by David Martin | Feb 26, 2024 | Legislative Update Blog, State Issue
From an OSS Release: “As many of you are aware, recent progress has been made to ensure the WI Office of School Safety is able to continue critical operations to keep our schools safe.
2023 Assembly Bill 1050, which supports the continued operations of OSS through September 2025, recently passed the Assembly. This funding extension would allow us to continue our work to proactively protect schools, prevent violence from occurring, mitigate trauma, and respond effectively if a crisis event does occur to promote recovery. The continued funding would also provide predictable school safety services to all Wisconsin schools. While it will still be critical for the legislature to provide stable, ongoing funding for the Office of School Safety as part of the 2025-2027 biennial budget, 2023 Assembly Bill 1050 offers an important bridge to enable continued services until deliberations on the state budget begin in 2025.
We are grateful to the authors and cosponsors of the bill for their support.
However, there is still important work to be done.
In order to become law, this bill still must pass the Senate prior to its adjournment in mid-March. If you are interested in supporting our continued ability to do this important work, please contact your state senator and voice your support for
Senate Bill 955.”
(more…)
by David Martin | Feb 23, 2024 | Legislative Update Blog, State Issue
After a long day that continued well into the night, the Assembly convened for what is expected to be the last time this session. It was a day filled with emotion, with lawmakers receiving the State of the Tribes Address prior to the start of proceedings, and several representatives giving farewell speeches on the floor. That did not get in the way of a busy calendar day however. The chamber took action on several bills impacting school boards.
The Assembly voted on a number of proposals ranging from school safety measures, to teacher licensing and preparatory programs, to local campaign finance changes, to a bill amending certain aspects of Act 20’s timeline. In our previous post we reported that AB 1069/SB 990, which as amended makes the first administration of the new statewide reading screener in the 2024-25 school year optional, had stalled in the Assembly. SB 990 had previously passed the state Senate with the screener amendment. It was subsequently added to the Assembly calendar for yesterday (2/22) as a special order of business. The Assembly late last night added a new amendment (Assembly Amendment 1) that made changes to the training providers portion of the bill. SB 990 was approved as amended (with the screener language intact) and sent back to the Senate for concurrence in the new amendment. The Senate is expected to meet again in mid March. (more…)
by David Martin | Feb 20, 2024 | Legislative Update Blog, State Issue
The Senate will be holding a full chamber session today (February 20th) to vote on numerous bills, including several that directly affect K-12 education. The chamber will be mirroring much of the Assembly’s action that is planned for later in the day. While the Senate is expected to meet a few more times into mid-March, the Assembly will be meeting for the final time on Thursday (February 22nd). This means that any action taken today by the Senate, that has not previously been approved by the Assembly, will face tough odds of making it to the governor’s desk.
One of the bills that is up on the Senate floor calendar (Senate Bill 990) would allow CESAs to provide early literacy training required as part of 2023 Act 20. This bill had an amendment added that makes the first administration of the new statewide reading screener in the 2024-25 school year optional so schools have enough time to train staff, set up IT and other prep work. It had come to our attention from multiple school administrators that there is strong concern and uncertainty in the timeline for acquisition of the statewide screener and whether there will be sufficient time for schools to implement it in time for the 2024-25 school year. This amendment is needed to make the timeline more manageable and increase the likelihood for successful implementation of the new statewide reading screener.
Since the Assembly will be wrapping up their work for the 2023-24 legislative session, it is very important that the Assembly Bill 1069 (Assembly companion to SB 990 with identical language/amendment) make it to the Assembly floor this week. It is currently not noticed for Tuesday or Thursday. It is our understanding that vendors are objecting to CESAs being allowed to compete with them to provide training to schools on early literacy. If you share these concerns and support this amended bill, it is vitally important to contact your state Assembly Rep. ASAP.
Other education bills being voted on in the Senate today are below. Read the WASB’s previous blog post for more information on the Assembly session. (more…)
by David Martin | Feb 19, 2024 | Legislative Update Blog, State Issue
From the
Wisconsin Policy Forum: “Wisconsin has seen a 17.7% drop in licensed school bus drivers over the past 15 years, creating challenges for school districts and the families they serve. This problem may get worse before it gets better, as more than one-fifth of licensed school bus drivers are 65 and over.”
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by Chris Kulow | Feb 15, 2024 | Legislative Update Blog, State Issue
The end of session is a hectic time. Since time is short and things are rushed, the standard of review and vetting of legislative proposals is often limited. There are exceptions, but often these late session bills aren’t necessarily meant to become law, but rather stake out positions for lawmakers to use in their reelection platforms.
It can also be a strange time and a good example of this was the vote in the Assembly Committee on Health, Aging and Long-Term Care on Assembly Bill 1016. This bill, authored by Rep. William Penterman (R-Columbus, pictured), would mandate that public and private voucher schools offer at least 3 hours of “physical activity” per week to all students during school hours with the argument that this will help combat childhood obesity. The bill had an amendment curiously championed by Rep. Daniel Riemer (D-Milwaukee, pictured) recommended unanimously by the committee that removed the requirement for the “physical activity” to be offered during school hours. Then things got interesting. (more…)
by David Martin | Feb 14, 2024 | Legislative Update Blog, State Issue
The business before the end of session continues this week with the announcement of two Assembly floor sessions and a Senate Education Committee
executive session. Education focused proposals will take up a large portion of the Assembly agenda in the coming days. The chamber is set to take up the legislative packages for the Task Forces on Human Trafficking, Childhood Obesity, and Truancy in K-12 Education. Also on the docket are several curricular mandates, teacher licensing pathway changes, a grant program for threat detection software, private choice/independent charter school funding and regulation, and school accountability issues including introducing
bidding thresholds for schools.
Today in anticipation of the final Senate sessions, the Senate Education Committee will be voting on the proposals it heard testimony on last week in its public hearing. Read below to find more information on the bills receiving action this week. (more…)
