See all bi-weekly Wisconsin Public Education Network Action Newsletters on our website at WisconsinNetwork.org/Action-News. If you have news, actions, achievements, or updates you’d like us to include in our next newsletter, submit them at this form!
Read on for news that matters to Wisconsin kids and their public schools, action opportunities you can take right now, and local action spotlights.
NEWS THAT MATTERS TO KIDS & PUBLIC SCHOOLS
- JOINT FINANCE COMMITTEE BUDGET HEARINGS ANNOUNCED
The Joint Finance Committee has announced the dates for public hearings on the 2021-2023 state budget. You can testify in person, virtually, or (as always) in writing. There are in-person hearings on April 9 (Whitewater), April 21 (Rhinelander), and April 22 (Menomonie), and virtual hearing on April 28.
Visit our Budget HQ page for everything you need to know to prepare your testimony and learn more about the state budget. Submit your testimony online or by email, then amplify your voice by sharing widely. Be sure to share with your own elected officials! Online: www.legis.wisconsin.gov/topics/budgetcomments; By email: budget.comments@legis.wisconsin.gov. - ELECTION APPROACHING QUICKLY
We look forward to discussing the issues with April 6 State Superintendent candidates Dr. Deb Kerr and Dr. Jill Underly at Thursday’s conversation, which we are cohosting with the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin.
ACTION OPPORTUNITIES
- SPECIAL FRIDAY SOCIAL THIS WEEK
Our Friday After-School Socials are taking a twist ahead of the April 6 election! Join us THIS FRIDAY, March 12, for an extra special Get Out the Vote Video Creation Extravaganza with Wisconsin comedian and viral TikToker Kristin Brey. If you haven’t registered for our end-of-week socials yet, register here. NOTE: If you register once, you’ll get the Zoom link for every Friday social — so go ahead and sign up if you think you might want to join us sometime! - CONVERSATION WITH THE CANDIDATES FOR SUPERINTENDENT
Our forum with State Superintendent of Public Instruction candidates Deb Kerr and Jill Underly is tomorrow, Thursday, March 11 at 6:30 p.m., cosponsored by the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin and moderated by Tony Chambers, Director of Equity, Inclusion and Innovation, Center for Healthy Minds and Healthy Minds Innovations at UW-Madison. Register here to join us live as we dive deeper into what the #VotePublic Pledge means to each of these candidates and get to know the two remaining contenders for State Superintendent! Register before 3:30 p.m. on Thursday to join us live on Zoom, or watch livestreams on Facebook, WisconsinEye and other locations.
- SCHEDULE AT-A-GLANCE:
Please note that you typically must register for our events by three hours before the event begins. Registrations close at about that time so we can make sure everyone who needs to attend gets the link to do so. Zoom links are sent out about 90 minutes prior to the start of an event. If you cannot find the email with the Zoom link, please check your “spam” and “promotions” inboxes.- THURSDAY, March 11, 6:30 – 8:00 p.m.: Superintendent Candidate Forum. Register here.
- TUESDAY, March 16, 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.: Budget Breakdown with State Budget Director Brian Pahnke. Register here.
- THURSDAY, March 18, 6:30 – 8:00 p.m.: Storytelling Testimony Workshop ahead of the budget hearings, cohosted with the ACLU of Wisconsin. Register here.
CHANGEMAKER APPRECIATION
Spotlight on the School District of La Crosse, which was featured in Wisconsin Public Radio’s “Outbreak Wisconsin” project. The feature highlighted teacher Julie Welch and the incredible hurdles our educators and public schools have cleared to continue educating Wisconsin’s kids through the coronavirus pandemic.
“Teachers are willing to take on the extra load because they care about their students, Welch said, adding that worrying about students’ safety throughout the day escalates stress that she hasn’t had to experience while teaching from her basement.
‘I really, really feel for my coworkers that are in-person. They’re doing it, they’re not complaining, they’re not quitting,’ Welch said. ‘But they are exhausted, and they need all of the support we can give them.'”
Amazing!
PARTNER & ACTION RESOURCES
