need to be in contact with each other to discuss what their districts are doing, best practices and how to implement them in their own district. The global pandemic has revealed that schools are the social safety nets for many of our communities and that those safety nets work because you do.

 
Please join us on Tuesday, September 8 at 4 pm via zoom to participate in this important conversation. 
 
 
 
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
You are Invited!
WR3's ALL-MEMBER
Weekly Virtual Gathering
Wednesday, September 2, 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) Returning to school.
2) 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.
WEAC

Every Wednesday between 6-7 p.m. WEAC members have access to a webinar highlighting relevant teaching and learning topics. This Wednesday's is a National Board Informational Webinar. A complete listing of the webinars and the registration link can be found here.
Building a Balanced Life Registration Now Open
Educators often put the needs of others before themselves. This engaging and interactive opportunity is designed to focus on helping public school employees maintain a healthy life balance. Register here.
Region 3 has added a COVID-19 INFO tab on 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.
Women and retirement: 6 challenges to a secure future
The journey to financial security is different for women, so being aware of potential obstacles will help you prepare for and overcome the hurdles. While not every woman will experience the same challenges, it is likely that most will face more than one. Women need to be aware and prepare.