Budget Season Advocacy Update: Stay Tuned for Specific Action Requests

[Send advocacy ideas to: watg@watg.org]

As the new state administration and legislature settle in, a lot has already happened that will have an impact on gifted education for at least the next two years and probably beyond.  Below is a quick roundup of recent news related to advocacy and funding for gifted and talented students and programs for advanced learners. STAY TUNED for specific action requests from WATG!  These requests will mostly take the form of asking you to email your own state Senators and Assembly Representatives to request that they support related bills and actions. If you’re not sure who your state legislators are, just enter your HOME address at this website under “Who Are My Legislators?” http://legis.wisconsin.gov/
WATG’s Government Action Committee is currently developing its advocacy strategic plan for “budget season” (the state’s next biennial budget period begins July 1, 2019 and the budget will be finalized, ideally, before that date).  WATG’s plan will probably include support for the requests for additional funding noted below, promotion of WATG’s “Acceleration Project” (see article elsewhere in this newsletter), and a longer-term emphasis on policy changes that will remove barriers and improve action on behalf of students with gifts and talents.  The plan will go to the WATG board for approval this spring.
THIS IS YOUR CHANCE TO PROVIDE INPUT.  What would you like to see in Wisconsin?  If you are a parent, what policies would help your children thrive in school?  If you are an educator, what would make your job easier as you provide appropriate advanced instructional opportunities?  If you have experience in another state, what was available there that you wish was available in Wisconsin?  We have UNIQUE OPPORTUNITIES this biennium, not least because Dr. Tony Evers is governor and there appears to be a state budget surplus. Please contact watg@watg.org with your ideas as we develop our strategy; it would help if your subject line said “Advocacy Idea.”

RECENT NEWS AND EVENTS

• Gov. Tony Evers, when he was still Superintendent of Public Instruction, proposed an increase in DPI gifted grant funding, from $237,200/year to $1,000,000/year. https://dpi.wi.gov/sites/default/files/imce/policy-budget/pdf/2019-21_Biennial_Budget_Request_Sept_17_2018_FINAL_tech_corrections.pdf- see document pages 121-124, Decision Item 6062.

 

• The Blue Ribbon Commission on School Funding completed its deliberations, and its final report includes a recommendation to increase funding for the state gifted education grants (specific amounts left up to the legislature; suggested options were $500,000, $1,000,000, or $2,500,000/year).  https://wasblegupdate.wasb.org/2019/01/07/final-recommendations-of-school-funding-panel-released/- see Item #22.

 

• WASB (Wisconsin Association of School Boards) overwhelmingly passed a resolution in favor of more funding for gifted programming; no specific amount included. https://www.wasb.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Report-to-the-Membership-on-Proposed-2019-Resolutions-Pre-Delegate-Assembly-version.pdf  - see Resolution 19-05.

 

• WATG held a well-attended session at the Joint State Education Convention in Milwaukee in late January.  President Cathy Schmit, President-Elect Martha Lopez, and past presidents Jackie Drummer and Pam Clinkenbeard presented “State of the State in Gifted Education: Pairing Equity and Excellence.”  https://wasb.org/meeting-and-events/convention/ 

 

• Both WASB and the Blue Ribbon Commission are supporting the recommendations in a document published by the National Conference of State Legislatures called “No Time to Lose: How to Build a World-Class Education System State by State.”  While the report does not address gifted education directly, it is filled with policy suggestions that would be helpful for talent development and advanced learning. http://www.ncsl.org/research/education/no-time-to-lose-how-to-build-a-world-class-education-system-state-by-state.aspx  Wisconsin Senator Luther Olsen was a member of the national study group that produced the report.  Sen. Olsen is Chair of the Senate Education Committee, Co-Chair of the Blue Ribbon Commission on School Funding, and Vice-Chair of the Joint Finance Committee.

 

• WPEN (Wisconsin Public Education Network), with which WATG is affiliated, is holding a series of education budget action workshops around the state in March (Kaukauna, Middleton, Eau Claire, Milwaukee).  http://www.wisconsinnetwork.org/blog/budget- WPEN has an informal gifted education interest group.

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