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
- TEACHER DIVERSITY STUDY PUBLISHED
The Wisconsin Policy Forum has published a new study examining the lack of diversity among educators in Wisconsin. The study, Opening Doors, is a follow-up to a study from last year, A Teacher Who Looks Like Me, examines the institutional barriers responsible for the demographic disparity between students of color and educators of color in Wisconsin.
This is just one of many gaps we aim to close this year through high voter turnout, active and meaningful budget action, and more. Keep your eye on our calendar and budget pages for updates on the ongoing Closing the Gaps Workshop Series! - HUGE DISBURSEMENT TO PUBLIC SCHOOL LIBRARIES
Public school libraries are getting $39 million from the Board of Commissioners of Public lands, Wisconsin State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski announced on Monday, to assist in overcoming the challenges of COVID-19. This is the largest disbursement from this board’s Common School Fund to public school libraries. See the press release to view a spreadsheet and find out how much your home district is receiving. - DISABILITY ADVOCACY DAY
Disability Advocacy Day was on March 23. We are in awe of our students with disabilities, their families, their educators, and our partners across the state who used the day to amplify national efforts to fulfill the responsibilities laid out in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and local and statewide efforts to fight for adequate funding and a fair education for students with disabilities.
ACTION OPPORTUNITIES
Statewide
- GET OUT THE VOTE PARTY
Join us to get out the vote on Thursday, April 1! Bring your funniest hat, a snack, a beverage, and some friends, along with your phone and Facebook Messenger. We’ll have a fun, social space and use some data-proven methods to turn out the vote in Wisconsin going into the weekend before the April 6 election. Register here. - SHAREABLE BUDGET PRIORITIES
We’ve published a new series of shareable graphics outlining five key priorities for a fair and just state budget for Wisconsin students and public schools. The graphics explain what each of these priorities — which are adapted from our #VotePublic Values — mean in terms of the state budget and which elements of Governor Evers’s budget move us in the right direction. Click here to see these graphics on Facebook or here to see them on our Budget HQ page. We also have a handy PDF which further explains our budget priorities, the Joint Finance Committee hearing procedures, and more to help plan your budget advocacy this spring.
Northwest Wisconsin
The Northwest Region has been lighting up our running resource of op-eds and letters to the editor. This is housed on our Budget HQ page under “Take Local Action.” If you have an op-ed or letter to the editor you’d like us to use as a sample, send it to hdb@WisconsinNetwork.org!
Southwest Wisconsin
To get in touch with us in the Madison area or Southwest Wisconsin, email Digital Organizer Christian Phelps or Executive Director Heather DuBois Bourenane!
Northeast Wisconsin
Northeast Regional Organizer Denise Gaumer Hutchison and ACLU Regional Organizer Melissa Ludin are holding a LOCAL budget action workshop on Saturday, March 27 at 11:00 a.m. Register here if you’d like to join them!
Southeast Wisconsin
To let us know about action alerts in the southeast, email Digital Organizer Christian Phelps or Southeast Regional Organizer Jenni Hofschulte!
PARTNER & ACTION RESOURCES
