We Need Your Stories!

Thank you for being a WEMTA member.

On May 2, Janet Vraney (Green Bay PS) and Amy Pugh (Pewaukee School Dist.) will attend a National Library Legislative Day in Washington D.C. where they have an opportunity to meet with legislators and/or their aides to share the wonderful work that is happening in our school libraries across Wisconsin. They need your input on the survey linked so they can share the stories of the great programs and resources that are extending student learning in our school libraries.

Your participation in this short survey by April 20 is greatly appreciated. If you know of another library staff member in your district or region that is not a WEMTA member, you may also share this survey with them. (Survey/Form link: https://goo.gl/forms/aV1Yn8CDMpNC6anx1)

Thank you in advance.

WEMTA Legislative Committee

Correction on early voting deadline

Dear WEMTA Members,

Early/absentee voting ends Friday, March 31st in most municipalities. Find out when you can vote early by calling your municipal clerk's office. You can find your polling place here.  See what's on your ballot here. If you're not voting early, be sure to schedule it into your day for Tuesday, April 4th!

WEMTA Members: Early/Absentee voting ends soon!

Dear WEMTA Members,

Early/absentee voting ends Friday, March 31st in most municipalities. Find out when you can vote early by calling your municipal clerk's office. You can find your polling place here.  See what's on your ballot here. If you're not voting early, be sure to schedule it into your day for Tuesday, April 4th!

Tony Evers, incumbent:

• Position on Libraries: "Under my leadership, we launching new technology activities in libraries, like the coding project giving librarians the background and resources to nurture development of these skills with youth in their communities."
• School choice: opposes expansion of the voucher program, wants focus on resources for public schools.
• Common Core: Evers has supported the adoption and implementation of Common Core
• Running on: fixing the school funding formula; increasing graduation rates/reducing achievement gaps; and making sure students graduate ready for college and careers.
• Endorsements
• Website

Lowell Holtz, Superintendent, Whitnall School District:

• Position on Libraries: "Libraries are a seamless extension of our K-12 school system – before pre-school is commenced, throughout the calendar year, and after diplomas are earned."
• School choice: supports the school choice program, saying: "I have no problems with the concept of a voucher in every backpack."
• Common Core: supports the immediate elimination of the Common Core curriculum
• Betsy DeVos: Holtz congratulated DeVos on her confirmation, focusing on DeVos' support for school choice.
• Other positions: promises to close the achievement gap, reduce administrative burdens on teachers, and return control of education back to local communities and parents.
• Endorsements
• Website

WEMTA Legislative Committee

WEMTA Legislative/ISTE Advocacy Booth Winners!

If you joined our drawing at the WEMTA/ISTE Advocacy Booth, be sure to check if you are a winner here. Stop at the prize table at 9am. Remember to like our WEMTA Facebook page and subscribe to our Legislative Blog.

Thanks everyone!

WEMTA Legislative Committee

Legislative Advocacy Session at #wemta17

Advocacy for library and technology programs has never been more important. Join us Tuesday, March 21 at 10am and advocate for your students, library and school by getting involved in the democratic process! We will discuss the Common School Fund and learn how we can advocate for our programs.  Erin Fabrizius, Public Affairs Associate at Blumenfeld & Associates, is our guest speaker.

Have signed up to volunteer yet?

WEMTA17 Conference Attendees, we could use your help at the Legislative Advocacy Letters Booth. Sign up here! 

http://www.wemta.org/conference/volunteer.cfm

WEMTA ALERT! Please make your call today!

The legislature votes this week on the proposal to eliminate the state treasurer and add the lieutenant governor to the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands.

 

It is absolutely critical that you contact your State Senator and State Representative before the votes take place next week and ask them to vote "no."

 

Here are some things you can say:

 

1.     Replacing the State Treasurer with the Lieutenant Governor on the BCPL jeopardizes our founding fathers' commitment to maintaining a constitutionally protected form of school library funding.

 

2.     As envisioned by our founding fathers, current BCPL Commissioners do not play a leading role in K-12 school funding or the state budget process—this makes them ideal custodians of the Common School Fund and helps protect the integrity of the fund.

 

3.     Instead of eliminating the State Treasurer's office, the Legislature should restore the treasurer's duties (transfer the unclaimed property fund and other duties back to the state treasurer).

 

4.     This proposal saves NO taxpayer dollars—the state treasurer is paid entirely with Program Revenue from the unclaimed property fund.

 

 

HOW DO I CONTACT MY LEGISLATOR?

The first step in contacting your legislator is knowing who your legislator is. The easiest way to do this is the tool found on the Legislature's home page, at http://legis.wisconsin.gov. In the right-hand side of that page is a link that says Find My Legislators!  Type your address in the box below that link to get the names of your state representative and senator.

 

·    Phone.  You may leave a message for your legislator's Capitol office or indicate your position on legislation through the toll free Legislative Hotline, at 1-800-362-9472.

 

·    E-mail. The e-mail addresses of members of the Wisconsin Legislature all have the same format. For members of the Assembly, the form is Rep.Jones@legis.wisconsin.gov; for members of the Senate, the form is Sen.Adams@legis.wisconsin.gov.