Capitol Update for 11/07/2023
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | November 14, 2023
Both houses of the Legislature will hold a floor session today. The fall floor period concludes November 16th, and the next floor period will be scheduled for January 2024. It is expected the Legislature will adjourn the 2023-25 session in early March 2024.
The Assembly calendar today includes several bills related to higher education, including Assembly Bill 370 which would provide guaranteed admission to UW System schools based on class rankings and would require school district leaders to produce a ranking system for their district that would be used for admission purposes.
The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction is hosting a series of Strategic Planning Community Engagement sessions throughout the state of Wisconsin. If you wish to attend and provide input, you can find registration information here. DPI has also launched a Strategic Planning Survey to help better align their efforts with your needs, input provided will be used to help shape DPI’s initiatives for schools and libraries. This survey is anonymous. Names and email addresses will not be collected. You can find the survey here.
As a reminder, in partnership with Anne Chapman from WASBO, a budget explainer video has been created for you to use with your school leadership team, board, or even community members. You can access the video here. It is also listed under Advocacy Documents on our homepage.
Please reach out if you have any questions.
Topics: CapitolReports, Legislative Action, SAA Latest Update | No Comments »
Members-Only Helpful Videos
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | November 13, 2023
The SAA has been working hard on a new Members-Only website. We’ve created a few screencast videos to help you use and navigate the new site.
Here’s a general training video to show you how to use the new site:
Here’s a video that focuses on login issues and demonstrates password reset:
Topics: Uncategorized | No Comments »
Contact Your Legislator on LRB 2218/1 – Providing an Alternative to the FORT Exam
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | October 25, 2023
Good morning –
SAA has engaged in new software to assist you in contacting your legislators and advocacy work. Our first email campaign requests that legislators co-sponsor LRB 2218/1 – which will allow all educators who are currently required to pass the FORT to utilize the alternative pathway only permitted for Special Education license applicants.
Our new software Phone 2 Action will require you to enter your school address/contact information and then will autogenerate emails to your legislators. I have drafted the emails so that your school district/city will be automatically inserted in the communication. We are excited to engage with this new platform and hope you will find this an easy way to connect with your elected officials with one simple click on the link below.
Action Alert: Contact your Legislator to support FORT Exam Legislation (p2a.co)
Topics: Legislative Action, SAA Capitol Reports, SAA Capitol Reports with Email Notifications, SAA Latest Update | No Comments »
Legislative Alert
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | October 13, 2023
Yesterday, Representative Mursau, Representative Edming, and Senator Mary Felzkowski introduced a bill (LRB 2218/1) for cosponsorship that would extend the same alternative currently available to applicants for a special education initial teaching license to applicants for all licenses to which the FORT applies. This expansion of alternative pathways for licensure will provide a much-needed option for some license applicants. The cosponsorship period ends Wednesday, October 25th.
Please take the time to ask your legislators to cosponsorship LRB 2218/1. It is important to tell your district’s story that would explain why this alternative pathway expansion is important using local examples. If you need assistance identifying your legislators or finding their contact information, please follow this link.
The analysis of LRB 2218/1 from the Legislative Reference Bureau is below:
Under current law, an applicant for certain initial teaching licenses, as a condition for receiving the license, must pass an examination identical to the Foundations of Reading test, commonly called the FORT, in addition to all other requirements for licensure by the Department of Public Instruction. The FORT requirement applies to the following licenses: 1. An initial teaching license that authorizes the holder to teach in grades kindergarten to five. 2. An initial teaching license that authorizes the holder to teach in special education. 3. An initial license as a reading teacher. 4. An initial license as a reading specialist. Current law also provides an exception to the FORT requirement for an applicant for a special education initial teaching license, under which the applicant may demonstrate to DPI that the applicant completed a course of study in the teaching of reading and reading comprehension, rather than passing the FORT. This bill extends the exception currently available only to applicants for a special education initial teaching license to applicants for all licenses to which the FORT requirement applies. Specifically, the bill expands the exception to applicants for a license to teach in grades kindergarten to five, an initial license as a reading teacher, and an initial license as a reading specialist. Under current law and the bill, a teacher who passes the FORT exam must notify DPI and DPI must add a notation to the teacher’s license indicating that the teacher passed the FORT.
Topics: Legislative Action, SAA Capitol Reports, SAA Capitol Reports with Email Notifications, SAA Latest Update | No Comments »
Capitol Activity
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | October 12, 2023
Thursday 10/12/23
The Assembly is holding a floor session today the calendar includes Assembly Bill 377 which designates athletic sports and teams sponsored by public schools or private voucher schools based on the sex determined at birth by a physician and reflected on the birth certificate. The bill also requires an educational institution to prohibit a male pupil from participating on an athletic team or in an athletic sport designated for females.
The Senate Committee on Judiciary & Public Safety, is holding a paper ballot vote on:
- SB-111. The proposal clarifies the definition of “strip search” for the purpose of the prohibition against strip-searching a pupil.
- SB-303 The proposal adjusts the definition of critical mapping data for school safety plans.
Wednesday 10/11/23
The Assembly Committee on State Affairs held an Executive Session on:
- AB-394 – This proposal creates a grant program to distribute the $6 million dollars dedicated in the budget to provide Drivers Education Grants to students in need. The measure passed 12-0.
The Speaker’s Task Force on Artificial Intelligence heard invited testimony from individuals representing Google, the National Conference of State Legislatures, Adobe, and SAS Analytics Software.
The Speakers Task Force on Human Trafficking heard invited testimony from the organizations and/or individuals representing law enforcement, domestic abuse prevention, and others on these topic areas:
- Overview of the status of human trafficking activities in Wisconsin
- Overview of policies enacted in other states to combat and address human trafficking.
- Discussion of tools, processes, and techniques that are working and have been found to be successful.
- Discussion of new or additional tools that can be considered by the legislature to better equip our various agencies, law enforcement, and private groups in addressing the challenges coming from human trafficking.
Tuesday 10/10/23
The Assembly Committee on Education held an Executive Session on:
- AB-163 Requiring public schools to maintain a supply of anti-choking devices. Passage was recommended with a vote of 8-4.
- AB-232 Amends Wis. Stat. §118.01(2)(c) 8. to read: At all grade levels, an understanding of human relations, particularly with regard to American Indians, Black Americans and Hispanics, Hmong Americans, and Asian Americans. Passage was recommended 13-0
- AB-377 Designates athletic sports and teams sponsored by public schools or private voucher schools based on the sex determined at birth by a physician and reflected on the birth certificate. Passage was recommended 9-4
Other Updates:
On October 10th, DPI released statewide assessment results which showed improvement over the previous year.
By October 15th of each year, Equalization Aids for the current fiscal year are computed with the most accurate data available from the prior fiscal year Annual Report, September and January Membership Reports and equalized property valuations as certified by the Wisconsin Department of Revenue for the prior calendar year. Equalization Aid amounts will be published tomorrow October 13th.
Topics: Legislative Action, SAA Capitol Reports, SAA Capitol Reports with Email Notifications, SAA Latest Update | No Comments »