March 19, 2021
Hello friends,

It's no secret this year has been hard on educators: Switching back and forth between methods of instruction, learning new technologies, and making sure students are engaged and feeling safe. Throw a Wisconsin winter on top of that and it's no wonder why so many of us are feeling isolated.

That's why the Sheboygan Education Association has started brainstorming ways to show unity with one another. The SEA wants to use the Just One Campaign as an opportunity to bring people together and show them that the union is a living breathing organization by hosting an event with potential members outdoors at a food truck.

Another thing the SEA is doing again (once everyone feels comfortable) is meeting with one another at a local coffeeshop to do grading. The event not only builds fellowship among members, it also supports local businesses and shows the larger community all the invisible work educators do.

The Just One Campaign kicks off on Wednesday March 31st at 6pm. We'll be hosting an overview of the campaign and discussing best practices about brining on new members. You can register for the workshop HERE.

The Just One Campaign is a two month challenge to all our locals in Region 3 to bring on Just One new member. Can your local do it?

We know you can.

New members can join via early enrollment without paying dues until next school year. It's a great opportunity for them to get a taste of what your union is like. As an added bonus, if you sign up a new member, you will be entered to win a $50 gift card to places like School House, Target, and more! Learn more and register HERE! As always, your directors would love to answer your questions and help you tailor this campaign to your unique local union.

In Solidarity,
Kristin Lytie
Regional Director
WEAC Region 3
UPCOMING EVENTS
All Meetings Virtual

March 23, Tuesday
Zone B Meeting, 5:30PM

March 31, Wednesday

April 7, Wednesday

April 7, Wednesday
WR3 Executive Committee Meeting, 6PM

April 8, Thursday

April 14, Wednesday
WR3 Gathering, 4:30PM

April 22, Thursday

April 23-24, Friday-Saturday
WEAC RA

May 8, Saturday
Region 3 RA

May 12, Wednesday, Executive Committee Meeting, 6PM
(Tentative)

June 9, Wednesday, Executive Committee Meeting, 6PM
The State Superintendent Election is April 6 and, if you haven't yet voted by mail in 2021, you'll need to request an absentee ballot.
WEAC recommends Dr. Jill Underly for State Superintendent. Find out more about her at weac.org/elections.
  • Mar 23 thru Apr 4 - In-person early voting *
  • Apr 1 - Request regular absentee ballot
  • Apr 2 - Register at municipal clerk's office
  • Apr 6 - Register at polling place
  • Apr 6 - Return absentee ballot
*Check with your municipal clerk for specific days and times.
Tell your family & friends
VOTE for Underly!

Let's be real... the DPI race will boil down to name recognition. Voucher school advocates will be pouring $$$ into ads for Jill's opponent. Let's battle $ with word of mouth!
Spring Elections Are
Right Around the Corner!
Be A Public School Advocate!

There are many ways to get involved in promoting legislation and candidates for strong Public Schools.

Text Out the Vote. Text other WEAC members about the importance of voting for Dr. Jill Underly – it’s fun and easy! Members who sign up will be contacted for a 15-minute virtual training and will then be able to help us text out the vote. WEAC Texting Corps Sign Up
Sign Up for Alerts. When you’re in-the-know, you can quickly take action on legislative or election alerts. Sign Up for Education Advocacy Alerts
Be a Communication Activist. WEAC is looking for educators who are interested in talking with reporters about the issues that matter to us. Be part of a network that shares information and receives media training to be ready to speak on behalf of Wisconsin educators. Sign Up by Email
Volunteer for Phone Banks. WEAC is partnering on phone banks every Tuesday in March, from 5:15-7:45 p.m. Be sure to indicate you’re volunteering on behalf of WEAC on the sign-up form. Volunteer Here
Back Home Contact Teams. With the state budget debate and legislative session in full swing, WEAC needs a few volunteers to meet with elected officials about our issues. You and others from your legislative district will receive support to reach out and meet with your legislators. Sign Up by Email
Share Your Story. Who knows better how policies impact students than we educators? Volunteer to tell your story about why you support pro-public education candidates, or why certain provisions in the governor’s proposed budget make sense for your students. You’ll receive more information and be invited to talk about your real-life experience relating to the topics you choose. Get More Information by Email
Be sure to indicate that you’re with WEAC on the form. See you on Tuesdays!
ELECTION PHONE BANKS
Every Tuesday until election day, April 6, you have the opportunity to volunteer for virtual phonebanks to educate voters about the candidates running for State Superintendent and encourage them to make a plan to vote. 
A short training on phone banking will be held at 5:15 p.m. each Tuesday, followed by phone calls until 7:45. Sign up for one or all Tuesdays this month, and invite interested friends, families and co-workers to join you. 

WI PUBLIC ED NETWORK
7th ANNUAL SUMMER SUMMIT



You are invited submit a proposal for a session for one of our breakouts at the Annual Summer Summit! What makes our event unique is that it brings together supporters of students and public schools from all sectors, and invites them to learn, connect and strategize. Be part of the action by starting a conversation on the topic you're most passionate about!
 
Submit your proposal on any topic under the umbrella of our 2021 theme, Closing the Gaps -- opportunity gaps, funding gaps, equity gaps, joy gaps, organizing gaps....get creative and put a session together! We hope to have some in person aspect of the event in Sun Prairie, but a virtual option is guaranteed. Indicate in the Call for Proposal forum whether you'd prefer to present virtually in real time, in person, or pre-record a session. Submit your proposal HERE by March 28.  

#Just One 
Campaign Kickoff!

Join us Wednesday, March 31st to kickoff the Just One Campaign:

A membership drive that utilizes early enrollment while rewarding current members for their organizing efforts! 

As we’ve all come to learn, sometimes it’s Just One person that can light the spark and move people in a new way. Region 3 is inviting locals to have a friendly competition and get “Just One” new member between April 1 and May 31, 2021. New members who join in April and May via Early Enrollment will pay nothing until September 2021 (receiving up to 5 months free). The members who recruit people will have a chance to win a $50 gift card to businesses School House, Target, Starbucks, etc.

Want to participate in the Just One Campaign?—Fill out this FORM. 

Region 3 will be holding a training and informational session on the campaign on Wednesday, March 31st via zoom 6-7:30pm. Your local union can make this their own by having a building challenge within the association! During this session we will:

  • Give an overview of the campaign specifics and Early Enrollment
  • Help you identify potential members
  • Practice conversation techniques 

Register for the Kickoff Workshop on Wednesday, March 31st from 6pm to 7:30 HERE.
NEGOTIATIONS 101

Region 3 is excited to bring together leaders from all over our corner of the state to discuss how their local union does negotiations. In some ways working virtually is really an advantage. Now from the comfort of your couch you can ask experienced union leaders how you can make negotiations work for your local union!

What's the difference between "Meet and Confer" & Negotiating?
What should we look for in a salary schedule?
How can my union influence decision makers?
 
These are just some of the conversations we'll be having during this 1.5 hour training. Register HERE and bring your team! 
WEAC Region 3 Representative Assembly
May 8, 2021

The WEAC Region 3 RA will be held virtually Saturday, May 8. Delegates to the RA will be electing the following positions to the WR3 Executive Committee: Treasurer, Secretary, ESP Member-at-Large, and Zone Leaders. 

Presidents received an email from WEAC Region 3 on Monday, March 8th regarding delegate registration. The deadline for registration of delegates is March 29. If your local did not receive this email, please email WEAC Region 3 at region3@weac.org.

Once Region 3 receives delegate certifications, a registration link will be emailed to all certified delegates. 

Watch for more information and nomination forms in the coming weeks.
WEAC Representative Assembly
April 23-24, 2021

The 2021 WEAC RA will be held virtually Friday, April 23, from 6:00-9:00 p.m. and reconvene on Saturday, April 24, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. 

Local Association presidents should have received an email from WEAC the week of February 22nd regarding delegate registration. The deadline for registration of delegates is April 5. RA packets will be mailed to all registered delegates and most documents will be posted online. Click here for more information.  
2021 NEA Representative Assembly
June 30 - July 3, 2021

The 2021 NEA RA will again be held virtually the first week of July. The NEA Constitution and Bylaws provide that each local affiliate is entitled to one delegate for every 150 members or major fraction thereof (76). A local with more than 75 members but less than 226 members, will be entitled to one delegate. A local with more than 225 but less than 376 members will be entitled to two delegates, etc. The deadline for reporting delegates is April 10.

Local presidents should have received all needed information. See below:
Recertification Election for WTCS Locals
Voting will take place between noon on
Wednesday, April 7, and noon on Tuesday, April 27, 2021.

The following Region 3 WTCS locals are recertifying: FVTC ESPA, FVTC FA, Lakeshore EA, and NWTC ESS.

Voting online is quick and easy at www.aaaelections.org/WERC.
Here is a flowchart of the online voting process. (There is an option to vote by phone, but given past issues with that system, Region 3 recommends using the online voting process.)

As a reminder, certification with the WERC requires 51% or more of ALL ELIGIBLE VOTERS to vote “YES” in favor of being represented by the Local Association & WEAC Region 3. 

Recertification elections are unique in that all eligible employees who do not vote are counted as “NO” votes. Therefore, encourage ALL of your co-workers to VOTE "YES".

Additional Recert Voting Information:
  • Your vote is secret.
  • Please do not vote prior to noon April 7.
  • The WERC will release the number of votes cast (not who or how) in each election at the mid-point of the voting period.
  • Voting "Yes" does not obligate anyone to become a member.
  • All employees in a bargaining unit vote, not just union members.
  • If you have questions about the election process, click here for FAQs on recertification.
  • If you have problems voting, call 1-800-529-5218 during the hours of 9 am to 5 pm Monday-Friday.
  • If you are still having problems please report the issue to Region 3 at 920-496-2440, 800-472-5582 or email Region3@weac.org.
CPI for Total Base Wage Negotiations
The Wisconsin Department of Revenue (DOR) has advised the Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission (WERC) that the CPI-U increase applicable to one-year collective bargaining agreements with a term beginning July 1, 2021, is 1.23%. That applies to all K-12 and WTCS contracts, and is a decrease from last year's 1.81%.
Wisconsin State Statute 118.22 governs the renewal and NON-renewal of full-time teacher contracts
 
This important deadline is approaching: 
 
For full-time teacher contracts that a District does NOT want to renew for the 2021-22 school year, the school board must notify with a preliminary notice of non-renewal on OR before Friday, April 30th, 2021.  This timeline applies regardless of the reason for non-renewal, i.e., 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 30th. 
Union members who may be in danger of non-renewal, as well as leaders and building reps working with those members, should contact the Region 3 office as soon as possible. 

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.

Please do not wait until the preliminary notice has already been issued!
Individual Contract Deadlines:
  • April 30 - preliminary notice of nonrenewal
  • May 15 - final notice of nonrenewal
  • May 15 - issuing individual contracts
  • June 15 - accept or reject individual contract
Background Check Applications are Open
 
The DPI background check application is now open for teachers whose license would have expired in 2021. Members can check to see if they are due for a background check by logging into their Educator Licensing Online (ELO) account. Background check applications are due no later than June 30, 2021. It is advised that members submit their application sooner rather than later. Remember this is your responsibility! 
WEAC Weekly
Webinar Wednesday

On Wednesday, March 24, be sure to register for Assessments: Formative and Summative from a Distance. Learn how popular technology tools can be leveraged to collect formative and summative assessments to inform instruction in an asynchronous environment.

The registration link can be found HERE.

Your union cares about you and your well-being. Join us for this course which will provide an overview and strategies to keep your heart healthy and improve your overall cardio health. Free for WEAC members!
Attention all Region 3 Members! 

The Green Bay Education Association's Organizing Committee is hosting Dr. Byron McClure on Saturday, April 10th from 9-11 am. Please consider joining us for this virtual opportunity to learn more about social-emotional learning!

In this online seminar presented by Nationally Certified School Psychologist Dr. Byron McClure, participants will learn how a school and district identified student needs using data and addressed these needs through effective implementation of an integrated social-emotional learning (SEL) program. Dr. McClure will share how to seamlessly blend SEL with other initiatives (such as Restorative Practices) and guide participants how to use his digital SEL lesson plan guides. Participants will leave with ready to use SEL lessons that can be implemented immediately in their classrooms, etc.

Thanks to a NEA Grant received by the Organizing Committee, each participant (up to 150) will receive their own copy of the digital SEL lesson plan guides to use in their work. The first 25 participants to register for and attend the online seminar will also receive a copy of Dr. McClure's e-book Circle Talk: Building Authentic Staff Relationships.

This online seminar is free to attend for current GBEA/Region 3 Members.

See this FLYER for more information! If interested, please sign up ASAP using this GOOGLE FORM link. 

Region 3/GBEA National Board Support Sessions
WEAC, Region 3 and GBEA have organized ongoing monthly National Board Support for the 2020-2021 cycle. Sessions will be held virtually until further notice and facilitated by Sarah Johnston (Marinette).
Find the schedule with registration links HERE. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing a link to join the meeting. Please save this email. 
This is an 11.0101(10)(b)(1) communication with WEAC members.
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s agent or committee. 
Region 3 encourages Locals to get involved in their district's school board elections and/or referendums. Please contact your Region 3 Director for school board candidate screening questions and information on the types of assistance available through Region 3 PAC.