August 27, 2021
Hello friends,

Tomorrow morning is Pack the Parks for Fair Maps, a great opportunity for educators in Brown County to work on combating the gerrymandering that has held our state hostage. Since 2016 the state of Wisconsin has spent 4 MILLION dollars to defend their gerrymandered maps in courts. Imagine the more worthwhile things educators could do with that money.

Wisconsin needs district maps based on:
  • Population
  • County and Town borders
  • Continuity of land area

NOT districts based on algorithms that foster extreme political partisanship.

Fair Maps are the key to creating real democracy in Wisconsin where the will of the people can be heard! Join us tomorrow at Pack the Parks for Fair Maps at Bay Beach at 11am (by the Zippin Pippin). There will be Fair Maps yard signs, stickers and a roster of exciting speakers including Kristin Brey of As Goes Wisconsin. I'll be there too in my #RedforEd so come say hi! (More info below).

If you live outside Brown County and want more info or just can't make it tomorrow, please reach out to your director to get more information. Our goal is to create Back Home Teams of educators around this important issue.

In Solidarity,

Kristin Lytie
Regional Director
WEAC Region 3
Upcoming Events:


September 22, Wednesday, Zone B Meeting, 6PM


October 6, Wednesday, The Balanced Life Webinar, 6PM

October 13, Wednesday, Region 3 Executive Committee Meeting, 6PM

October 18, Monday, Zone A Meeting, 6PM

Join your family, friends, and neighbors at "Pack the Park for Fair Maps", a pep rally for our community, our democracy, and our Packers (of course)!

The fun begins at 11am with a dynamic slate of speakers including Representative Deb Andraca, former State Senators Dan Theno and Dave Hansen, Sachin Chheda of the Fair Elections Project, Debra Cronmiller of the League of Women Voters, and featuring Kristin Brey of "As Goes Wisconsin" fame as emcee and head cheerleader!

At noon, it will be "Go Pack Go!" time on the big screen as the Packers take on the Bills in Buffalo and together we cheer them on to victory!

Representatives from diverse local and statewide organizations will be there too, rooting for the Pack and sharing information about the positive impact that fair maps will have across our state and for all people. SEE THE FACEBOOK EVENT HERE FOR MORE INFO!
Recertification Elections:
Tell WR3 if your Local is participating
NO LATER THAN Friday, September 3! 

For the Region 3 Locals who participate in recertification elections, it’s important to have deadlines on your horizon. To participate in the election in November you must have your paperwork completed by mid-September. Your Directors will be in touch to help you with the process! 

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 3. The Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission announced the annual certification election balloting regarding school district and state employee unions will be held from noon on Tuesday, November 2 through noon on Monday, November 22, 2021.

The state Department of Public Instruction (DPI) and Department of Health Services (DHS) have released guidance for the 2021-22 school year when it comes to the prevention, investigation and control of COVID in K-12 schools. These are not requirements, but statewide guidance.
The DPI recommends to school districts that all students older than 2 years and all school staff wear face masks at school regardless of vaccination status (unless medical or developmental conditions prohibit use). This is in alignment with the AAP, CDC, and DHS guidance for schools.
 

The DHS states returning to in-person instruction for school-aged children and adolescents is a priority for the school year and notes the recommendations align with the CDC’s K-12 School Operational Strategy.

In an email to school district administrators announcing the guidelines, State Superintendent Dr. Jill Underly said, “My advice is that if we want to keep our schools open to in person learning, we follow it. I know that there is a lot of pressure to waive and/or not enforce mask requirements, and perhaps for some local activities held outdoors that makes sense. But please remind people how quickly this variant spreads and it is highly contagious. The long-term consequences outweigh the minor inconvenience of masking. Our kids are counting on us to keep them safe, and our communities are counting on us to keep our buildings open.”
The preventative and mitigation guidance includes:

Vaccinations. Voluntary vaccinations among staff and eligible students are encouraged.

Masks. In addition to the recommendation all students older than 2 years and all school staff wear face masks in school buildings and activities, including indoor athletics. Face masks are required on school buses, per a CDC order. Outdoor masking is not recommended, and DPI suggests outdoor mask breaks are part of every school day for all grades.

Screening. A plan should be in place, with fully vaccinated people exempt from testing unless experiencing symptoms. Districts are encouraged to build support from students, parents, teachers and staff.

There are many other recommendations addressed in the documents including social distancing and cohorts, staff considerations, staying home/getting tested and much more. View WEAC's overview for the top lines.


DATE SET FOR NEXT REGION 3 ROUNDTABLE

The Region 3 Roundtable is an opportunity to brainstorm with your fellow union leaders throughout the Region. On October 6th we will be discussing Recertification and Meet & Confer. We’ll discuss how to create a strong turnout plan for your vote and why it’s important. For locals that do no recertify we’ll have a conversation about using Meet and Confer to your advantage. Register HERE.
ENHANCE YOUR BACK-TO-SCHOOL CAMPAIGNS WITH PROFESSIONAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES

As we gear up for the 2021-22 school year please, take note of the wide selection of professional development opportunities available to members through WEAC and the WEA Academy. All offerings are grounded in best practice research and relevant to the day-to-day work of educators. In the spirit of craft unionism, all classes and workshops are practical and meant to compliment the professional learning designed at the local or regional level. Here is a list of some offerings:
Professional Development Institute. The annual WEAC Professional Development Institute will be held at the Oshkosh Convention Center November 5-7. Our keynote speaker is author and educator Matthew Kay. Inspired by Frederick Douglass's abolitionist call to action Mr. Kay has written, Not Light, but Fire. Look for registration to open soon.
Modern Strategies for Family Engagement. Family engagement is proven to increase student learning and decrease discipline issues. In a true blended model, educators will connect virtually four times and in person two times with options in Green Bay, Eau Claire, Madison, Milwaukee and LaCrosse. For more details click here. A light lunch and door prizes are included during the in-person sessions.
 
Wednesday Webinars. Back by popular demand. On the first Wednesday of each month a topic relevant to teaching and learning will be covered from 6-7 p.m. A few of the upcoming topics include Building and Maintaining a Humanized Classroom, Using Podcasts for Instructional Purposes, Multi-Sensory Learning Using Arts Integration, and Rethinking Grading. Click here for a full list of webinars and the registration link.
 
Restorative Practices. Restorative Practices is centered on creating a sustainable community of engaged learners through the implementation of classroom circles. This 6-week course held Wednesdays,October 13 through November 17 from 5:30-7 p.m. is interactive and reflective as evidenced in powerful group chats, didactic discussion, and reflective personal writing. Here’s the registration link.
 
The Balanced Life. Educators take care of a lot of people. This course takes care of educators. It includes resources, lessons, and monthly challenges to help our members keep an emotional, social, and physical balance in their lives. The registration link can be found here.
 
Thank you for taking the time to review these offerings, but this is not all. Take a little time and peruse two spots on the WEAC website. First, the Teaching and Learning tab highlights other items such as supports for National Board candidates and Micro-Credentials. Second, the WEA Academy tab shows the entire course catalog. Other popular courses not noted above include FoRT Preparation, Spanish for Educators and Degrees Not Debt!
This is an 11.0101(10)(b)(1) communication with WEAC members