by David Martin | Jun 21, 2024 | Legislative Update Blog, State Issue
From DPI: “The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction is announcing NCS Pearson was selected to supply the statewide reading readiness screener under the requirements of 2023 Wisconsin Act 20.
Bids for the universal screener were evaluated by Department of Administration experts following state procurement rules. The DPI will need to negotiate a final contract before July 15, 2024, with NCS Pearson that will include details about assessment administration, accommodations and accessibility options, trainings for teachers and administrators, and testing windows. These details will be announced before the beginning of the 2024-2025 school year. (more…)
by David Martin | Jun 19, 2024 | Election, Legislative Update Blog, State Issue
Summer of 2024 has arrived, closing the legislative session, and ushering in the much-anticipated campaign and election season. State Senate and Assembly elections are going to be in the limelight this year because of a dramatic legislative redistricting that occurred earlier this year. In light of these changes, DPI has released a
new interactive map that shows school district boundaries overlaid with legislative district boundaries.
This also means now is a great time for you to get to know your potential lawmakers better! K-12 education, as always, is sure to feature prominently in many candidates’ platforms and you have the opportunity to share your expertise and knowledge with new legislators. A great way for your school district to play an active role in the election is to host a candidate forum. A forum is a great way to engage your community around an upcoming election, to build support for the issues that matter to your school district, and to learn more about the candidates running to represent you. You can even consider partnering with your neighboring school districts, to maximize attendance and interest in the forum as well as increase the likelihood candidates will want to participate!
Below read some tips and information for hosting a successful candidate forum. You can find more resources on our Legislative Advocacy Tips page. (more…)
by David Martin | Jun 18, 2024 | Legislative Update Blog, State Issue
Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce previously
filed a lawsuit in April, directly with the Supreme Court, that seeks to overturn Governor Evers use of the
partial veto to annually raise school revenue limits by $325 per pupil until 2425. Today, the Court has announced it will take up the suit. Petitioners in the case will have 30 days to file a brief before the court and respondents will have to file a reply or statement they will not reply within 20 days of the filing, according to the Supreme Court
order. If respondents file a brief, petitioners will then have 10 days to either file a reply brief or statement that no brief will be filed. A date for oral arguments has yet to be scheduled.
(more…)
by David Martin | Jun 17, 2024 | Federal Issue, Legislative Update Blog
Recently a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators (
led by U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, and U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), a senior member of the Commerce Committee), introduced a bill that would require the creation of formal guidance to PreK-12 schools on the use of artificial intelligence. The
NSF AI Education Act, also seeks to establish scholarships, professional development opportunities, and spur new research through the
National Science Foundation to better reorient and protect education and our workforce from the emerging technology.
At this years Delegate Assembly, WASB members adopted a resolution on artificial intelligence. “
Artificial Intelligence: The WASB recognizes the significance of Artificial Intelligence as a newly developing technology and looks to be a part of the state discussion as Artificial Intelligence evolves.” As such, we will be closely following this legislation and any potential federal guidance on educational use of artificial intelligence. View a summary of the bill provisions
here.
by David Martin | Jun 14, 2024 | Legislative Update Blog, State Issue
WASB’s
2024 Resolutions Booklet is now available!
Resolutions adopted by the annual Delegate Assemblies set the direction for the association and provide the WASB viewpoint on any number of topics. They remain in force unless amended or repealed. Resolutions are an important way in which WASB members ensure the association is member-driven. At this year’s Delegate Assembly, in January at the State Education Convention, delegates adopted five new resolutions, and a further six which amended or removed previously adopted resolutions. You can find the 2024 WASB Resolutions Book on our
Delegate Assembly webpage, or at this
direct pdf link. Board presidents and district administrators should have received a copy in the mail. Locally appointed WASB Delegates will receive a copy of the book in the mail closer to next year’s Delegate Assembly.
(more…)
by David Martin | Jun 11, 2024 | Legislative Update Blog, State Issue
November will see the election of half (even-numbered) of the 33 state Senate districts, and all 99 Assembly districts. With major legislative redistricting occurring this year, along with the usual long list of retiring legislators, significant turnover is expected in both chambers next session. This could also bring changes to longstanding relationships you might have built with your state legislators. The WASB wants to ensure that school leaders have the resources they need to stay up to date on the changes coming to the Wisconsin State Legislature, and how your advocacy efforts could be affected.
Below are the official candidates for state legislative offices this November. Cells with more than one name indicate a partisan primary, which will occur in August. Assembly district maps 2022 and 2024 can be found and compared HERE. Senate district maps for 2022 and 2024 can be found and compared HERE. (more…)
